Dartmouth Conference: 2013
Table of Contents
Revelation 3:7-8 Philadelphia
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Hmm.
The portion that we might take up subject to my brethren's approval.
The address to Philadelphia in Revelation 3.
I know it's a passage we've had before us many times in the past, but it seems more and more that it's appropriate today.
In the first time we had especially the Lord's coming brought before us, and in the second hymn we had the Lord's provision for us, by the way.
And both, I believe, are given to us in that address.
I believe it's one of the most encouraging things that we have in the whole of the Bible as to being faithful to the Lord and being encouraged in these last days.
But would I really think of that?
Well, everyone's happy with that Revelation 3 and.
We might read from verse 7 down to the end, of course, of the.
Passage to do with Philadelphia down to the end of verse 13.
Revelation chapter 3 reading from verse 7 to the end of verse 13.
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And to the Angel of the church in Philadelphia, right these things, that he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man open. I know thy works. Behold, I set before thee an open door, and no man can shut, for thou hast a little strength.
And has kept my word, and has not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee because.
Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation.
Which shall come upon all the world, to try them to dwell upon the earth.
Behold, I come quickly hold that fastest thou hast that no man take thy crown.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of thy God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, And I will write upon him my new name.
He either half an year let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Church.
We might mention just a few things as a.
Bit of an introduction to the passage.
Pardon a personal reference, but I can remember when I was a teenager, a brother in the Toronto meeting came up to me after a reading meeting and he said Bill. I sometimes think that we're almost past Laodicea these days.
And I nodded wisely, not having the faintest idea of what he was talking about.
And so.
We know that these seven assemblies all existed at the time that the Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation, all reasonably close together in what was then Asia Minor, now part of Turkey.
And.
No doubt they bring before us the fact that if God is going to.
Give John a revelation of the awful judgment that was going to come upon the world, particularly the world that is known in the Gospel, because that is primarily what we get in revelation, the judgment of God on apostate Christendom.
We know from Peter's ministry that judgment must begin at the House of God. And so before the Lord enters into details of judgment on an ungodly world, He gives His judgment as to.
The condition of that which professes the name of Christ.
And no doubt these assemblies existed at that time, each one with its own particular character, and the voice to them was to be listened to. He that hath an ear, and hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches or assemblies.
More than that, at any time in the history of the church, either an individual or an assembly, a group of believers could read these.
Conditions in these various churches and get benefit from them. They could say, well that's something we need to look into or that's something that is an encouragement to me and so on.
But you and I in these last days know that these assemblies have a prophetic character.
And.
It's wonderful in that sense to live in these last days because I believe God did not allow the Church to see the prophetic character of these seven assemblies until right at the end.
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And of course, there's a very good reason for that. It would have destroyed the hope of the Lord's coming.
We know, for example, that.
Ephesus having left its first love, the first assembly mentioned, is the condition of things shortly after the Apollo passed off the scene, and then just briefly, Smyrna, the time of savage persecution of believers during the second and third centuries under the Roman Empire.
Pergamos, though the condition of things that began to develop in the time of Constantine, when Christianity.
Was made the official religion of the Roman Empire and where it became relatively popular to be a Christian. Although it's questionable whether Constantine ever was a real believer, but we leave that. And then of course, Thyatira was the full blown effect of all of that, Uh, no doubt representing Roman Catholicism and what took place during the Dark Ages.
And at that point, as we're the Lord says, things have gone too far, there's no hope of full recovery. And so thiatagara goes on to the end, and it's here with us today. But then Sardis brings before us not so much the Reformation, but the result of it, because the Reformation was a work of God, but productivism was not. And Protestantism duplicated many of the errors of Romanism, but without the hierarchy of.
The Pope and Cardinals and all the rest of it. And so, Sardis, is Protestantism. Thou hast been named, Thou liveth spend our dead.
But then we thank the Lord that back about 180.
Years ago or so, God and His wondrous grace began to work in hearts.
To restore to us the precious truth of the Assembly.
And so we find a condition of things that we can call Philadelphia. And then of course, Laodicea is the end result of the church, which is so nauseous to God because it's outward pretension without inward reality, and it will find it full of expression in the false church after the true church is called home. Although we see Laodiceanism today.
And so it's important to recognize that the.
Beautiful character of Philadelphia here.
Is something that each one of us can look to and seek to follow after these last days.
And I'd make one more little remark, and that is.
Let's not try and label any particular group as being Philadelphia. I believe that's important. It's clear that Thyatira is Roman Catholicism, no question about that. It's clear that Sardis is Protestantism. But in Philadelphia, in Laodicea, it's rather a condition than a discrete group of individuals, and it's something that the Lord desires for himself.
And as I said earlier, I believe it's some of the greatest encouragement as well as, of course, some warnings, but some of the greatest encouragement in the whole Bible to read what the Lord is able and willing to do in these last days if you and I are willing to follow Him with a full heart.
In each case in these letters.
The Lord presents himself to the particular assembly He's addressing. He presents himself in accordance with their condition. And, uh, here the 1St.
Aspects of this character that's mentioned is bullies.
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Less significant because.
You know, there's, uh.
There is, uh, something that, uh, Mr. Darby said that is often quoted and sometimes, uh.
Uh, either refuted or argued against.
And that is that God's principle of unity is separation from the, you know, holiness means separation. But that is how, uh, I mean, we're just speaking about history here. And whether we say that the brethren in the early 19th century represent Philadelphia or not, what we do know about them is that that was, that was what they practiced separation from easel. They came out and apart from what they.
Saw as ecclesiastical people.
And that's in keeping, you know, if you, if you look at John 17, we know what that is, as the Lord was framed there for the Father as he was about to leave the earth.
When I was a young Christian I read this. I always thought this was a prayer for oneness.
And I, I think it's commonly thought that way, that it was a prayer for oneness, but.
Years ago when I met some brethren in in Palmyra, ME area, I looked at this passage again.
And I realized that this prayer is a prayer for sanctification.
If you read it carefully, that's what it is. It's a fire for sanctification in three ways.
Through his name.
Get that, uh, to keep them in his name.
That's verse 11.
And uh, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth.
And his glory.
But if you look at versus 1920 and 21.
I believe that it would be proper to put verse 20 in parentheses.
So that you could connect versus 19 and 20 and 21. And it would say, for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified, separated, you know?
Through the truth that they all may be one.
Sanctified through the truth that they all may be 1 So it's a prayer for for sanctification that would result in oneness. And so this notion that God's principle of unity is separation from evil is not something that the brethren just came up with it. It's what the Scripture teaches. And beginning with the calling of Abraham to call him out, that principle is seen again and again when evil comes in God.
Calls out.
What's wonderful about verse 20?
That's where we got included.
You know, this verse is a really wonderful verse.
Because verse 20 is how we in this late day got included in that prayer.
He says I'm not just praying for these that are here with me, these my disciples here, but I pray for all of them who will believe on me through their work.
Through the word of his disciples. And that's how we believe, isn't it? We have their word, we have their testimony, and it is the means by which we were born so much later.
It's through their word that we believe, and so the Lord included us here in verse 20.
But getting back to the point, it's sanctification that they may be one.
And so you get here. The first character he presents himself is that he's holy.
I think that's very good. It never was it more needed than today, because as we all know, the character of the world around us is becoming very, very unholy. And it's always the general character of the surrounding world that affects the people of God so that we're liable to be drawn into it. And when sin is so rampant in the world, we too can get a rather casual view toward it, can't we?
00:25:09
And so we need to be reminded that there is one that is holy, one that is true.
I suppose in Second Timothy two we have pretty much that same thought.
Described there, I believe, the days in which we live and departing from the truth and so on. Umm, and it speaks of in verse 20, a great house, and I think that would bring before us Christendom in general, where there are those who are real and those that are professors only and so on. Umm but take note of verse 19.
Foundation of God stands short having this seal. The Lord knows them that are his and is our part. You might say our responsibility that everyone that name is the name of Christ for the Lord. I believe it could be depart from iniquity and then in verse 21, it speaks about a man purging himself from those vessels that are through dishonor and uh, verse 22.
They also use for less, but umm, notice that that burst continues, but follow righteousness, faith, charity and peace with them that call on the Lord of the pure heart. So it's a matter of, as you say, when it is, uh, sanctification, but unto the Lord, if we look at Hebrews 1313 and uh, with them that called on the Lord of a pure heart.
So he doesn't want us though, he doesn't want us to get out of the world and go and live in a cave or something like that. He wants us to find those who have a true desire to all of the Lord. And uh, as we had that verse before us this morning there in Malachi, those that fear the Lord spoke often one to another.
And, uh, that's what the world delighted in. He, he wants to see those that are true and those that fear the Lord, uh, to be together and, and, uh, be encouraged and so on in these last difficult days. I do see sometimes a character in some that they.
They're, uh, somehow so disappointed with other Christians that they go off by themselves, you know? And it's a spirit of things. Umm.
Not much, not much different than I think Elijah when he said only I am left, you know, it killed all your prophets and I'm the only one left. And uh, if I'm not mistaken, that's the only sin of an Old Testament St. that's important or spoken of in the New Testament. It's a terrible sin of pride. And I think also, uh, it's pretty sure it's been a long time since I remember looking at stuff, but I think the word Pharisee means separation. Something to that effect has something to do with separation and Pharisees, you know?
Where the holier than thou?
You know, separated but but not separated under the law. And that's what you're getting at. It's not merely separation, it's separation unto him. And there's going to be others. We're guaranteed that there will be others that we can go on with. And that's a wonderful thing. So setting yourself apart, that's that's not the thought at all, is to be separated so that you can be in communion with the Lord and you're guaranteed that you'll be in communion with others as well.
Brothers heads, uh, uh, Bill. Dad was one of the three, uh, friends of Joe.
And uh, his name means most separated, but he, uh, he faced his judgment, umm, or his discernment on tradition that you might mention that.
Oh, hello, Bob. I'm sorry. Go ahead, though.
Go ahead.
Just, uh, a thought as to this concept of holiness. We, umm, it's a character of the Lord that, umm, we have here in our portion, but it's a character that the Lord would have us to have. And so we have in the maybe we could look at first Peter, just for a moment.
First Peter chapter, chapter one.
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We go through the 1St chapter, but just to lead up to in verse 13, it says grew up the loins of your mind. And that that's a preface to what we have in the 15th verse where he says but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written be holy for I am holy, which of course is a quotation from Leviticus. But as a as we consider this.
Umm umm.
Uh, an incident comes to mind that umm.
I appreciate it when my children were younger.
We live in a Maple Bush and we tap trees. We've got some help now. The Alan help us with their treats that that produce a bit of stuff too. But back when my children were younger, we would gather the SAP and we would take it over to the Millers and they would boil it. So we we boil stuff the easy way.
We tap the trees, we gather the South, but then we take it over to the Miller's and invariably when I was.
Driving by the barn on our way to dump off the set, our children would say, Dad can we go in the bar?
And, uh, I would reluctantly say that they could go in the barn, but maybe just go in the door. And, uh, it's interesting that, uh, my children could win the barn and they would come out and they would smell just like a cow. And I bring them home and they troops into the house and my wife would say, what have you done? And here's my children. Uh, you know, they didn't have to look at a cow. They didn't have to touch a cow.
But they came out of the barn smelling just like a cow.
And that's the concept.
Of association of evil.
Again, I repeat, they didn't have to look at a cow.
They didn't have to touch it going.
At that, they came out smelling just like a cow. Isn't that interesting? While the Lord's desire is that we would bear that character, that He has a holiness. Holiness and righteousness are different.
Righteousness happen to do with our act.
Whereas holiness has to do with our thoughts.
Righteousness has to do with our path.
But holiness has to do with our thoughts.
Sorry, I got you wrong. No, that's very, very good, Dave. And I think as we said a moment ago, all of this is the most needed. I would just make one further comment on the whole question of separation from evil and whether Ted touched on it. And that is that whenever there is separation from evil, unless there is a real separation, not from something, but unto someone.
The whole matter of price can enter into the picture.
It's very interesting that the brother who wrote an article way back in the 1800s entitled Separation from Evil, God's Principle of Unity, and it's a superb article.
But some years after he had written it, a brother who edited a periodical decided that it was good enough to put in the periodical, and it fell under the eyes of the very man who had originally written it.
Of course, both the man who had written it and the editor of the periodical knew each other, but the original author wrote to the editor pretending he was someone else. And he said, Mr. Editor, you have put a paper into your publication that while it is very, very good, he said, and everything that it says is true, he said, I would judge it to be slightly unbalanced and one sided.
And then he proceeded to add something to it.
Grace, the power of unity and gathering. And I enjoyed that because.
Separation is necessary, but if we're not careful, we can allow what we witness against to assume such proportions that it almost eclipses what we witnessed for. And Christianity is positive. We have to deal with evil. We have to separate from. And I say again today it is most necessary more than it ever was. But separation from evil never attracted a soul to Christ. It might help us soul who was already attracted.
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It might be something that was good for someone who had already known the Lord. But what brought you and me to Christ in the beginning? It was a realization that first of all, we were sinners, but secondly, that here was one whose grace and love reached out to us while we were sinned. And so we need to remember that the very name Philadelphia means brotherly love. And so in all that we read here.
Yes, we find the strongest language as to the need for separation, and that is most necessary. But let us remember that it is separation under Christ, and the whole character of that Blessed One ought to be manifested, as Dave has said, first of all in our thoughts, and then in our walk and our ways down here.
Sometimes the question arises, should I do this? Should I do that? Should I go here? Should I go there with regard to this matter of holiness?
And as there's been, uh.
Conferred separation starts in the heart, and if it's in our hearts we're separated unto the Lord, then that's going to guide what happens right now.
I got a question for for brother Dave. Your children, when they smelled like cows, did they think they smelled like them? I had no concept lesson.
My brother watched that that if you grew up in a room that was full of garlic.
You would not be able to discern the smell of garlic.
So, uh, we're not really the best judges, are we? Of what we smell like, so to speak.
And, uh, it's good not to, uh, get angry with your brethren if they give some indication that maybe you smell like a cow.
Might be good to pay attention and consider where you've been, what you've been up to, right?
I always enjoy in Scripture how the Lord presents himself as the source of all strength for his people. He doesn't give us something else. He doesn't give us doctrines. Sometimes he doesn't even present his word or the Spirit of God. He always presents himself, especially in the in the Old Testament, in the titles of El Shaddai and all these other things. And even here we see that he says these things. Say if he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shut up and shut up and no man open it, He presents himself.
Not something else that we can lean upon and rely upon. They're just taking back the, the Peter, umm, in the sense of this aspect of holiness and righteousness. We have none in ourselves, nothing that we can count on ourselves to even approach that. And it hits at that in Peter where he says in verse verse 14, he says as obedient children in verse, it wasn't read, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust in your ignorance. That's all we have to offer is less ignorance.
That's the best that we can do. But yet it says He is He which hath called you is holy. So be holy in all manner of conversation. There's no doubt there. If He's holy, He gives us everything that we need to be the same as Him. He provides it all for us. It's not a matter of us earning it. It's not a matter of us on some level or studying to be holy. We are holy as long as we're in Him. He presents everything that we need, all the strength that we need to be holding. It's a matter of.
Being obedient children to that, realizing that that's what his standard is and that's how we have to work and give us everything to do that. But yet where we fall is in that little line. Obedient children. Same as Dave mentioned, his children were told they can go to the barn but not go in. How many times have we been to the barn? But yet taking that first step in and because of that, we read the, the situation that we find ourselves in, even just that one little step, we end up smelling like cows because.
That's the way it is.
Present, uh, the Lord presents himself and we have a desire to be near him, right? And we have a desire to be a communion with him. And that is the desire that has got to be the motivation for holiness, the desire to be with the Lord, the desire to be in communion with him. If our desire for holiness is motivated otherwise that's Pharisees.
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But going on to the next thing, and you've mentioned it, Brian, it mentions here the key of David, he that hath the key of David.
There can be different thoughts on that.
I would suggest something I've enjoyed in my own soul.
As we know, it's a reference to the 22nd of Isaiah.
And there are two men named in that chapter.
One man whose name was Eliakim, and another whose name was Shepna. Both of those men were prominent in Israel. Both of them took a place of honoring the Lord.
They were men who were present when the.
Syrians came against Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah, and Shebna was one of those who listened to the harangue by Sennacherib's emissary, and so on.
But there was a very different character inside with those men. Shevna had his eye on present things.
Eliakim had his eye on the Lord and non eternal things if we could use that expression. I know they were Old Testament people, but at the same time we find that at the end of that chapter in Isaiah.
Eliakin is so closely connected.
With what is prophetically said of Christ, that it actually talks about Eliot Kim in terms of his having the key of David, even though as it goes on, it's very obviously Christ that is in you. It talks about the one who will be fastened as a nail in a sure place. That could be none other than the Lord. But Eliakim was so closely, at least in the mind of the prophet, connected with Christ.
That the Spirit of of God is able to put them together in that way.
Christ has the key of David in the sense that he is the one who is the rightful king. He is the one who has the right in the coming day to take that place of power and authority over all things in this world.
But who will be with them in that day? You and I?
The Lord gives you and me the privilege now of living for Christ in such a way that we can be closely identified with Him.
Remember while reading of a.
Dear brother who lived way back again in the 1800s and someone made a remark about him said every time I see that man, I am reminded of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In more recent years, although before my time, there was a brother in the Toronto meeting by the name of Gosby. I knew one of his daughters, but he was gone long before I was around.
But my father told me that.
When he was lying there in his casket many, many years ago, and of course, neighbors and friends came in as well as believers, and one of his neighbors stood by the casket and as they were chatting together, he pointed to Mr. Gosby's body in the casket. He said, you know, he said that man never sinned. That man never sinned.
I don't think my neighbors would say that about me.
If I were in the casket, I hope they would, but I don't somehow think they would. But here was a man who lived next door to him, and not just for a month or two, but for a number of years. And that was the testimony Mr. Gosby bore. Well, I say that to show that what God looks for in you and me as a character that simplifies the character of Christ, the key of David. And so if he's the one that has the key to that rightful place.
God has given you and me the privilege of being so closely associated with Him and His character, and want in our character and want that we resemble that in Christ.
00:45:09
And what's the result? We will find that there will be doors that will be open to us, wonderful doors, and there will be some that will be closed. And we have to remember that. We've talked about that a little more later perhaps, but the key of David now others may have different thoughts. I'd be glad to hear them. But I just mentioned that is what I have enjoyed in the connection with that expression.
Just to mention opening and shutting.
It says I have set before thee and opened door, and no man can shut it in the next verse. But in verse seven it says the Lord openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth.
You and I are not living in Apostolic days, and if we pretend to be like those in Apostolic days, we will be disappointed.
If we attempt to restore the power and position of Pentecost.
It won't work. We have to realize that we're living at the end of a ruined dispensation where the church outwardly has failed, where it is broken up outwardly into many different groups, where it has become, I think Dara referred to it there in Second Timothy, a great house.
Much that is wrong in practice, much that is wrong in doctrine, and the need for separation is there.
There are doors that are going to be closed to us today. If we want to be faithful to the Lord, we say, why can't that door be open to me? Others are going through that door. It seems to be open to them.
And I have to say, that door is close to me if I want to be faithful to the Lord. But thank God there is.
A door and there are doors that are open and the Lord says no man can shine. Oh, the devil is trying to shut every door that would be opened to the honor and glory of Christ today. God says that I have opened it. Christ says if I have opened it, no man can shut it and I say that to encourage each one of us here because.
In these last days, as Ted referred to it a little, there are some who are throwing up their hands and saying no use, what can you do? I'm just going on alone. There are others who are saying, well, it doesn't matter much where you go or what you do, After all, it's the last days. We know what things ought to be, but you can't do that in practice anymore. There is an open door, and God will never show you and me truth in His Word.
And then make it impossible for us to act on it. He will never make the circumstances of our lives so difficult that I have to say, well, I know what the word of God says. I know what I ought to be doing. But because of the circumstances of the position in which I am placed, I can't do it. I don't believe the Lord will ever put us in that situation. Now don't misunderstand me. I have no doubt that dear John on the Isle of Patrick.
It seems as if he were all alone and he probably could not break bread even though the word of God told him to do it.
Others have been put in prison and we're all alone in a prison cell. And there were things they couldn't do. If you read Hebrews 10 and 25 to someone in prison and said, now what about it, Paul? It says not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together. Now, Paul, you're not carrying that out. No, God had allowed a circumstance where he couldn't carry that out, at least for a while. But I'm speaking in general terms that God will not allow the condition of things in this world to become so difficult.
That you and I can't carry out what we read in the word of God.
Go back for a minute to uh, where it says he that is true.
What does that mean? Because it's true.
I asked that question because I'm going to answer it so.
00:50:01
What does that mean though? He that is true? You know in English we have the word true. We have the word truth. TRUTH.
And uh, we also have the words real and the reality.
And I think our concepts of those aren't quite the same, right? The truth and reality, we don't quite think of them as the same truth. We think oftentimes as a body of knowledge or.
Uh, something having to do with?
Whether what you said actually was what happened and what isn't right.
But in Greece, that word.
Greek didn't have those two words.
In Greek, the concept of it is something is true. It means it's real.
That's not a hard stretch for us, but there there weren't two separate words but but there is in English. That is what the Greek word means. It means is real.
And uh, you could. In fact, when the Lord says I am the way, the truth and the life.
You could actually read that in English as I am. The way the reality comes alive.
Or when it says thy word is truth.
Perfectly acceptable in English to translate that as by word is reality.
Because that's exactly what that word means.
Well, that's nice because it says he that is real.
That is real.
And uh.
I.
You might think of this as being in contrast to being hypocritical. You know, Hipp, hypocrisy isn't just saying one thing and doing another. Any kind of show is hypocrisy. Uh, perhaps uh, even showing more affection for the Lord than you really have, so that you try to display that to your brethren. That's hypocrisy.
And uh, when the Lord called the the Pharisees and scribes and hypocrites, as I understand that hypocrites was a word for stage actors in that day.
That's what they were called, hypocrites, and they were made these big masks in order to amplify the effect of their voices.
And they not negatively, but that's they were referred to as hypocrites. That's just what they were called.
And so when the Lord said the hypocrites, it was as if to say, you actors.
Your show offs and uh, I think it's quite interesting. He says he's holy and then he says he's true or he's real.
If you read about the Lord in the gospels, can you think of anything that he showed more Uh.
Shall I say, uh, anger or, uh, he was appalled. What was more odious to him than hypocrisy? You ever noticed that it seemed hypocrisy seemed to be the thing that just he had no tolerance or at all was hypocrisy.
He just, it was so just obviously so distasteful to him.
Because that's his character is he's real. He was genuine. There was no and he would have us to have that character as well.
This is about the first Excuse me, go ahead.
He says about the Pharisees there too.
Do what they do. Don't do what they do what they say. Don't do what they do.
Yeah, I was just going to mention, uh, that thought and truth and reality, and it reminded me of when the Lord stood before Pilate.
In John 19 I'll just read this here the Lord says to this end was I born, and for this cause came my into the world, that I should bear with this unto the truth, let's say reality.
Pilots answered. Pilots said unto him, What is truth? What is reality? Isn't that the world? They don't know what reality is? They don't know that the things that are not seen there in general.
The things that are seen are only temporary.
And that whole idea is being challenged today in many circles, and sad to say, it has invaded the profession of Christianity. At least that is that you can have your truth and I can have my truth. And even though they contradict each other, well, that's all right. For you, it's your truth, and for me it's my truth.
00:55:25
But that which is true by definition excludes that which is not true.
And so.
Uh, we are told today to be tolerant.
But when it comes to divine things, there are absolutes, aren't there? There are absolutes in truth. Man doesn't want to admit today that there are any absolutes. Everything is relative. Well, there are things that are relative in life. There are things that we have to be careful about, trying to be so dogmatic about that we fail to see the broad picture. But when it comes to the Word of God, there is absolute truth which must be recognized.
And we cannot play with it in that way. We can venture, we might say, to think outside the box, as people say, but if we could say it with all reverence, we can't think outside this box. No, all our thoughts must be subjected to the revelation that God gives us in his precious words. And of course, as we had brought before us, that word is in its essence Christ himself.
Christ is the wisdom of God, Christ is the eternal Word. And if we want to have the truth as to everything.
It comes down to his person, doesn't he? That's why the Lord Jesus said to Pilate. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice for Pilate. He was in a position of power and authority. The Lord was before him from the human side as.
A poor prisoner, but who was afraid of pilots who got knocked out of balance? Pilot. And that's the result of the truth being not merely spoken with the mouth, as David mentioned.
Being lived down in practice, that's what counts in your life and the true Philadelphians.
Lift out that Crest. Truth doesn't simply hold it in his head.
A far truth too, should give the believer peace. There's only one way of salvation, we can be sure on it. And there's lots of decisions people make in life they've already made for us. You don't have to decide well, is it right? Exactly. Find it in the Word of God.
We can be sure we're on the right path and we can have peace about it because God says it.
Speaking is a uh, patient is a wildly cold and I believe he's got.
We've got a lot of us Christians looking at each other rather than at the word.
And to the point where we might say, well, what do you think about such and such a thing doing it?
They're not doing it or whether that that type of thing.
And there can be a danger of us looking around.
Uh, looking around.
In with good intentions, trying to find a group of Christians that are that we might.
Umm outwardly think are carrying on umm meeting together in this way that we're reading about in Philadelphia.
But if we're only looking at the people, we're going to get disappointed. And then Austin says that too.
Umm, those who might want to take their place at the Lord's table don't you're going to be disappointed. You're going to look at in the year other people who meet here and, uh, get disappointed. But to look at the work with the word direction and, uh, thinking of the, the apostles when they.
Said to the word, wherewith thou that will be prepared. They asked him about it, they didn't go around and he didn't tell them to go into the city and look for a place that mettled the all the both occasions.
To to go into the city, and there will a man meet you.
And follow him into the house. And they found the place where the Lord was going to meet them. It was a man who met them and brought them into the house.
01:00:05
Here is that and uh, so we don't need to be looking at each other as believers and seeing.
Me trying to determine whether you're measuring up.
They would standard or not, we need to be asking award and I believe that's what is meant in that verse that I think Carol referred to as Timothy calling in front of the word as a pure heart.
The disciples were really wanted to know where they should go and take care of the Passover, and they asked where to close them, and they found the place not by their own looking around, but by the mass of that.
Uh, they existed.
With the Lord now, umm, he often told it to me, John, uh, seven and uh, Bruce 17 And uh, I'll just read it. If any man will do his will, uh, he shall know of the doctrine or teaching, whether it be of God or whether speak of himself. Now I was just thinking of, uh, you know, like we know, uh, that Greek word is intuitive knowledge is keeping the soul. We know because we have the Spirit of God and dwelling in US. And, uh.
My wife, well, I went through some turmoil as to what decision I should make make, uh, it's.
Such an earth moving decision. And but I had all this turmoil about whether I should do it or not. And so the Lord brought me around to the point where as I was losing anxious and I had anxiety about it and I didn't feel right about it. And the Spirit of God just spoke to my heart. And if you have turmoil above it, then it's not the Lord.
Struggle, you know.
And it's just just to give it to the Lord. And then that goes away. And we read in umm.
I was just thinking umm.
And I'll just leave it as quickly as in first, uh, uh, Corinthians in chapter UH-10, uh, verse 13. There's no temptation or trial taking you.
Man, but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be content above what you're able, but you'll with the trial also make it a way of escaping that you may be able to bear it. And I was just thinking of all the young people.
They're going to secular schools and I'll tell you, they're made to March, uh, with the, uh, with the, with the world and the like, with the Sodomites, you know?
Blunt and uh, they're, they're breaking. They actually are breaking down the doors. Suzanne and I were talking about this last night. Do you get, they've broken the door down. They're even in the process of breaking it down, but they're just taking over completely where they're, they're going to make Christianity, umm.
Umm, illegal and uh, there's even a, a 24% now, umm, declaring, uh, I don't know if it's past or not, but uh, declaring fundamental Christianity, so-called, umm, a terrorist organization. You know, that's, that's almost hard to believe in Christmas, but umm, our young people that are really most affected by this.
Even more than us older ones.
Bill, we are a terrorist organization. Knowing therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
So I guess our time is up.
Perhaps we could sing together. Hymn #24 in the appendix. 24 in the appendix. Nothing but Christ is on. We train the gifts on Christ goes living bread with staff in hand and people's dog. Nothing but praise the Christ before. 24 in the appendix.
Nothing. No problem.
With the Grand Theft Auto, grave is on the ground.
01:05:06
Oh God.
And I'm crazy.
Long for me.
All where was the beginning from?
Umm.
Revelation 3:8-10 Philadelphia
Reading
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34 We're not of the world which faded the way we're not of the night, the children of day 234.
We're not of the world.
We've taken the world away.
Technology, that one, God love God. I continue to tell us our starving of the truth, where it's where it's where it's raining, where strangers thunders on their own heads and we have to have a little bit of a little alone.
Uh.
Ah, shall I pray to sail our guardian, and how to God we are on behalf of.
Life.
I'll scream by praying deeper I'm alone from Thailand before I go.
After Friday, my day was so proud of my life, but it's raining down the road now.
In my opinion, I love you.
Lord, save it for my operation.
It's more.
Than anything leaving me.
And soon shall we enter our all problems widening.
The ground beginning crying, growing.
And fall along with them and fall over and further around and the background. Remember now they need to give you all the Lord's Lord beating the eye and the blindness and the blind singles representation is not good proof will be the end of the end of the tune of it to be.
We get very far into the address to Philadelphia this morning.
And exposed. We should start with the eighth verse. Would that be about right?
Revelation 3 and verse 8.
Our Revelation chapter 3 reading from verse 8 down to the end of verse 13.
I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee, have no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not but to lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I can quickly hold that.
Temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is through Jerusalem.
Which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name. He didn't have an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit says under the churches.
00:05:11
We already mentioned the open door, or perhaps as you should read more accurately, and opened door. That is, the Lord has opened it in connection with the fact that the Lord opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens.
But it's very significant.
I think it's said to every assembly here in Revelation 2 and three.
I know that it works.
Sometimes said in a positive way, sometimes in a negative way, but here I believe it's in a positive way. I know thy works.
It's very, very comforting and real, a real encouragement in these last days if you're really seeking to please the Lord. The pathway is not going to be very popular, and sad to say, it won't always be popular with others that profess the name of Christ, even other true believers.
If we really want to do as it says there in verse one follow him that is holy and him that is true.
We may well find that we're misunderstood. We may well find that we are not very popular.
But we'll have to be content with the one who says, I know thy works.
In that connection, I'd just like to read a verse from Second Timothy 2 That I believe bears on this.
Second Timothy 2 and verse 8.
And I'm going to read it the way it is in the Darby translation because there's a very slight difference here in the King James. It says, remember that Jesus Christ of the sea of David was raised from the dead, according to my gospel. And it's always good to remember the resurrection, But I don't believe that Timothy needs to be needed to be reminded so much that the Lord rose from the dead.
The J&D reads.
Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David, raised from the dead? According to my gospel, that is the Lord Jesus as far as this world was concerned, we could say, speaking reverently, his life looked as if it were a total failure, didn't it? He got absolutely nothing in this world. He was rejected even by his own followers, rejected by the very nation that.
He had come to save, misunderstood even by, as we say, those that knew him, betrayed by one of his own followers, and eventually cast out and crucified, totally rejected. We would say that life was a failure.
A clear Apostle Paul could have thought the same because in the.
1St chapter of this same official He has to say all day which are in Asia be turned away from me. We thank the Lord that all Paul's laborers weren't in Asia. But at the same time, it must have been very difficult for him to look back on a life of probably unparalleled service to the Lord, and then to find many of those with whom he had labored turning their back on.
Where shall we say is the reward for a light?
Live for the Lord. It may have to wait till the glory. The Lord Jesus, if we could say it reverently, had to wait for resurrection in order to see order to see the fruit of his sufferings. Paul will have to wait for a coming day to see that reward for living a faithful life for the Lord. And you and I may find ourselves in the same position. And so we're reminded here.
I.
Know thy words. We may have to be content with that, as, uh, our brother Ted brought before us this morning, and it's very good. According to the same chapter of Second Timothy. There will always be the wit then, until the Lord comes. I don't believe we'll ever have to go it alone, so to speak, but we may have to be content to wait until the glory to get the approval and the reward for being faithful to the Lord.
00:10:08
OK.
Uh-huh.
I'd just like to, uh, ask a question that I may, and that is each of these, umm.
Each of these pistols is a seven assembly. It starts off for his address to the Angel of the.
The assembly and wherever and that was somebody to clarify what is referred to by in terms of angels or the account.
Well, there have been.
Different process to that, and we don't want to be too dogmatic about it, but it seems from the way it is presented here that it would bring before us those who, uh, uh, well, let's put it this way, Those whom the Lord would look to as being responsible, uh, particularly in an assembly. On the other hand, we don't want to carry that thought too far because that doesn't let the rest of us, as it were, off the hook.
Carry the thought of those in a position of eldership and responsibility.
To an extreme and you end up with potpourri where a hierarchy simply says this is the way it is and this is what you do and those underneath obey. The New Testament doesn't teach that. Carry the thought in the other direction. To an extreme and you end up with every man doing that which is right in his own eyes. Both are wrong, aren't they? God has given authority in the church. He's given responsibility.
And so he looks for those in responsibility as to the character of things that they have allowed within the sphere that God has committed to them. And that's a principle that works throughout the Word of God, whether it's a master.
Over servants, whether it is parents in the home, whatever it might be, if there is serious disorder and confusion within a sphere of authority, God looks to those whom He has placed in positions of responsibility.
As to what they have allowed there and so I I would suggest that thought. I don't know. What do you think, Stan? Do you have any thought on it? No, that's what my thought was too. I would have a good verse in that connection, I think in Hebrews 13 and verse 17.
It says there obey them that have the rule over you or the guide over you. I think it could read and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account. So they that must give account are those who have the responsibility in the assembly. So there's, as you say, there's authority, isn't there in the assembly. And we should be willing to submit ourselves, uh, one to another.
Hmm.
Do you agree with that, brother Ted?
That's, uh, what I've thought over over the years and in, in various, uh, settings. I would, uh.
Just umm, read Mr. Darby's note on the word umm. It's found actually in a different verse.
And, uh, but what he says of this, read what he says. Umm, and that is the meaning, I believe of quote, Angel, the symbolic quote representative of the assembly seen in those.
Responsible in it.
Which indeed all really are as as you alluded to, hence the and to you, and to you each and the rest. So he sees it as symbolic of those who would bring bring the word of God to the assembly.
00:15:08
Oftentimes in Scripture, in the Old Testament, the angels were messenger.
I'm just thinking what it says in Second Peter or First Peter chapter 5 verse 5.
And, umm.
Likewise, the younger submit yourselves out onto the elder or those that have the guidelines suppose nay all of you, uh, be subject for umm, the subject, uh, one to another and be close with humility for God resistance and proud and give grace to the humble. And I was just thinking of the responsibility of those who have the guide over us. They're much, much more responsible than.
Those who are under the guide.
Hmm. And so their accountability to God is uh, so, so much greater. And, uh.
They, uh, have the guide over us then.
Where to submit but also there's to submit.
To us, and we're all the submit to one another, not just, uh, submit to one authority, but all of us have to submit each other to ourselves.
So.
Those in a position of responsibility are not infallible, are they? And we can't use that, as we said earlier, as an excuse to go wrong. And I had a brother once call me in very strong words that the Saints would only learn to submit to elders. There'd never be any divisions anymore.
Well, I respectfully suggest that that is not quite true.
Sometimes.
The elders can be in the room, and sometimes it needs others to turn to the Word of God and bring it before them. That's recognized in Paul's ministry, too. He says. Receive not an accusation against an elder, but in the mouth of two or three witnesses. But it could be that it would happen that way.
Rebuke not an elder sharply. That's the Darby translation. But nevertheless, there might need to be a review. And so the Word of God is so beautifully balanced in the mouth, and it's striking in that 5th chapter of First Peter that the 1St 4 verses are involved in telling the elders how to carry out their responsibility and with what character they should do it. Showing, I believe, that there is that which would commend itself and that which might not.
So the word of God is is very beautiful.
Directions.
Yeah, I was just noticing those versus, umm, brother Bill that in that, uh, fifth chapter procedure and I think it's worth reading them.
Because it brings out what uh.
What?
First Peter, five and one, the elders which are among you. I absorb who I'm also an elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.
See the flock of God.
Taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly. Not for filthy liquor, but have already mined neither of them words over God's characters, but being examples to the plot.
So it seems to me that the elders are being, uh, exported here by a theater to.
To, uh, feed.
The floor rather than to rule or being words over them.
Umm and I.
They suggest that if we.
If the those who are in a place of responsibility.
Our exercise before the Lord about feeding the assembly and being an example, for example, to them, to the rest of the assembly, then things will go as they should. MMM. And there might not be.
00:20:03
Uh, there might not be those situations that sadly result in division. MMM.
And, uh, when it says the samples to the block, I heard one brother one say that, uh, it's like, do you like a, a head sheet?
Rather than being like a shepherd.
So you know the the reef sheet would take the lead to do what?
To follow the shepherd. So umm, you can't. A shepherd really can't be an example to the flock, right?
Get down on all fours and so on. So, uh, you gotta realize that you're just, you're just the sheep too. And, uh, take the lead to follow the Lord, not rule over some of the language in the King James, as we know, was because of the context in which it was written.
Umm and they were trying to maintain that that structure rule, but the Lord said you know it shall not be so among you. He said this is the way they have authority in the world, right is.
Fair enough, though I can't think of the scripture, but he says but it shall not be so among you.
Those that are are going to be uh, uh.
Uh, the in the lead you have to be what is we should look at that Saint Matthews.
If you know that the, the, uh, those who rule over the nation.
Exercise authority over them.
You know someone else where that is?
It's important because the Lord said it shall not be so upon you. And that was a word right from the Lord on this very issue of rule.
Well, we don't want, I don't want to take up the plenty of the masks. Good brother. What's that? Matthew 20? Is it in Matthew 20?
Verse 25 Right Exactly.
You know, they would, they too would just ask us to be put in certain positions and that's a naturally what we desire, you know, in our ambitions is to have position, be recognized as having position and so on.
Umm, so he speaks to that, that tendency in our flesh to want to be in a position of authority and so on. And he says, umm.
Verse 25 You know that the Princess of the Gentiles exercised dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them, but it shall not be so among you.
But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister or your servant.
And whosoever will be chief among you, let them be your servant.
So.
And then he he sets himself as an example.
And it's interesting because there's a scripture that says that he's going to come forth in service. I mean, what's it going to be like to have the Lord come out and.
Service, I mean, what will that do to pride in any ambition for position. But you know, in our day we don't have apostles to a point elders and it's even questionable when when the apostle appointed Aldous in each city whether that was a public thing. I mean, there is no there's no reason to assume he set them up in front of the assembly and said these are your elders. I rather would think he went to them individually or or collected a few and laid the responsibility for the care of the assembly on them.
What good would it do to set them up in front of the assembly?
And and ordained them, so to speak. I believe he he went to them in private and and laid the responsibility because that is really what is seen in the New Testament for for elders and overseers is responsibility. And when he says to Timothy that one that desires that he says what desires a good position.
He says no. He says desires a good work.
So, uh, but in our day, we, we don't have an apostle to a point. And so we who take responsibility do what we rise up.
To take responsibility.
That's the only way it can be. And, uh, if it's done in the right spirit, it's beneficial to the assembly. And those that go on well are those that recognize the benefit of having those who watch over their souls. There's no reason to have a problem. I mean, the, the issue arise when there's someone who wants to have power and authority that causes trouble. And there's no shortage of history of that. And the same thing happens when those who were rebelled.
00:25:30
And usually the rebellion is because they want. So either way, it causes trouble. But if it's more like a family, you just recognize there are those that are ahead of you, there are those you need to take care of. There are those that are on your side. You look at the block on the wall here, you know every block has blocks below, blocks beside, blocks above, and even the ones up at the top have blocks of side. And if you're in the assembly.
And you're not in submission. You know, you should be able right now to sit here and think about those that to whom you're in submission. And if you're not in submission, if you can't think of those for whom you are in submission, you've got a problem.
You've got a problem because if you're really built up in an assembly.
You're in submission, I'm in submission. I know I'm in submission. So I contain them right now. So we all should realize that it is, uh, brother builder, uh, Herman brought out it, it really doesn't say the submissive submit to one another. I mean, in a way that would be very practical, but the thought is to be clothed with humility and, and in a sense to submit. I mean, there may be times when even a young brother has the Lord's mind. I need to recognize that.
But in a general way, there is this stance and authority in the assembly, in the it's not profitable for anyone to be.
Trying to rebel or kick against that. Hmm if it actually was apparently there's a verse in umm in Acts chapter 20 which is in sheds a lot of light on this. That's chapter 20 verse 28. It says take heed therefore unto yourselves until all the Plaza over the which the Holy Ghost needs to overseers repeat the Church of God, which he had purchased with his own blood.
So that's the important part of the business.
Right in it in uh, Mr. Darby's translation says among whom?
Not over whom? Over which, but among whom?
The Lord has placed all the elders and the overseers among flock. They're sheep too.
And it's the Holy Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit that has from that verse, I take it that has.
LED those brothers to.
Take on your responsibility of being, of doing that work as as that's my life, that's the work.
If not.
It's not, uh, the assembly deciding we're going to make brother so and so the elder.
After God leading one another to take on that responsibility and again here in that verse that, uh, Ruth has pointed it and it's defeat the Church of God. And it also reminds us that he the word himself has purchased it with his own letter belongs to him, not not to us. Yes.
In the, in the Old Testament, you know, is, is very interesting. Uh, picture there when there was rebellion against Moses, the Lord told them, you remember to take the staff. He, he had all the, the rebels take their staff and they took errands rod and they, they put them in the temple, right?
And, uh, and Aaron's rod butted, but you notice it goes on to say that it, it was, it sprouted almonds. Well, almonds are food. And I've always enjoyed the fact that really, God, uh.
UMM identifies authority among these people by those who feed and nourish.
That's the that's the sign of of real authority. Hmm.
Well, going on with the rest of the verse, it says thou hast a little strength.
And it's kept my word and not denied my name.
This does not mean.
00:30:00
I do not believe that the Philadelphian has a little strength and those who are perhaps not walking so faithfully.
Have much strength. We don't want to be critical of anyone, and we're thankful for everything in this world that names the name of Christ.
But at the same time sometimes in being faithful to the Lord.
We may.
And I confess that I have occasionally done it myself, cast envious eyes at the amount of work that is being done by some large Christian organizations in this world.
I'll never forget what our late brother I say. Our late brother Harry Hay has been gone for over 50 years. So kind of dates on us, but I remember his staying in an address.
He said, brethren, do you think in a coming day that the Lord is going to say to me, well, you were just a little bit too careful to follow my word. You should have sidestepped it a little bit from time to time and you could have done far more work for me and been far more use as a believer in the world. He said, do you think the Lord will ever say that in the coming day? You know he will know the Lord values our obedience now as we've been hearing.
It has to be done in the right spirit, not in a slave issue, adherence to some kind of a legal standard that we have set up. That's not the thought, but the character of the one that the Lord approves of here and whom He says has a little strength. It's not in comparison with that which is around us, but rather in comparison with what God gave at the beginning.
What did God give at the beginning? Marvelous blessing. Thousands saved at one preaching of the gospel.
Tremendous unity among believers. Were there problems? Yes there were, but there was the power of the Spirit of God manifested there to deal with them.
You and I can't expect to bring that back again. We can't expect to see the power of Pentecost and the condition of things in the early church duplicated today. And to think that we're going to do it is to be unintelligent as to the mind of God. God doesn't work that way. Everything that God has ever set up has failed. And when it has failed, God never restores it to his original state, but he does permit.
Those who wish to be faithful, to answer to everything that he gave right at the beginning, that's what if we could name a name in the Old Testament, Hezekiah sought to do. That's what they sought to do in Ezra and Nehemiah's time. They sought to go back to what God gave at the beginning and to give expression to it. And that is what I believe is entailed in the thought of a little strength. It's not having the power of Pentecost.
It's not competing with what may be done, uh, uh, shall we say, in an organized way among others, but it's rather seeking, as it says here in the end of the verse, to keep His word and not deny His name. The Lord values that, and I say that to you and to me, each one. That is a paramount importance in these last days. Somebody made the remark this morning that we can get our eyes on others.
And if we can do that, Satan's got a wedge in the door and he can persuade us. Well, because of this and that and the other thing, I can do that which is contrary to the word of God, because after all, well, everything's in confusion and we can't expect to see things done properly.
The confusion is here, the failure is here, and we're part of it. But God would not tell us to keep His word. The Lord Jesus would not tell us not to deny his name if it were impossible to do so.
I'd like to say one more thing too. On the question of denying his name, someone might say quite legitimately, I don't know any true believer that would deny the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:35:14
Yes there may be a Peter who under the pressure of circumstances and not walking with the Lord and being taken up with perhaps a certain amount of pride in his own uh faithfulness that denied the Lord with oaths and curses even there might be a Bishop cranmer back in the 1500s.
Who, under the pressure and threat of death by being burned at the stake, denied the Lord temporarily?
But he regretted that, went back and was faithful to the Lord and endured that kind of a death. I don't believe any true believer could deny the Lord from his heart, but denying his name I would just suggest.
You have that verse back in the Psalms that was magnified. Thy word above all thy name.
And without wanting to go into a long explanation of that, I believe we find in the Word of God that the name of Christ is not. If we could say it reverently, just to me it embodies everything that is in connection with that name. He is the eternal Word having John 17. Thy word is truth, and so to deny His name means to deny that vital truth which is connected with His name.
We can say that we value his name, but if I am deliberately and willfully not working in that which I know to be connected with that flex name, am I right in saying that I'm denying his name? What would you say, Dave? Is that right? That's right.
I was just thinking of some, uh, 119.
Psalm 119 and.
I was just thinking about how David, uh, you know, he, uh, hurt the one of the police, the Lord and, uh.
Umm.
Verse 128.
Therefore I assume all my two steps concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way and umm.
You know that, uh.
David hated every false leg and, uh, this Psalm here, it has 176 verses and, uh, 174 of them versus extol the virtues of God's will and, uh.
I don't know which tube that don't excel the virtually a little bit worse, but it's just so lovely as a Psalm and.
It's so edifying.
And, and I was just thinking of Second Samuel.
I saw the second kings.
I just had some questions to ask about this concerning.
Talking about and.
That Kings chapter 4.
And of course we know that Elijah has such a lovely picture of the Lord and, uh.
They need God's salvation.
But anyway, uh, verse 38. Umm.
And he lastly came to games to build all. Now Gilgal is a place where we know that, uh, they had to go back after, uh, to put the Knights in the West. That's when they're first circumcised. And it's a lifelong, umm, state of soul to be in repentance always, you know, and we have to score accounts and we, no one will do something wrong. We have to go to work about it. And then to our brother and we offended them in any way.
But, uh, Gilgal was the place of humility, you know, And every time that they didn't go to Gilda, they suffered defeat, no matter how many men were against such a little army. But anyway.
He likes the game again to go, go, And there was a third of the Millennium, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. And he said unto his servant, set on the great pot, and seated the pottage for the sons of the prophets.
00:40:05
And one went out into the field together herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild wards, his flat full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage. For they knew that they're not. So they poured out for their men to eat. And it came to pass as they were eating our bodies, that they cried out. That they cried out and said, Oh, thou man of God.
There is dirt in the pot and they could not eat their but, he said.
Then, uh, bring meal and he cast the pot and he said, uh, pour out for the people and they that they may eat and there was no harm or evil thing in the pot and, uh.
Verse 42 And there came a man from bail, Shalisha, and uh, brought man of God bread of the first groups, 20 loaves of garlic, full of ears of corn and hustera. And he said, Give unto the people.
That they may eat. And the serves are as we're just talking about price. There we came to serve, and his servator said, What should I set before and hundred men? And said again, Give the people that they may be so. Thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof, or those they should be well satisfied, I suppose, to say. So He said it before them, and they did eat.
Unless there are beautiful things there according to the word of of the Lord.
I'm just wondering what the great thought would be. I asked the Lord and uh, the answer. I got this.
I trust it was from the Lord. The great thought would be great house.
But, umm, you know, there's all kinds of, uh, things in here which would be too lengthy to pick up the content, but it's a good portion of scriptures are, especially in these last days when we.
Things are getting so deceitful everywhere.
Especially Psalm 119.
You you can see a clearer picture of the world and his will.
Thank you.
Well, there could be many different meditations on this scripture.
I suppose as you say, Bill, if we get bogged down in it, we'll spend the rest of this meeting on it. But I just mentioned a couple of things, perhaps. Uh, uh, again, it's what I have enjoyed and that is that there was a dearth in the land. And sometimes there can be a dearth among the people of God in spite of the fact that we are, if we could say it, in the right place. As you said, they were in Guildhall and it was a place of self judgment. Although don't forget, there were two guilds in Israel, not just one.
Hilgall and second things too, is not the Gilgal on the Bank of the Jordan. Uh, but anyway, just for what it's worth, uh, but uh, at any rate, it's not critical. They were in the right place, but there was a dirt in the land. But Elijah had faith that the great pot could be brought out. You might have said, bring a little one. There isn't much to put in it, but when Christ is before us, we don't have to be concerned about that.
But there was always the work of the devil and this poor man that went out and gathered these wild gourds, he didn't realize what they were. And it's noticeable that he shred them into the pot. And when you shred something, sometimes it's hard to recognize what it was originally. So nobody picked up on it until they started to eat it. And that's the way the devil does with bad teaching and bad doctrine today. He shreds it in. He doesn't bring it in one big lump or people would immediately recognize it, but he shreds it in.
And the antidote was the meal.
And I just suggest this very quick thought because I don't think we should spend a lot of time on it. But the meal would speak of Christ in manhood, the perfection of Christ. God revealed in Christ in manhood is the antidote to the evil that the devil brings in, because Christ is revealed in the word of God as that precious truth.
But what happens? They're still hungry, people are still hungry and they have to wait for the man from bail Shalisha. And what does he bring? Bread are the first fruit. Speaking of Christ in resurrection and.
00:45:10
I would suggest that Christ in his perfect manhood. Now I don't want to carry that thought too far, but Christ as he was revealed down here and all that He was.
Is the antidote to that bad doctrine that was shredded into the pot. But they were still hungry. And the believer today that seeks to feed only on Christ and manhood will still be hungry because our new life is connected not with the Christ in this world, but with a risen Christ in glory. They weren't filled until, typically speaking, they fed on a risen Christ in glory.
And so when the man from veil, Shalisha.
Brought those lobes apart.
It wasn't only that everyone was filled, there were leftovers.
You and I will never exhaust all that. There is an arisen Christ in glory, not for all eternity. I just suggest that as a brief thought. As I say, there are other things that could be connected with this.
Maybe just to add to that, umm in connection once we had earlier with oversight.
Had both from Peter and from the apostle bringing before the elders in Acts and Robert brought out that what characterized good oversight was food. Hmm. Well, in the fortunately just had there you have the the man from bail Shalisha. He comes with two things.
One, it's body load that's good for the present.
And they came from they, they came from the corn. But then he brings corn as well. And that's food for later on. And So what characterizes good oversight is giving nourishment to the people of God, something for the present, but also giving something that they can chew on a little bit later. Excellent.
Well, going back now to Revelation 3.
Verse 9.
Is a solemn verse that I.
Suggested, sometimes misunderstood, and the language is extremely strong. I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not but to lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Right from the very beginning of the Church's history.
Judaizing principles were the bane of the church, weren't they? If we could say it kindly, those things.
Dogged Paul's footsteps wherever he went.
Sad to say, it was the Jews that generally resisted the gospel. Yes, sometimes the Gentiles did too, but the Jews generally resisted the preaching of the gospel. And then even after people were saved, it was Judaizing principles.
That were constantly a problem, but going back to a system of law, the going back eventually to beautiful buildings, to a ritualist, a ritualistic form of service, and all of those things that had characterized Judaism later on. It was musical instruments and beautiful music and singing, robes, images, everything that God had given them in the Old Testament and eventually done away with.
And yet.
They're still with us today.
And I would suggest that.
There are those today, even dear believers, who, figuratively speaking, are saying they're Jews for two reasons #1.
All the principles of Judaism have been imported into Christianity.
And what is even more significant, although it's nothing new, but it's taken off in the last few years in so-called reformed or covenant theology. It has been a way of thinking among believers that says we have to straighten the world out, we have to reform the world, We have to bring everything into line so that God's Kingdom can be set up. And therefore we ought to be involved in politics, we ought to be out there dealing with.
00:50:16
All the evil in the world. And that has become very, very popular. I say again, it's nothing new. It goes back 500 years, but it's become very, very strong and very, very forceful in the last 25 or 30 years.
God says you're saying you're Jews, but you're not. The Jews were given the mandate to go out with the sword and deal with unbelievers. They were given the mandate to straighten out the world. But that isn't what you and I are told to do. There will be a day when we will reign with Christ. The Corinthians tried to do it ahead of time. And Paul has to say, now you're rich, now you're full. Your brain is things without us.
Paul says I would to God ye did reign, that we might reign with you. I want to reign too, but you're going ahead of the time.
Christ is absent, Christ is hidden, and you and I in that way are not to be in this world as anything but ambassadors.
And I would suggest that that whole principle is bringing in.
But the saying that they're Jews but are not but do lie.
And God uses very strong language. He calls it a synagogue of Satan. Why is that? What would you say? How could he talk like that? How could you apply that term if we can say it possibly even to those who are true believers, not for the believers themselves, but for the system. We want to be clear on that. A synagogue of Satan, Why?
Because Satan knows that if he can get the believer today.
To give up this heavenly calling, to use the words of another. When the church loses the sense of its heavenly calling, humanly speaking, it loses everything. And it happened, as we said earlier, in the time of Constantine, it looked like a good thing on the surface. Believers, suddenly, instead of being persecuted, we're in positions of authority and responsibility. Why not? We can govern the world on Christian principles.
But when the believer tries to work with the world to straighten it out, the world can never work on Christian principles. The believer has to come down to the world to work on its principles, and the church loses its testimony. And that's what happened in the dark ages, and it's happening today among dear believers who are in many cases with a very, very good motive and perhaps even with a good conscience, not understanding the heavenly calling of the church.
Really seeking and throwing all their energy into trying to straighten this world out and John says by the Spirit of God that is the synagogue of Satan, not because.
God identifies those people with Satan, but it's a work of Satan to drag the church down from a sense of the heavenly college and to get it involved in trying to straighten out the world.
I'm having trouble finding it, but when Paul wrote the book of Galatians, he referred to the persuasion of the Judaizers. He said this persuasion is not of him who calls me.
Well, if it's not of the Lord, then it's got to be of the other source, right?
So the synagogue of Satan, I mean, I think what that speaks to is that Satan is the teacher.
And, uh, you know, and, and, and he was stirring up the Judaizers.
Probably without them knowing or understanding it, but being influenced by Satan to persecute the name of the Lord and to persecute his work, to persecute his people. And, and uh, and it's an opposition to the work of Christ. Religion in general is always that way. And, uh, five and eight, brother, what's that? Five and eight relations. So you, I mean, you have that first mentioned with Sardis in chapter 2.
And, umm.
I assume during that period the the suffering of of the insurance is not only from without, but from Judaizers within as well. But then you get here to Philadelphia and.
Know that, uh, it's those who would come apart from what man is built and come apart from the confusion and to be gathered simply for the Lord's name. We're suffering persecution by that system, which really was Judaism in a, with a, with a Christian label, as you say.
00:55:17
They worship, you know, I've, I've always wondered why they worship it and cause them to worship at your feet, but that's because they're going to be seated with the Lord. They're not going to be worshipping the Saints, but the Saints will be seated there with the Lord. So when they and the Lord will show his favor to us, right, because we'll be seated there with him. And so they won't be, so they will be worshipping would be worshipping at the overcomers feet. They wouldn't be worshipping the overcomer.
So you know.
Are we right in saying that if the Lord gives by his maxless grace, anyone to adopt Philadelphian character?
They won't be there in the coming days saying to someone who perhaps didn't see I told you so, no.
It'll be all the glory to Christ, won't it? But God will, I believe, manifest what had His approval. And in that sense, I believe there will be a sense of loss. And we get that in First Corinthians 3. If I have deliberately and willfully turn my back on what I knew the Word of God taught. If I have willfully turned my back on that which I knew to honor and glorify the Lord in order to have some kind of a place or position in this world.
In order even to do what I felt was more work for the Lord.
I believe there will be in my soul a sense of loss in that day, and the Lord will say, I want you to know, Bill, what I approved of, even though you at that time thought that perhaps it wasn't worth paying attention to.
It's a very, very strong current in this world today, though so-called reformed, her covenant theology growing by leaps and bounds. And as I say again, we are not here to be critical of anyone, but only to sound a warning because that whole spirit can be so persuasive and it looks so good after all. Here you, you should be voting for the man that is going to stand up for Christian principles. You should be voting for the man that will be more favorable to Christianity.
And we can be thankful for it. I can still remember in India when the Congress Party that is presently in power in India won the last election in India. This would, oh boy, it's probably 10 years ago now. And.
Brother V Israel, now with the Lord called me from India. Well, we almost, we hardly needed the telephone wire. Uh, he was almost shouting at the other end of the line. My brother Bill, the Congress power won the election. Well, he was so thankful because he knew it would mean less persecution and more liberty for believers. We can be thankful for that. I thank the Lord almost every day for Stephen Harper, even though I know he has to compromise but.
I trust and I believe that he is the Lords and I thank God for him, but at the same time.
He's having a rough time trying to maintain his Christian principles, the whole tide of things going the other way. And I believe you and I are to stay out of that arena, aren't we? We're to follow our rejected Christ. We have a heavenly calling. And our character here is that of an ambassador. And we'll be far more effective in this world, have far more clout, if I could say it, by acting as an ambassador.
Than by trying to jump into the arena and straighten things out.
The ambassador.
From Canada, uh, in Washington doesn't vote in American election, so.
One or the other way around.
Would you go up on Capitol Hill and get involved in a big demonstration if there were one? I don't think we'd do that either. We shouldn't.
Thank you.
And it's beautiful to see the expression here of the Lord.
01:00:02
Uh, at the end of verse nine and to know that I have loved thee.
That in no way implies.
Implies that the Lord loves anyone of his children anymore than another.
I don't know whether it's an irreverent connection, but in John chapter 10 we don't need to turn to it. The Lord Jesus says, therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again? We might say, could the Father love the Son any more than he did in a past eternity? Could you measure the love of.
God the Father for his beloved Son, and say that he now loved him more.
I don't believe we can make that statement but.
The Lord Jesus coming into this world as man and submitting to the death of the cross, giving up his life that he might take it again.
Gave the father a fresh motive for that love that wasn't there before.
And in that sense, I believe.
If you and I are faithful to the Lord here in a day when it is very difficult and it's going to get more difficult. And I, I say it kindly to some of you young people because you're facing challenges and opposition and things that some of us in our generation never had to face. Whether Stan and I, if he won't mind my saying this, we're kind of reminiscing a little back a couple of days ago and saying how different the world was since we went to public school and high school.
And what a change there has come. And you're going to have a rougher time than some of us ever have.
The Lord says there is going to be a special reward if you are willing to remain faithful to me in spite of all the opposition and in spite of everything that's going on around you.
I sort of enjoy brother Bill connecting his expression has kept my word in the eighth verse and then the tenth verse, because thou hast kept the word of my patience. If you connect that with John 14.
The Lord Jesus there says in the 23rd verse.
Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man loved me, he will keep my words. And uh, it's often been pointed out that, umm, it says in the 21St verse, he that has my commandments and keeps them, he, it is the love of me. So there are certain things the Lord has more or less told what he would like us to do. And uh, we, we take it as sort of a command. But then there are other things that, uh, perhaps he hasn't made very plain, but.
If we're close to him, we'll understand his mind. And he says there, if a man loved me, he will keep my words. And so I think it's nice in our chapter here where it says, thou hast kept my word. How do we keep it? By keeping close to him and, uh, enjoying his love. And then we'll keep his word and the word of his patience. And I suppose, uh, the word of his patience could be connected with, umm, the 2nd Thessalonians chapter.
UH-3.
Just a a verse there. Second Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse 5.
The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. So perhaps his patience here in our chapter would be connected with his coming because it says you're the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ.
Just suggest that.
And it is patience in the day in which we live. I believe the word of His patience would bring before us that the dispensation of grace has gone on for almost 2000 years already. And it was the proper hope of the believer at any time in the history of the Church to expect the Lord at any moment. But now, as we see ourselves nearing the end, it's hard to see. Things go on and on, and it's hard to see.
01:05:02
The tide of evil rising in the world, there's a real temptation to get in there and try and straighten it out because the believer having a new nature, the the life of Christ, the unrighteousness, the lack of reverence for the Lord himself, the open floating of the authority of God's word.
It it gets to us, perhaps in a way that we say we've got to do something about this, this is going just too far.
Well, in one sense, it's good to feel that way. It's good to remember that there is a day coming when the Lord will come, and during the Millennium righteousness will reign, but not until then. But at the same time, keeping His word now is the word of His patience, isn't it? And we need patience simply to go on in a pathway of obedience, even though we see the.
Tide of evil and the confusion and difficulty in the world just rising higher and higher.
We see that in David in the 73rd Psalm. He saw all the wickedness, and he saw that all the wicked seem to be in the top of the heap and doing well, almost upset him. Then he said, I went into the presence of the Lord, and I understood their end. The Lord will speak.
Is there a time up?
301.
Reading verse three, The Thorn and the Pistol.
Around us may grow. We would not lie down, even on roses below.
Yeah, it's not our portion we seek not arrest. So we find them forever where Jesus is left 301.
Grass get not here.
When I wanna play ground movement is strong.
Seven Looks of Abraham
Address—David Mearns
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.
It's always a tough time of day.
I got full stomach.
I'm going to put our heads down a nap.
We'll have to.
Give us something special here.
What I had in my heart, I was thinking of the last hymn that we sang.
300 and 301 was it?
Just a comment there that lends itself to what I have before me in 301.
And that's the second verse. It says it is not for us to be seeking our bliss and building our hopes in a region like this. We look for a city which hands have not piled. I was contemplating that a little bit because we know the reference is is the Hebrews 11. And it's just a little bit different here, but it really lends itself to a problem. I've often wondered about Abraham looking for a city that has foundations. We can understand the concept of a building like this having a foundation.
Uh, house having a foundation, but the thought of a city. And so what's interesting here, it says we look for a city which hands have not piled. We pant for a country by thin undefiled. Let's look at a verse just before we pray, just before we sing rather and James, the book of James.
James the 2nd chapter.
James chapter 2 and verse 21 we read, was not Abraham our father? Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar. 23 The scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, for he was called.
The friends of God.
Well, I have in my heart this afternoon to, umm, to look at a few thoughts in connection with Abraham. It's a large subject, and the subject can be looked at in different ways, but will zero in on a particular part of his life and trust that it would be for a real profit for each of our hearts. Well, maybe we could open by singing, and I might mention that there are two hymns in our little flocking book that mention Abraham, and the first one, the whole thing is the 160th.
160th him.
We're in the fourth verse. We read his call. We obey.
Like Abram of old.
Not going our way, but faith makes us whole. For though we are strangers, we have a sure guide and trust in all dangers the Lord will provide. So maybe we can think #160.
So troubles.
Off.
Dangerous on Friday.
Holy name, my conscience.
By him, let's be gone.
On Together one day.
What can I think about?
00:05:02
But take the membrane and someone the Kingdom of the heart.
OK. And enjoyers, we didn't have a short time.
I will drop them off there and give them.
Blah blah blah, the Lord will roll out.
Before we ask the Lord for his help.
I was, uh, at a wedding a little while ago.
And I sat down with our.
Our sister.
Gorgeous ***** Widow.
And umm, they're visiting together and I, I said to her, I said, you know, and your comments, umm, here and there, umm, and I feel like umm, I missed something by never meeting your dad.
Who was Gilford Christensen? I never met him. I'm sure there were those here that, uh, that, that have, I'm sure our sister Leah would have, uh, known very well. Umm, And, uh, usually the comments, uh, that are made in connection with, uh, something he shared with an older brother and he said, oh, you know, and they would say, well, you know, I, I got this from my brother Gilford and I always felt like, like I missed something by not beating Guilford. And as we were visiting together, she said, you know, it's interesting to say that because, uh, I was out West, umm.
And the brother came to me and said, you know, I remember when your dad came through, umm.
Through, uh, it was actually Aberdeen, Idaho and uh, with, with, with you children, they're all small. And, uh, after the breaking of bread, he stood up after the breaking of bread and he, umm, shared a little meditation And the brother from Aberdeen said to, umm, to our sister, you know, I always remember it, although it was 50 some years ago. He looked at the three looks of Abraham and it really touched my heart. Well, it tweaked my interest to go home.
And looked at those 3 looks of Abraham, which I did, and found out there are seven books of Abraham and I'd like to look at them this afternoon. Uh, as I say, Abraham's subject is a large subject, but if we could zero in on the looks of Abraham, it would perhaps keep myself and everyone here focused as to what the Lord would have for us. So let's just ask the Lord for His health before we open up this precious word.
So let's turn to the Book of Genesis.
And we'll put a pickup on the first time we have this expression that Abraham looked.
It's in the 13th chapter.
Genesis chapter 13.
And it's found in the 14th 1St.
The circumstances.
That surrounded.
First mention of Abraham's look a rather sad circumstance.
Because Abraham and Locke have just parted company.
It's always been a sad thing to me to consider Abram and Locke.
Because they they traveled so many miles together, they went through so many experiences together.
And and they were together through it all.
And they came to this one place in their lives.
That they were not able to stay together.
It seems that their friendship.
Could withstand almost everything.
00:10:03
But it could not stand the test.
Of prosperity.
It withstood everything else.
Withstood them. They went down to Egypt.
It withstood that long trek from Irvicald East.
Where they left everything.
Uh, just just in the previous chapters here, just go through all that, uh.
That Abraham, Abraham and Locke's friendship withstood and now we hear we come to this portion and the test of the prosperity blew them apart. Isn't that sad? It's sad. Well let's pick up now. I'm sure Abraham was feeling this and we read in the 14th 1St.
Well, let's go back. Umm.
The 12 First Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan, and lost, dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent towards Sodom. The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceeding, and the Lord's 7th to Abram after that loss was separated from him. Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, southward, eastward, westward, for all the land we shall see us. To thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever, and I will make thy seed of the dust of the earth.
So that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall I seed also be numbered?
Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it, and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee. And Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mammary, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. So here we have that first mention, as I said, of the subject that's before us, where the Lord says to Abraham, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art. I was touched, you know, when Brother Randy was praying for the food there.
This morning, just at the end of our meeting.
He just made the comment and, and just the teaching the Lord that we would have our eyes not looking around us, but we would have our eyes looking upward. Well, that's what the Lord told Abram to do here, isn't it? In the 14th verse, the Lord said of Abraham after the law was separated from lift up now line on lift up now thine eyes. It's so easy, isn't it, to be distracted by what's around us.
It's so easy to be distracted by the.
The things that come into our pathway, you know, we are sitting in our family reading, umm, just just a week ago.
And, uh, our, our family reading is early in the morning. Umm.
We all come to go at different times and the the the time that that suits us is 6:00 umm.
To the chagrin of those who have to leave a little bit later, but there are those of us who have to leave earlier anyway. We were sitting there and umm, you know, that's supposed to be on top of things and supposed to have everything in full control. And, uh, he doesn't realize how heavily he relies on the comments of these younger ones. But we're sitting there and I had, umm, I had a bad few days, umm, at work and have some things that the Lord had dished up to me that I wasn't really thankful for that umm, I should have been. And out of the blue one of my daughter's says, umm.
You know, umm.
We really need to have our eyes not on the circumstances.
That we have before us, but we need to have our eyes on the hand that dishes the mode.
Umm, I was so thankful for that, for my own soul. Umm, as I say, you know, as daddy's supposed to be in control here and umm, I'm just so thankful to, to have a comment like that. And I just appreciated that Brandy. When you're praying just to it just fits in with how so often it's so easy for us to get taken up with whatever's on our plate and it's diversified. We all have different circumstances. We live in a, we live in a, a busy life or a.
We, we live in a country that has driven people, no matter what we're driven about, it's every time we leave the, leave the, the house, we're driven about something. Umm, it's the way it is. And because of that, it's busy. And because of that, so often the Lord gets squeezed out. But, umm, isn't it marvelous that we can take time like this? Umm, where Abram, uh, he's brought feeling down about, uh, having been with a lot of all these years and now they're separated and he's just kind of contemplating that. And the Lord comes along and says, you know, Abraham, need to lift your eyes up. You need to have your gaze above this scene. And we're going to see as we look at some of the others, we find the same wording. Not all of them because we're going to find five of them here in Genesis and two of them in the New Testament where we have that expression. Well, here we find that he's told to look northward, southward, eastward, westward, and he's told to look at the land.
00:15:34
And it was to be hit.
Uh, the land on which S see us to thee will I give it A to buy seed forever. Well, you know, the Lord has given us so much and umm, we need to enjoy it as Abraham was told to do. Arise, walk through the land and the length of it and the breadth of it. Umm, those of you who uh, knew Mr. Berry, who of course came here so often, umm, he used to quote us young boys or misquote us rather the verse from Joshua used to say, you know, every place that the place, every place that the.
Thank you.
Every place that the sole of your foot, he's coated this way, umm, shall tread upon that shall I give you. That's the way I quote it. And he's asking if he'd say what's wrong with that? Well, he used to say, you know, uh, we didn't know what was wrong with it. He said, well, every place at the sole of your foot shall try to call him and say that have I given you already yours? It's not shall I give you? It's have I given you. Well, although we might enjoy, as Abram was told to do here, walk through that call of the earth.
Well think about many blessings that are ours tremendous amount. Well, here we find I will make thy seed of the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth.
Then shall thy eve be numbered.
Uh, let's turn umm, to the Nadia song from this.
The Monteith Falls.
The ninth first one.
For all our days, our past.
The number of the 10th course, the days of our years are three, scoring 10, and that's by reason of strength. They are 4 score years, yet is their strength and labor and sorrow for it is soon cut off and we fly away the 10th verse, the 12Th verse. So teach us to number our days.
That we may apply our hearts into wisdom in our lives one day within the next.
And we look at it that way so often, don't we? The days with the weeks. The weeks go into months. Here we have a little exhortation to number our days.
So 21,184 days ago my mother gave birth to me. It's my birthday today.
21,000 days 184.
Kind of tweak my interest because I was walking down the road one day with a brother and he, uh, he.
Batter the number and uh, he asked me what that meant to me and I said I didn't know. He informed me that's how many days I've been alive. I thought well, I can get that kind of mind. That's sort of interesting. 21,184 days, you know every one of those days.
Has been very important in my life.
They're, they're all important, every one of them. You know, there's a difference between.
As we have in our our, umm, our chapter before us in Genesis, there's a difference between counting and numbering.
There's a difference, and we read this. We read the expression counting a number of times in the word, and we read the expression numbering a number of times in a word. So the hairs of our head, are they counted?
No, they're numbered. They're numbered.
The Lord puts very specific importance. You know, you would umm, you'd maybe count the chairs in this, umm, in this room, but you wouldn't count the people. You would number the people, because there's a far greater importance than the people than there are the chairs.
Well, you know when the Lord was was speaking to Abram here in our chapter.
In the.
In the 16th verse of the 13th chapter he says, I will make thy feet of the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, so shall thy seed to be numbered.
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Arise and walk through the length of the land, and the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee. You know I just, I just appreciated Abraham contemplating this little discussion that he had with the Lord, and we read, umm, the 18th verse in contrast.
To the 12Th, 1St. So in the 18th versus and Abram removed his tent.
And came and dwelt in the plane of memory, which is in Hebrew on, and built there an altar unto the Lord on this call. First we also read of a tent and we read a lot and how he pitched his tent towards saw and we could follow on through locks lights and see what he did with that tent and how it got him closer and closer to Sodom. But with Abraham, what's interesting about the end of this chapter that we read up, we read about a tent and we read about an alternate, you know, he didn't build a dwelling place.
But he did build.
His AU, he didn't build his own.
And it would seem that the thought there would be the tent was a transient thing he picked up.
It up and he could take it wherever he went. But when it came to the altar, that was not a transient thing. You know, sometimes in our life it's the opposite. Our dwelling place is firm and, and, and that's where it is, whereas our altar, it can come and go.
You know it. It shouldn't be that way as we find here with a room flight.
He built an altar. He didn't take that. Wherever he went, it was built. He may have moved on and built another one, but that one was built. There it was, although we have that in our life.
On a daily basis.
That which is a utmost importance.
The tent could come and go and we know that Abraham could have had more than a tent having 318 service. He could have had much more than he did. You know the archaeologists have, umm, have excavated early and those many years ago.
When uh.
Even after the pyramids were built, I.
You know, I believe that when Abraham went down into Egypt, he sought at least two of those.
Kind of astounding to me to think of 2123 hundred BC. Well during the call these, umm, the excavations show that they had running water.
Spring water, yes, from a sister and above. But there was.
Abraham could have had more, but no, he was content with his tenant. He was content to have that, that which was transient, but not his ulterior, not his alter that was not transient. I'm afraid it's it's the reverse sometimes in my life. Well, maybe be like Abraham here who was told to lift his eyes and given these expectations and we find the result here.
Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt from the plane of Mammary, which is Hebron, which speak of communion, and he built there an altar under the Lord.
Well, let's look at the second one.
They have to turn over a chapter or turn over a page and we find it in the 15th chapter.
The 15th chapter.
It's in the fifth verse.
MMM.
Hmm to get the context.
In the previous chapter.
Uh, lot was taken captive.
There's a battle between the kings.
One of the three things with five.
To get the numbers and umm, lots taken captive. And Abraham finds out that moth's been taken and so he takes his, his servants. Uh, 318. You know, in one respect we think of wow, 318 servants and we say, wow, that's quite a few. How come our minds look at Gideon's army as 300 and say, wow, what's such a small army? They're both the same size.
Uh, and I think that when Abraham went out with his 318 servants, uh, we read that he did it in the night. He was victorious. He brought Lot back. He was probably thinking about, uh, you know, these enemies that I've just beaten. Umm, they're going to find out that, uh, it was me. And all I had was my handful of servants. And, uh, I don't exactly live in a walled city. I live in a tent. He's probably thinking, you know, uh, maybe I shouldn't have acted, uh.
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A bit rashly, maybe I should have thought of what I did. And just while he's having these thoughts, we have the 15th chapter. And the Lord comes to him and says this. After these things, the Lord.
The word of the Lord came unto Abram envisioned saying, fear not, Abram, I am thy shield and that I exceeding great in the world. Well, I comfort that would have been to Abraham, perhaps thinking about what he'd done rationally and to realize, uh, just think of the one that I have for a shield. Just think of the one that's that's going to be a protection for me. And so he goes on and we come to this, this, umm, this personality force which takes up our subject in the fifth verse. And he brought him forth abroad and said, look now toward heaven and tell the stars that they'll be able to number them. And he said, so shall I see bees?
And he believes in the Lord and is counted to him for righteousness.
You know, I was thinking of the end of the meeting this morning. Rufus, he gave us that him, uh, for 23. Umm.
How good is the God? We adore you?
You know, we come to the end of that, that, that him.
And it's, it's, it's so precious to read those, the signals, those words that we sing so often in 23.
We'll praise him for all his past.
Uh, we had an easy time with that, don't we?
We don't have quite as easy a time with the next line.
We'll praise him for all his past and trust him for all that's to come. It seems that every time there's a little hiccup in our pathway, it's something that the Lord is not gonna be able to look at. Or yeah, he's able to look at everything else in our past life, but there's one particular thing that's before us. Umm, there's gonna be a struggle there. I was just thankful for the hymn. We'll praise him for all of his past and trust him for all of you to come. Well, here Abram, in his life, he's just seen a deliverance from the Lord.
Perhaps he was just wondering about the future.
Just as to what it was going to transpire, obviously he didn't have any children. And the Lord already told him that if Steve was gonna be tremendous number. Well, we have it again here. Look now towards heaven. There's our subject. Tell the stars if I'll be able to number them. And he said up to them, so shall I still be. And I would have a scripture that's quoted. We have it later on in the Old Testament. We have it in the New Testament. And he believed the Lord, and it was counted to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I.
The Lord that brought thee though to grow the calbee, to give me this land and to inherit it, he said, O Lord God, whereby shall I know where I shall inherit it? Let's turn into problems just for a moment.
Proverbs, the 16th chapter. The brother in our assembly, Earl Covely, brings this verse before us quite often.
And I'm thankful for it.
Uh, Proverbs chapter.
Chapter 16.
And the 9th 1St.
A man's heart.
Diviseth his way.
But the Lord.
Directed his steps, a man's heart divided his way with the Lord directed.
His steps. We had that a little bit this morning, didn't we? In our reading, in connection with the Lord's ways with us. And you know, there are those who are younger here this afternoon and sometimes we come to a crossroads in our life and we're just not sure what to do.
That happens to those of us who are older, too.
And so the question is sometimes asking how, how can we know exactly what the mind of the Lord is in this situation that comes across my pathway, you know, and often we don't know if we can get.
Umm, from the word here, that which is instruction for our pathway. But sometimes there are things and we're just not sure. And, and it's not like we have a umm, a will in the matter. It's like we're at a crossroads and we can go this way or we can go this way and we're happy to do whatever the Lord has for us. We're just not sure what it is.
Forward house to do.
It's been helpful for me and somebody passed this on that if I in my life.
I'm doing what I know to be the will of God from His Word.
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Then it's going to be easy for me, easier for me to.
Know what his will is, but I'm not sure.
And that's often a difficulty in my life. I come to a point that I'm not sure what to do. And the reason I'm perhaps not sure is because there are other things in my life that I know what I should be doing.
But I'm not doing it.
That's that's a solemn thing to my own heart.
But that's often a difficulty in me realizing what the pathway is for me that the Lord have for me. And if I would simply act on what I know to be true every place I know in the Word of God, then it would be a lot simpler when things are coming across my pathway and I'm not sure what his mind is. Well, might we realize this in connection with Abraham, who it says here?
And he believed in the Lord.
And he had counted it to him for righteousness. Well, let's turn over now Another.
Another chapter, the 18th chapter.
The 18th chapter. And the Lord appeared unto him, unto Abram.
To Abraham, uh, in the plains of memory, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
And he lifts up his eyes now. And here's our subject again. He lifts up his eyes and looked. And lowed three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the 10th door. And he bowed himself to the ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in my sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from my servant, let alone the water, I pray you be fetched. Wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. Now I've got a marshmallow bread, and comfort your heart. After that he shall pass on, for therefore I come to your servant. And they said, Do thou hast said. And Abraham hastened unto the tent.
Under Sarah, and said, Make ready 3 quickly 3 measures of fine meal, and need it, and make cakes upon the heart. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter and milk in the calf, which he addressed, and said it before them, and he stood by them under the tree.
And they?
I was thinking of this portion a little bit. Umm.
We were speaking in the reading meetings, both of them.
Where it says here? He lifts up his eyes.
And looked.
And low three men stood by him. When he saw them, he ransomed them from the tent, already bowed himself toward the ground.
You know, I I covet this posture.
We are speaking about difficulty with our brother.
That sometimes raises it it's ugly hit.
You know, if we had, if I had this posture.
Uh, bowling myself before the Lord?
It would eliminate so many difficulties.
That come across our pathway.
It would eliminate difficulties that come across my personal pathway. It would eliminate difficulties that brethren have with each other.
I, I, I just covered this, you know, we, we see it to look up that, that expression. And he bowed himself. It's a number of times in the word. We won't look at them.
The right at the end of Samson's life when it says, uh, he was blind and the, the lad led him to the pillars, puts it his arms through those pillars and it says any bowed himself the greatest victory Miss Thompson's life wasn't he found himself well here, uh, Abraham, he bowed himself when he saw the Lord. You know the two things. There's two things in this chapter. The first time I mentioned the word. First one is foot washing. We never read a foot washing before. And this is the first time we read of running in the word.
You know, generally run in the heat of the day.
Here when he saw the Lord, a glimpse of the Lord that caused him to run, and the third verse he said, My Lord, if now I found favor in my sight, pass not away operating from my servant.
Well, just little thought is to the fourth verse.
He says let a little water, I pray you'll be fetched and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. I don't know of a better way of being refreshed than to provide refreshment.
00:35:05
Ever, ever fired, ever thought of that in seeking to encourage a soul and you, you see that they're encouraged and you'll be refreshed too by seeking to refresh that. Well, here's the thought of the foot washing is refreshments. He says little. Let a little water be fresh, let it be fetched. Well, may we be found doing so in our lives, seeking to be a refreshment to those who we come in contact with, seeking to be a refreshment to provide a little refreshment to those that we visit with.
It's got the effect always of being refreshed ourselves.
May that touch our thoughts. Well, let's go on now to umm, the next one, which is in the umm, in the uh.
The 19th chapter.
Now let's go to the 22nd chapter.
22nd chapter is the trial that comes across uh.
Abraham's pathway.
And, uh, in the beginning of chapter, it says it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham, They sent to Abraham and he said, behold, Jeremiah. And he said, take now thy son and only son Isaac, whom thou love us and get the into the land of Moriah and offer him there for burnt offering upon one of the mountains, which I'll tell the earth. Well, let's go on to, uh, we know what transpires. And uh, Abraham reaches for the knife and there's that call from the, from the Lord, from the Angel of the Lord in the 11Th first, Well, on the 13th chapter 13, first we read.
And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked.
The whole behind the Moran caught in a thickened by its horns, and Abraham Windham took the ram and offered him up for a bird offering instead of his son. I was thinking of this portion. I I was visiting with the Darrell earlier and he he made mention of a comment that I made in a letter that I sent to him.
And I just like to share it this afternoon. I've forgotten about it.
But we had read to us in UMM.
This morning in First Corinthians. I forget who read it.
Umm, there is no temptation taking you.
Which is this common command? Umm, sorry, 10/13 Thank you. First Corinthians 1030. There is no temptation taking you, but such as is common to man. That God is faithful will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that He may be able to bear it. You know, sometimes we find ourselves in difficulties and it just seems like there's no escape, none whatsoever.
There is always a way of escape. There is always a way of escape.
There is always a way out. When my boys were little, they, they used to do something that just intrigued Cindy and I. They, we had a bird feeder and they take the, they reach up there, just little guys and they reach up and they take the bird feeder off the, off the clothesline where we had it hung and they put it on the ground and go and hide. Pretty soon the chipmunks would come and start taking stuff out of the bird feeder. Well, they have to go right inside to get whatever they needed to come out again and they'd watch and when a chipmunk would go in, they'd take a green garbage pail and then run over and they put it down on top of that bird feeder.
And then they go and get a piece of plywood and they slip it underneath the, the garbage can and they take the whole thing and put right side up until the chipmunk within the garbage can, they take the bird feeder out and they'd be jumping up high. And daddy, daddy come and see what I've caught, come and see what I've caught. And I go up there and sure enough, there's a chipmunk in the garbage Canyon to be jumping halfway up, not able to get out. And they were just delighted. But what they really delighted in is taking a stick and putting it in the garbage can. And the chipmunk would find a stick and it would raise up the stick and it would, it would, uh, it would escape.
You know, in every one of our difficulties.
The Lord has a stick. Let me put in the garbage can every.
Of our difficulties, and we find that from First Corinthians, don't we?
Well, we know in this in this particular portion.
There was an escape for Abraham. The picture is of course, the Lord Jesus and there was no escape. There was no ram caught in the thicket, none whatsoever. But for Abram, he was an escape and there's always an escape for us. Every time I, I look again, umm, Ruth is just looking at that, that the last two lines of that him being able to trust him for what's to come. Because as we look in the past, every time the Lord has made a provision for us, made an escape for us every single time.
00:40:21
Without fail.
What a what a comfort that is to us, isn't it?
Well, let's go now. We're gonna have to go to the New Testament to to look at the the last, umm, you know, we missed one there in Genesis. Let's go to Genesis 19, where we have one more there.
Genesis chapter 19.
And we pick up on in the 27th, 1St.
And Abraham Gaddaf early in the morning, Genesis 1927 Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord, and he stood and looked as our subject. He looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the plains of Atlanta beheld and loathe the smoke of the country went up as the smoke at the furnace. Let's go earlier in the chapter now and.
Actually, let's go to the 18th chapter.
And this is subsequent to that time that we read, that we read up earlier in the beginning of the 18th chapter where the Lord Abraham spends that time with the Lord and the angels. And we read in the 16th verse, the man rose up from 10th and looked towards autumn. And Abraham went to bring them on their way. And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.
For I know him, that he will command his children in his household after him they shall keep the way of the Lord. To do justice and judgment of the Lord may bring upon Abraham not which he hath spoken of him.
And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it. Beginning of the 23rd verse. And Abraham drew near.
I was just thinking of that Abraham drawing here and having this discourse with the Lord.
And not knowing what was to transpire. You know, it's interesting when you think of this discourse that Abraham, he, he knew quite a bit about Sodom. He knew more than the people of Sodom. He didn't get it by reading the Sodom Tribune.
He didn't get it by having the bottom Gazette delivered to the tent Uh, no, he had by his communication with the Lord. And we find here, it says in the, in our 19th, uh, chapter, it says in the 27th verse, still before the Lord, and he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah. I just thought he'd been contemplating there in his discourse with the Lord. Well, that's something that we, we do too, don't we? At different times in our lives. Sometimes the Lord brings circumstances across our pathways and.
He has this just a contemplate. I, I did that, you know, just last week, umm, it was a week ago tomorrow with Mother's Day. There's a bunch of mothers here and umm, I went to the little graveyard where my folks are buried and I stood on that grave and umm, I was just thankful for, they stood there and thank the Lord for the mother that, umm, the Lord brought into my life and had, uh, and how she brought the Lord before me.
You know something about a mother's heart. There's a number of them here. When Cindy and I were down in, uh, in, uh, in Florida this year, it was something that transpired that, that really touched my heart. And that was, umm, right in the city just below where we are. We're, umm, in, umm, Pompano Beach, which is right where John and Oliver Stewart are. Just a little bit below that, uh, Fort Lauderdale. A mother's deck was going across the road. Busy road 6 little ducklings.
And uh, the wind was uh, there, there was a wind because of a truck that went by that blew the little 6 ducklings into a storm sewer.
And the mother was frantic and, uh, I thought there was a lot of water. There's a little bit of water there. And the storm sewer took off and, uh, the peeping, I guess there was a, there was a person that was observing this. It was a peeping got fainter and fainter and fainter. And finally the mother duck took off down the road to the next storm sewer where the peeping got louder and louder and louder, louder and.
Sure enough, the six ducklings went by and she went on to the next storm sewer. Well, the, the, the person that was relaying it relayed how the the mother duck went for just about two kilometers from storm sewer to storm tours to storm sewer. And so they came to one umm.
00:45:09
That had a, a bottom discharge and it was like a dead end for the ducklings and they called the fire department and they got the six year old ducklings out and they were happy to move their home again. Boy, I just thought, you know, umm, that, that's the, that, that concept of a mother's heart, uh, that we see in a duck that those of us who are brothers here, we don't have quite the same thing. There are those mothers here that, uh, that can understand that concept. Umm, you know, it's, it's touching to contemplate and I just at my mother's grave and, umm.
Just contemplating the many times that she wiped my runny nose and the many other major things that I caused her so much trouble and.
And to thank the Lord for, well, we have different times in our life, don't we, where the Lord brings something into our life and we just contemplate here, Abraham did that just, he said before the Lord and uh, he looked towards autumn. Well, let's go now to the, you have 10 minutes left. Let's go to John's gospel.
John's Gospel.
The 8th chapter.
John's Gospel, chapter 8.
And we'll pick up on the 56th verse as the Lord is speaking with the Jews.
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. Doesn't exactly say look there, but we we can pick up on the subject. He rejoiced to see my day. And he thought and was glad. And when the Jews said unto them that said the Jews unto them, they are not yet 50 years old. Hast thou seen Abraham? You know I didn't say that he'd seen Abraham. He said Abraham saw him.
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, before Abraham was I am they took up stones to cast of Jesus. Well, I just thought there of that 56th verse, the joy that it was for Abraham to look forward to that time when the Lord Jesus would come and he didn't know. He didn't exactly go through it in that in that way, but you know, I thought.
Probably our greatest testimony in this world to our brethren, to those who are lost. It's our joy, Lord. It's our joy.
Abraham rejoiced.
It's pretty hard to, uh, fight against someone that's enjoying the war.
It's pretty hard to, uh, think negatively and some of them are just really enjoying more, you know, that's our biggest testimony.
Is our join the Lord I something else that happens when you're in Florida, Cindy and are down there and I went and did a few groceries for on my way back.
I was following a car.
And it had on the bumper.
2 words and it was the blood.
I wonder what this means. And I, we're in traffic, you know, And so I, I, I kind of worked our way down a couple of a couple of blocks. And so finally I got beside this lady and I without a smile, but with a twinkle in my eyes. I just kind of picked up my Bible like this and I went like this.
Please just lit right up and she reached out and picked up her big smile. And that's the only communication that I ever had with her or she had with me. She was gone.
You know, it just rejoiced my heart. It rejoiced her heart. That's all the communication we have. You know it, it is marvelous that we can have, umm, a communication with each other that just brightens each other. It's just, it's just that which because we're enjoying the Lord, we can be such an encouragement. Always find back here with one of Abraham's looks for well, the last one, of course, is in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11.
And we'll read from verse 8.
By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should have received after for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out not knowing whether he went. By faith. He sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles. Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. You know, if you do the math.
00:50:00
Jacob lived in the same tent as his father Abraham for 15 years.
Jacob was 15 when Abraham passed away, dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob. Just seems that Jacob could only have tapped in a little bit on some of the exercise that his grand grandpa had. It would have saved them a lot of difficulty. Well, we go on now. Here's our subject.
Four, he looked for a city.
Which have foundations.
The builder and maker.
Is called well, as we've had before us in these meetings.
Abrams life was such that he has his gaze lifted above the speed. He looked for something that was real enjoyed that that we hadn't brought before us in connection with truth this afternoon. No Abraham. He looked for that which was real. He knew that what was down here was not real and it's it's hard for us to get a hold of that concept, but Abraham did that well, maybe a few thoughts on the seven looks of Abraham.
Be an encouragement to our own partners and to quicken our steps to that moment. Perhaps today that we'll hear that show will be called Home to be with the Lord Jesus. Well, let's sing another hymn that has Abraham's name in it. It would be #45.
#45.
In verse 3. Thus Abraham.
The friend of God, thus all the Saints redeemed with blood, Savior of sinners thee proclaim, and all their boasted in thy name. Maybe somebody can start #45 for them.
Jesus the Lord, I shall drive.
You.
Out of our Lord and I don't drive.
Problem.
For the joy.
Of God.
Where Do You Stand?
Gospel—Bill Prost
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 welcome everyone to the Gospel meeting tonight.
And could we begin with?
Hymn #6.
In #6 God in mercy sent his Son.
To a world by sin undone, Jesus Christ was crucified. It was for sinners Jesus died number six.
God in mercy.
Satisfied.
While greater singing by.
OK.
Let's just pray together before we go any further.
I'd like to sing part of another hymn, this time on the Backpage one for the children, and I would hope that everyone here that's old enough to sing would be able to join in #40.
Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
I think everyone here pretty much except for maybe the very youngest, would know this. Him. We'll sing the 1St and the 2nd verses and the last verse of #40.
Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tell me so glad I said him being alone.
You know what it does in my heart? Good to hear everyone sing that last hymn. Jesus loves me.
Without wanting to offend anyone, I saw very definitely a few people that weren't singing the first hymn who joined in on the second one. You know that's wonderful, and I'm sure that you know the truth of it too. Jesus loves me.
And you and I can be very, very thankful that we live here in a land where for the most part, I don't say everyone, but for the most part, people at least know who the Lord Jesus is. You know, there are some parts of the world.
Where that is not sold.
You'll pardon the personal reference, but my son a few years ago, boy, quite a few years ago now, probably close to 15 years ago, taught school for a year way over on the other side of the world in a little country called Tajikistan. And during that, in that country, he had contact with some young people in their late teens and early 20s when he mentioned the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their reaction was who is that?
Whom are you talking about? They had never heard his name before.
Very, very sad.
And yet, true, I don't suppose there's anyone here tonight that doesn't know the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the question we have for you tonight, where do you stand with the Lord Jesus Christ?
Back in Ontario where I live.
There is a man whom I have known for many years who now, among other things, acts as a chaplain in a large hospital.
Some years ago he told me that he was called to see a woman in intensive care. He had never met her before, nor had she met him, but she had asked that some kind of a chaplain would come and talk to her.
Evidently she was a woman who was very successful in the business world. She had done well for herself. She was going up on the corporate ladder, as we would say. She was making money. She was in a position of influence and a fair amount of responsibility.
I don't know exactly what happened to her, but suddenly she found herself in intensive care.
With a very real possibility that she would not pull through.
And her question to the chaplain that I referred to was this chaplain, what happens after death?
He gave her a good answer. I thought he knew that she was well aware of the importance of good contact in the business world. He looked at her straight in the eye and he said it all depends on whom you know.
00:10:13
It all depends on whom you know.
And tonight I want to tell you on the basis of this precious book, the Word of God, that your eternal destiny after you leave this world depends on whether you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
I want to turn first of all the two verses in the Bible, both of which talk about the gospel, that.
Let's turn to the first one.
I guess it doesn't matter which one we read first, but.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 5.
Or rather, chapter 4 will do. That's the one or one of the verses I had on my heart. Second Corinthians chapter 4.
And it says there in verse 3.
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.
In whom the God of this world, that Satan hath blinded the minds, glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine under them. And we could read that verse perhaps a little more accurately like this.
The God of this world that blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light.
Of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.
Should who is the image of God should shine unto them?
Now the other verse in Acts 20. Acts 20.
The Apostle Paul speaking here.
Rehearsing his ministry.
And he says here in verse 24 of Acts 20.
Referring to the fact that he was heading up to Jerusalem and various ones along the way had warned Paul not to go there, they said by the word of the Lord that there would be nothing but trouble and that he would be put in prison as a result of going up there.
Acts 20 and 24.
But none of these things move me.
Neither count on my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy.
And the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
The word gospel means good news, and you and I know that there is not very much good news in the world today. Whether you pick up the newspaper, whether you watch the news on the television, whether you turn on the Internet, wherever you look, almost every day there is some new piece of bad news.
And for the most part it only shows.
Let us face it, what is in the natural heart of man?
But tonight we have good news for you. Nothing new, nothing different. It's the same gospel that has been preached for hundreds of years. But here we have two expressions relative to the gospel.
The gospel of the glory of Christ and the gospel of the grace of God. We want to talk about both of those tonight because I believe it is essential.
If we are going to understand the gospel.
To talk about both aspects of it, it's the same gospel.
The same good news? Excuse me.
But there are two different aspects of it and it is important to realize this.
First of all, we want to talk about the gospel of the glory of Christ. You say. What does that mean?
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Allow me to say, and I don't think anyone would argue with this, that in North American society, and especially in the last 30 or 40 years.
We have to face it that we have become pretty self-centered.
We tend to think of ourselves. We think of how everything revolves around us.
We tend to think of circumstances as to how they affect us, and we look upon ourselves, if we're not careful, as the center of everything.
May I tell you right here in a gospel meeting?
That although we are going to talk about you and about me, we are going to talk about the way that God has made provisions so that we can be saved.
That I am going to tell you first and foremost.
That the gospel is not primarily about you and me. Is that a surprise? It shouldn't be. It shouldn't be. Let's turn to the first chapter of the book of Romans for a verse.
That bears that out, and here again the apostle Paul is talking about the gospel.
And let's notice what he says.
Romans one and verse one.
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated. Now here it is under the gospel of God, which he had promised before by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. Now what does it say concerning you and me concerning how to get saved? That's not what it says concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.
And then it says, by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name. What does that mean? That means, I say it again, that the gospel is not primarily about you and me.
You know, man has a lot of purposes in his heart today.
As we look around this world, every nation has its own purposes.
We're in Canada right now. Canada has purposes as a nation. the United States has purposes. But if we could speak very plainly, there are people on the other side of the world, for example, in the country of Iran. They have purposes too. They don't always square with the purposes we have on this side of the water, do they? Or if we were going to go in the other direction to North Korea, we would find that.
People there have purposes too, and they don't always line up too well with the purposes of people in North America and so on all around this world.
Men have their own purposes, but we tell you on the authority of the Word of God that God has his purposes tonight and God has purposed.
In a coming day, perhaps very soon.
To exalt, to glorify his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to set him as head over all things. We don't need to turn to all the scriptures that refer to that. But that is true. We read about it in the first chapter of Ephesians where it says that God in the dispensation of the fullness of times.
Has purposed to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him.
Many of man's purposes are going to fail.
Quite a few years ago now, long before many of us were born, not all of us, but many of us, there was a man in Europe by the name of Adolf Hitler, and he purposed to found what he called his 1000 Year Reich. 1000 years it was supposed to last. How long did it last? About 12 years. And then it crumbled into ruins. And so it has been with every kind of empire in this world.
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Some have lasted a long time. The Roman Empire lasted almost 500 years, maybe a bit more, but then it crumbled the Grecian empire under Alexander the Great Macedonia matter of a few years and then it was broken up by the.
Uh, various others that came in to break up that empire broke up into four different sections. As we know, all of the purposes of man are eventually going to come to nothing.
But God is going to exalt his beloved Son, and in connection with that, we want to tell you tonight on the authority of God's Word, that that same God whose purposes will definitely and clearly come to pass, you and I are responsible to him.
Is that rather a sobering thought? It ought to be. It ought to be.
Turn over to the book of Romans for a verse in the 14th chapter.
Verse 12.
So that everyone of us shall give account of himself to God.
Do we all understand what that means?
Do we need to explain it? Maybe we do I.
I can remember at least 25 years ago now, maybe more, reading that verse to a group of young people in a detention center in Toronto, ON and saying, what does that mean to you? What do those words mean to you? And none of them had any idea. The words might as well have been in a foreign language. What does it mean to give a count of? It means in simple terms that there is a time when everyone of us is going to stand before God.
And God is going to require of us an accounting of how we've lived our lives in this world.
Few hours ago today.
Somebody or somebody.
Decided to vandalize a couple of cars in the parking lot out here.
Will they be able to catch up with them? I don't know.
Sometimes they never catch people like that. Some years ago, twice over, our home was broken into twice. Never caught up with them, never found who they were.
Will they get away with it? They think they have, but there is a day coming when they will stand before God.
And I say to each one in this room, there is a day coming when you will give account to God. You know, it's a very serious thing to have to face God.
I read an article in a secular magazine a little while ago that shocked me.
It said that.
In the last five or ten years there is a tremendous turning toward religion among people in North America.
I thought, hmm, good, that hasn't been my experience, but maybe I haven't been in the right place at the right time. But then I read on and it said, yes, there are people turning to religion, but that religion is atheist atheism, which says essentially there is no God.
Now perhaps as you sit there tonight, and I don't know everyone here tonight, many I know.
And many I know who sit here tonight who would gladly stand up here right alongside me and say, yes, by the grace of God, I know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. But maybe there is someone here who is not saved. And I say to you.
Where do you stand relative to your responsibility before God?
Maybe you say. I would never talk like that. I would never say there is no God and I would never go out and break windows in someone's car, either just for vandalism or perhaps with a view to stealing. I would never go and assault anyone. I would never go and be guilty of murder or using drugs or getting drunk and disorderly or whatever it might happen to be.
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We won't turn to the versus though, but twice over in the book of the Psalms, it talks about those who say.
There is no God.
And it does not mean necessarily that they don't believe in the existence of a God, but rather that they don't want to believe that they have any responsibility toward him.
Oh, I say to you, on the authority of God's Word, and here it is as plain as we could get it, so that every one of us should give account of himself to God. And it's a frightening thing, isn't it, to stand before God in your sins.
I can remember very well talking again, if I may refer to that detention center in Toronto.
It was a solemn thing to go in there pretty much every Lord's Day. There were young people in there who had been guilty of the most serious crimes, even murder, and most of them were merely being held there until they came up for trial, usually within the week and maximum two weeks. Most of them were afraid, and with good reason, and we talked sometimes about that.
I said what will happen when you go to court?
All one of them said it will be a matter of the prosecuting lawyer that you know about what would happen. The prosecuting lawyer will read the charges against us and then evidence will be brought out and then our lawyers will present different evidence if they can find any, and then the judge.
We'll pronounce sentence.
I remember well saying to a group of events suppose.
That the judge had happened to be a bystander.
I said I'm not accusing you of having committed whatever crime you're charged with, but suppose you didn't do it. And as you can well imagine, the overwhelming majority, they certainly did do it. They weren't in there for nothing. The police rarely arrested someone who was innocent. I said if you did what you are being charged with and somehow the judge happened to be there as a bystander and saw you do it.
What then?
I still remember one young fellow's remark in the jargon of a teenager who apparently lived his life on the street.
Well then, man, you're dead.
I think we all understand those words, even though it's a kind of a vernacular way of expressing oneself. Man, you're dead. It wouldn't matter what evidence was presented or what the opposing lawyer said or what clever arguments were presented, would it? The judge knew exactly where you stood. And we tell you, and I say to my own soul on the authority of the word of God, that there is a God who knows everything about you and about me.
Everything we have ever done, everything we have ever said and everything that we have ever thought.
You know, those are very solemn things, aren't they? We have a responsibility toward God.
But maybe, we say, but we're not so bad.
We're not so bad. Yes, I know I have a responsibility toward God, and I know that I'll have to stand before God someday. But you know, I haven't done all that much that is wrong. And relative to many other people within the sphere of my acquaintance, I haven't been too bad of a person.
Is that going to work? Is God going to take that kind of an excuse? Let's turn back in the book of Romans to chapter 3. And it's good to have the word of God as a basis for what we're saying, because that's what counts.
Don't believe all this because I'm saying it because what I say doesn't matter for anything, but it's what the word of God says and it's this precious book that is going to be what God uses to judge in a coming day. It's what is written in this precious book that is going to count. As an old brother used to say, this book is open here before us tonight and it will be open forever in heaven.
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God says it will never pass away, and So what God has written in His Word carries the weight and authority of God Himself. Notice what it says here in Romans chapter 3.
Starting with the end of verse 22.
For there is no difference.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
It doesn't say all have sinned, but some have been bigger sinners than others.
In one sense that is true. All sins are not awake in the Word of God. There are several scriptures to which we could turn which would show us that, but at the same time.
Your heart and mind are all the same and if there is a man who is in life imprisonment for murder, If there is a man or a woman who is guilty of armed robbery.
If there are those.
And there are those you know it very well who are guilty not of 1 murder or two, but of multiple murders. We had one happen just up in my area in Ontario just last week.
Where a man was going to sell a truck, two men came about 9:30 in the evening, wanted to or at least pretended to want to buy it, and actually wanted to take it out for a short drive.
The owner of the truck went with them. They took him away, murdered him.
Took the truck. Now the police have gotten on their trail. They've recovered the truck. They've arrested at least one suspect. But the man who owned the truck was murdered. Oh, you say, I don't believe that that kind of thing would happen in Canada, and yet it has. And you say perhaps I would never do that. We tell you on the authority of God's word, and here's what it says, for there is no difference.
Your heart and mind are just the same.
Dave Mehrtens was talking this afternoon about his children going into a barn and smelling like cows.
I grew up on a farm.
And among other things, we had things that were worse than cows. And I don't say that to be funny. We had rotten eggs.
And if anyone has smelled a rotten egg, you know that it is worse than the cow.
And sometimes we would break rotten eggs and the smell was unbelievable.
But yet I might have one in this hand that I dropped on the ground and the smell was terrible, but the other one in this hand with the shell intact.
Can't smell anything. Why? Because the shell is holding it in, and anyone here that knows anything about eggs knows that there are ways of telling whether an egg is rotten or not without breaking it.
The one that the shell.
Was intact with.
It was just as bad as the other and we knew it, but the shell kept that smell from coming out. And if anyone here has been raised, and allow me to speak very solemnly to the children here tonight, maybe you've been raised in a Christian home and the young people here this evening. Maybe you've been raised in a Christian home and you perhaps are like that rotten egg with the shell around it. We can be thankful for a Christian a whole. I was raised in a Christian whole and I was thankful for the shell that my parents kept around me.
So that I did not get involved in all of the sin and wickedness that was out there. But was my heart, is my heart any better? Absolutely not. And I say to you children from a Christian home, you need to be saved just as much as the young person who goes out and does drugs or shoplifts or gets into trouble with the law in a very serious way.
00:35:03
In fact, if anything, you are more responsible because you have been exposed to the gospel, you have heard the word of God, probably you can't even remember not hearing the word of God. You are more responsible and your heart is just the same.
You know, it's one thing to realize that I'm a Sinner, but it's another thing to realize that I'm a lost Sinner.
Permit another story that's personal.
I had a friend with whom I went to university. We started off together.
Kind of dates me. It's over 50 years ago now that we started university.
And he came from a very wealthy home, which I certainly didn't.
But somehow we got along well together, although he was by no means a believer in the Lord Jesus, but he took an interest in the gospel and he would admit that he was a Sinner, but I could not convince him that he was a lost Sinner.
Oh yes, he'd say with a laugh. I know I'm bad. But it didn't get home to his soul that he was a lost same boy.
And you know, tonight, sometimes we think lightly of sin because we're surrounded in this world with it, and we don't realize that not only are we sinners if we're not saved, but we are lost sinners.
Well, if that's all I had to tell you, that wouldn't be very much of A gospel message, would it? That wouldn't be good news. But we're going to turn back now to Acts 20, to that expression that we read there.
Acts 20 and verse 24.
To testify the gospel of the grace of God. I love that expression. I don't know another place in the Word of God where we get quite so beautifully put, Paul says. To testify the gospel of the grace of God. What is grace? What does the word mean? Well, Simply put, it means the favor, the goodness of God.
That is extended to you and to me when we don't deserve.
That wonderful you and I have to do with a God who loves us.
Do we realize that?
How many verses in the Word of God tell us? We sang it in our hymn, God is light and God is love. Both of those expressions come from the First Epistle of John and then that wonderful verse John 316. 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. The gospel of the grace of God. Oh, if there is a gospel of the glory of Christ, that God has exalted his beloved Son, and he has He has raised him from the dead, and it says in the Bible set him at his own right hand in power. But now God has come out in grace.
To who? To whosoever will.
Again, I say I don't know everyone here tonight, but perhaps you find it difficult to understand that word grace.
We have a Sunday school back home where I live in Hamilton, ON, and generally those children that come to that Sunday school have come from pretty rough backgrounds. Many of them from broken homes, many of them from homes where crime is rampant, many of them from homes where there isn't very much money. Many of them have been.
Abused in different ways.
And when we try to tell them that there is a God who loves them, that there is a God who wants to do something for them when they don't deserve it, they find it very hard to get that kind of thinking into their head. Why? Because very rarely has anyone in their short life shown the menu real love. Very rarely has anyone given them something, something good.
00:40:15
That they didn't deserve very re. Very seldom has anyone shown them any real kindness, and so they have come to expect none. And to them, the idea that there is a God up there who loves them and who sent his son to die for them is an absolutely new thought that they find it hard to understand. I don't know if there is anyone here tonight like that, but if there is, if there's anyone here who's had a rough life, anyone here who says I haven't had very many breaks in my life.
I haven't had a very good time.
We want to tell you that there is a God up there whose love comes out to you.
Unconditionally.
Isn't that beautiful? And how has he demonstrated that life? Sometimes people tell us they love us. Sometimes people say I really care, but then there's no substance to it because they don't do anything to prove that they really care.
But it says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
Again, I say perhaps there are those here, and I know many of you have grown up in Christian homes and maybe you've heard that from your earliest days, and maybe it doesn't have too much of an effect on you.
But can we think for a moment of what it must have meant for God?
Forgive his son.
To send his son down into this world well knowing the way that men would treat him, Well knowing that that beloved son would be rejected from all sides and eventually taken out and nailed to Calvary's cross.
There are fathers and mothers here. There are grandparents I know very well.
That you would not, nor would I be able willingly to give up my son, my daughter, my grandson, my granddaughter, and allow wicked men just to abuse them in that way. And yet God sent His Son. And then in those last three hours of darkness on the cross, the Lord Jesus was on the cross for six hours. And in the first three hours, men did their worst.
Tottenham made fun of them, offered him kind of a sour vinegar like drink when he was thirsty and so on.
But in those last three hours of darkness, God darken the whole scene so that the eye of man couldn't see what was going on.
Many, many years ago.
One of my uncles I.
I am told Asked his Sunday school teacher.
What did God do to the Lord Jesus in those hours of darkness to punish him for sin?
And the teacher very wisely replied, God made it so dark that no one could see. No one could see. And there the whole question of sin was settled once and for all. Oh, we say to you tonight that God is satisfied with the work of Christ. How do we know that? Because he raised him from the dead.
On that cross the Lord Jesus shed his precious blood, and we read in first John. Let's turn to a chapter one and verse 7.
First John chapter one and verse 7A. Well known verse, but we'll read it again.
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light.
We have fellowship one with another, and here it is, and the blood.
Of Jesus Christ, his Son.
Cleanse us from all sins.
I don't suppose any of us here like to see blood?
It's not something we like to see because whenever we see blood it means that someone or perhaps an animal has been hurt.
00:45:07
And sometimes, as we well know, the blood flow from a wound can be of such dimensions that unless it stopped, unless the individual receives a blood transfusion or something, they will die.
But the Lord Jesus Christ did not die. We speak with all reverence from loss of blood.
The blood flowed after he was dead because he dismissed his own spirit. No one took his life from him, he says. I lay it down of myself. You can't do that. I can't do that. Oh yes, we can commit suicide by doing something to ourselves, but none of us, by force of our thought patterns can dismiss our own spirit and die for the Lord Jesus, because of who he was did that.
And we read then that the soldier pierced his side with that spear, and forthwith came out blood and water. And it is that precious blood we say with all authority on God's Word tonight as the power to cleanse from all sin.
I keep referring to that detention home in Toronto, but we had many experiences there and I well remember talking to them.
About the power of the blood of Christ. Some of us are old enough to remember here when a man by the name of Adolf Eichmann was apprehended in South America and taken Brac back to Israel for trial. That's at least 50 years ago, maybe a little more now. A man who was personally responsible for overseeing the murder of at least 6,000,000 Jews, and probably.
Several millions more of Gypsies and other people during the time that the Nazis were in power in Germany. Eventually the Israeli the Israeli intelligence caught up with them in South America, apprehended them, and took them back to Israel for trial.
He was tried and found guilty and sentenced to be executed, but while he was awaiting execution, there were at least two believers who managed to gain access to him to bring before him the gospel of the grace of God.
I will remember in our local paper in Hamilton at that time, there were those and those who professed to be Christians too, who took strong.
Shall we say?
Exception to the fact that that was happening. You mean to tell me that God could forgive a man like that? You mean to tell me that a man like that could spend eternity with Christ in glory after murdering millions upon millions of people and now at the end of his life he can turn to Christ and be forgiven?
But remember asking those young people, I said, do you think the blood of Christ could wash away the sin of six or seven or 8 million murders? Could the gospel, Could the blood of Christ do that?
I remember.
One young fellow he looked at. There was silence for a moment or two, and then finally one young fellow said, Well, Sir.
It says all fit, it says all sin. So I guess he could be forgiven. Oh, I thank God for that answer. Could Adolf Eichmann. And by the way, he didn't turn to Christ. I'm sorry to tell you that. Now, I don't want to be dogmatic because no one knows what he might have done in the last few moments of his life, but to all outward appearances, he died in unrepentant man, I'm sorry to say.
But he didn't die without knowing the way of salvation, and he didn't die without knowing that there was that precious blood of Christ.
That would have washed away the sins of all those murders. Why? Because God is satisfied with the finished work of Christ. Are you going to say I'm not satisfied? Are you going to say it's not good enough for me?
I'm particularly concerned with children and young people here.
Back home in Ontario, I know a father back there.
And not too long ago.
00:50:01
His young son, only about six years old, except to the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, he had for some time, apparently taken no interest in the things of God. Didn't want to hear a Bible story when he went to bed. Didn't want to hear the word of God that was read in their home regularly. Didn't want to hear about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even at that young age, there was that rebellion in his heart against God.
Which, before we were saved, was characteristic of every one of us, I included.
But there came the day when the Lord broke down that little boy's heart, and he came to Christ.
And his father himself told me this, the little boy said.
Daddy.
Daddy, now you can stop, now you can stop. Pray for me to get saved.
He'd heard father and mother praying for him. He knew that there was earnestness in those prayers. And I say to every child here tonight who was growing up in a Christian home, whether you've heard those prayers out loud or not, I can assure you that your father and your mother have been praying and still are praying that you will come to Christ.
And maybe they think you are saved.
I will remember my dear brother, who has long since with the Lord.
And people used to come up to him when he was a boy, he told me and say, are you saved? Are you saved? Are you saved? And he got tired of it and he got a little bit angry inside.
And so finally he said, yes, I'm saved.
As it were, to get people off his back.
The Lord had his eye on that boy. He told me this himself.
When he was a grown man and an older man too, he said, Bill, you know what broke me down? He said a brother read in a gospel meeting. He said that all liars shall have their place in the lake of fire that burneth with fire and brimstone.
And you said I thought, oh, how awful, Said not only am IA liar, but I lied about the worst thing possible. I lied about being saved. Oh, he said that's terrible and it brought him to Christ.
Oh, if there's anyone here that's not saved, it's a serious thing to reject the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's turned out of the 17th chapter of Acts.
Our time is nearly gone.
Acts Chapter 17.
Verse 30.
Acts 17, verse 30.
And of the times of this ignorance, I believe that was perhaps in the Old Testament before the Lord Jesus came.
God winked at or passed over.
But now, But now command of all men everywhere to repent. Why?
Because he hath appointed a day in which he would judge the world in righteousness.
By that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from death.
Oh, we are compelled to tell you on the authority of God's Word, that if you go out of that door tonight without Christ, if you reject the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is judgment ahead. Oh God is not going to allow this world to go on as it is now indefinitely. Men think that they can continue to go on.
There's a lot of progress in this world, a lot of wonderful technology, even though there are some pretty serious.
Things going on that.
Are making men already become a little worried about the future of things in this world?
00:55:01
Even from a natural point of view, I read in an article just a little while ago that politically and economically this world is ripe for what could be called the perfect storm. We know what that expression means in meteorological circles, but they were talking about political and economic circles. This world is ripe for the perfect storm. Indeed it is. But that storm that is going to break upon this world in terms of God's judgment is far greater than any political and economic realities that may suddenly break apart.
Oh, it says God is appointed today. Yes, He knows the day you and I don't, when He will judge this world in righteousness. No one will get away. No one will hire a smart lawyer. No one will escape.
There is judgment for those who leave this world without Christ.
And how do we know that?
Where off you have given assurance unto all men, and that he hath raised him from the dead.
But a frightening thought that the very man who hung on Calvary's cross, the very one whom this world chose to insult, spit in the face of the Son of God, crowned with thorns, flogged them with Roman scourging, nailed them to a cross. That very one now is written and seated at God's right hand.
I've told this story before, but it bears repeating.
About a man who professed to be an atheist. And this was years ago. At least 75, maybe 100 years ago he professed to be an atheist.
But he sometimes found himself in a position of ignorance when people would talk about the things of the Lord and about the Lord Jesus Christ. So he decided he better at least get a little bit familiar with it so he could talk intelligently. And in order to do that, he made a trip to the land, as it was called in those days, the land of Palestine.
Nation of Israel had not come into place yet and he was taken, among other things.
To what is known as the garden tube. I have never been there, but there are those here I believe who have, and I have spoken to various ones who have been there. Whether or not it is the real tomb of the Lord Jesus, we don't know for sure, but at any rate it's very close to where it would have been and could easily have been the actual 2.
I believe it is owned by the British and the land around it, and I understand that anyone who takes a tour of that area, including a tour of the tomb, those tours are conducted by those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And this man went there with a small group of people and was taken to see the Garden tomb. Well, he wasn't at all interested and rather was full of mockery. And as they were taken into the tomb there, he began to look around before the guide could say anything.
And in mocking tones, he said, What did you bring us here for? What's in here to see anyway? There is nothing here. That's what's the point of all this.
Well, he opened his mouth once too often, and the guy who was equal to the occasion, he drew himself up and he said, yes, Sir, I am glad you made that remark. You're right. There is nothing here. You want to see a tomb with something in it. There are millions of them in this world, and every other religious leader in this world is now in a tomb. But he said Christianity can show you an empty tomb.
The one that once was in this tomb is now risen and glorified at God's right hand. And he went on, and I believe quote of this verse. And if we could use that expression, he laid it on good and thick.
That struck hold on to that man's heart. Oh, what a serious position he was in, if indeed the one that had lain in that tomb was risen and glorified. What an awful position he was in.
We say to you tonight, on the authority of the Word of God, why not come to Christ? Why not accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior?
We'll sing another hymn now, but before we do.
I wanna say this. Maybe there is someone here tonight that is truly safe. Maybe you have really come to Christ, but you haven't told anyone. May I encourage you to tell someone? If you're truly saved tonight, tell someone. If you don't have anyone close to you to tell you, come up here afterwards. There are some of us that would love to hear you.
01:00:21
Confess the Lord Jesus as Savior.
Some years ago there was a gospel meeting in New Jersey and after that meeting there was a young boy that came up and said, I want you to know that I have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. Oh, that was wonderful to hear, to hear. But there may be someone else here who is holding out and maybe in your heart there is still rebellion against God.
Let me tell you one more story, if I may.
Again, pardon a personal reference.
I'll refer to another young man with whom I started university same year.
And by all outward appearances, he was a Rascal.
He was a Rascal and he delighted to speak of the various things that he did.
Which were anything but upright.
But the Lord had his eye on that young man, and I remember well when I went back to a class reunion about 10 years ago, and there he was, saved.
Saved by the grace of God, I said. Lee, how did it happen? How did it happen? Because you were anything but a Christian when I knew you a few years ago.
Oh, he said. Bill, a man spoke to me.
At a fall fair when I was a teenager and he said I was with two other teenagers and we all three made a mockery of it. And I was the worst one. I made the most mockery of it. The others wanted to listen at least to what he had to say, but I wouldn't let them. I said don't bother with that nonsense and I wouldn't let them listen to them. And off we went just to have fun. But he said, you know, the Lord spoke to me. And eventually I came to the point that I realized.
That I was a lost Sinner. But he said Bill, it took, it took something. He said I knew I had to be saved. And so I went to my room and this was long after he had graduated and was practicing medicine. And he said, I stood there in my room and I said that I was a Sinner. And I said the words accepting Christ as my Savior.
He said. I knew I wasn't safe. I didn't feel any different.
And something, said Lee. Kneel down.
So, he said. I kneeled down on one knee.
And I said it again.
He said I knew I wasn't saved. I didn't feel any different at all. Not that feelings are the criterion by which we judge whether we're saved or not, but he said I knew it wasn't real. And something said Lee put both knees down. No, I don't want to be misunderstood. Our posture when we accept Christ is not important in that sense. You don't have to kneel down to become a Christian. Don't misunderstand me.
But with Lee, it was an indication of what was going on in his heart. And he said, Bill, I tried to put the other knee down and I couldn't get it down and I couldn't get it down. And I kept trying and it wouldn't go down. And he said finally I had to take both of my hands and take hold of that knee. And he said I literally forced it onto the floor of that bedroom.
And then I had owned myself as a lost Sinner and accepted Christ. And when I got up off my knees, I knew it was real. I knew I was safe. Oh, he said, the rebellion of my heart wasn't going to put that knee down. And I had to realize that there was still a vestige that wanted the benefits of salvation but wasn't willing to bow my knee fully to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, we trust that if there's anyone here that is not saved, you'll come to Christ tonight.
Let's sing part of another hymn now #14.
I'm sorry.
That's not to him. 25 Beg your pardon, 2525.
01:05:00
Life at best is very brief.
Like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheath being kind, fading days are telling fast that the dye will soon be cast in the fatal line be passed be in time.
First two first flowers soon decay. Youth and beauty pass away.
Oh, you have not long to stay being time while God's Spirit did. You come Sinner, do no longer roam, lest you seal your hopeless doom. Be in time.
Last two verses, please, of #25 versus 3:00 and 4:00.
Time is gliding swiftly by. Heaven and judgment go from God to the heart of the fighting. Time for my grave. Count the daughter.
Lloyd may cross, and your Christmas soul belongs being thine.
Big and thine, may and may.
One of the boys out here in the world kill me.
Until you're on your way, you can never make my no. Open your heart as you're crying. Become still alive being in time.
Or father.
Walking With The Lord
Children—Mark Allan
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.
Said one of the kids have a phone they'd like to sing off the back of the hemp sheets the numbers 40 to 47. Or if you think it's something that everybody knows, that would be fine too.
46.
Can you read all the words that are spelled in that song?
That's right, tidings I bring that Jesus has come to save me and he calls, and he calls the girls and he wants all the boys too, to trust in him and have their sins now washed away. And here we can sing that and we'll get the girls to sing the line about the girls.
And voice, the single line book, the voice, I think I learned to do that in Nova Scotia, so.
And we go when he goes on the jealous uh indeed, one of the alliance to do to the king. Are you lamb stealing him? I haven't had a mother since now and so away.
OK with somebody else of this only like to sing.
Go ahead, 44 OK into a 10.
That's a nice one if that one comes from where I live now, which is Ontario.
Into a 10 where a gypsy boy lay dying alone at night.
Never leave everything. Nobody ever had someone they could do anything that are running again and down and down again. Salvation. Salvation story, greeting or endorsement.
Till I get the day out of the children of men, nobody ever has told me before.
There is no love me a more little boy and come to me in a good time of joy. Need I not perish? My hands will be cold. Nobody ever the story has told.
Then I am sure that he sent him for me.
Again, salvation story revealed.
Tell them can say of the children of men.
Nobody ever has told me before.
Well, that's a nice song. Can somebody tell me the story this boy had never heard before?
That thorium Jesus, that's right. And Bill Prost talked to us yesterday and he said that there was when his son was teaching over.
In the Zika Spanish, they didn't even know the name of Jesus. And you know we shouldn't just.
A few years ago when I was talking to the kids about the store, the Christmas story, something that was about the Lord Jesus birth. And you know, we shouldn't just assume.
That people know about the Lord Jesus. It's a wonderful thing to be able to tell about what the Lord Jesus did in the course. It says we should. We want it, it says until none can say of the children of men. Nobody has ever told me before. Let's try and tell that everyone should hear the wonderful news of the gospel. OK, to somebody else, another.
00:05:14
Do you have Go ahead #5 number 50? Happy day. That's a nice one.
Oh, happy day, there's my joy.
Well, may this go in heartbreak. Rejoice and tell the crowd I'm sure there's all abroad. I'll be tired. I've been married. When you give your life in the way.
Our way.
It is not enough granny reduction time. I am my Lord and he is mine. He drew me out and I followed on right to come back the one day morning.
Day. Happy day.
What are you getting up? Watch my fingers away. He taught me how to watch and pray and live. Rejoice in every day.
Happy day, happy days, happy days when Jesus, of course my sins are away.
Now rest my mom, give my empire based on the blood the center rise, nor ever from thy glory within him of every good for that I'll be there, and you have to be dead for when he Jesus was.
My sins away.
I'm away.
OK, does somebody else have a song I'd like to sing? Go ahead. Pardon 40 Jesus tells me. OK, that's a nice one. And maybe we can. When we get to the chorus and we say yes, Jesus tells me we can point to ourselves when you get to me. OK, And don't say me.
Maybe we can sing actual single song Jesus loves me as I know.
So.
Give you 95. May he never die. Haven't taken over. He will wash away my sins. Laugh out loud.
And she comes from.
Yes, she's a slum.
Yeah, it sounds love. Now I won't know. So serious sunflowers may go one night. And we've been waiting to make me God's way to hold me in hand. Can you please take from a great harm? Yes.
00:10:05
She's not close.
Yeah, that's really good. Sounds well, Yeah, she sounds like.
The Bible sounds so Jesus loves me, loves me still when I'm very wing. I know from him shining Oh my God, he will watch me where I lie. Yes it sounds like.
Yeah, let's see if it sounds like yeah, you SoundCloud, the Bible tells.
So.
He thy responds me, He will say every closed beside me all the way. If I trust him chilling, I know he will Take Me Home on time.
Yeah, yeah.
Yes, she does love.
Yeah, she loves love.
From the Bible tells me.
OK, well, maybe we can just right?
Our God and Father, we just.
Thank you that we can spend a few minutes singing on the start of this Sunday school. And Father, we just would thank you for the Lord Jesus who came into this world to die so that we could sing that song. Oh, happy day to fix my choice and that we could sing this song. Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells himself. And uh, Lord, I pray that it's something that we would appreciate deep in our hearts. We just pray as thy word is open. Father, let us know what the boys and girls.
In this room need the adults to just pray that it would work for blessing this morning and my spirit would be able to bring even if it's just something small that we could enjoy to our hearts that he would do that today. We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Amen.
OK.
Well, what I wanted to talk about.
Today is.
Something that I've spoken about before, but I wanted to talk about a little bit differently. Walking with the Lord. Do you ever go on walks with who?
So you go on the walk with Locksmith.
Well, thanks. We need to go. Oxygen. Yes, very nice. Do you ever go and walk to your parents?
Sometimes, you know, sometimes things when, sometimes, umm, when we get busy, it's hard to go on walk, right? You know, sometimes when you split up, inevitably we go and walk like almost every week. But since we've been back in Ontario, it hasn't been twice as frequent. You know, going to walks is a very, very nice thing. You know, we have a dog and he loves to go on walks.
Matter of fact, Lindsay and Bryn have been going out walking every morning this week and I'm at home and E whines and complaints if he can't go on the walk and trip. He loves to go on walks if he sees daddy and mummy going out for a walk around the loops.
Where we live, he gets very sad if he can't go on the stroller. But who I wanted to talk to you about this morning who likes to walk with us is.
The Lord and that's what you said, and it starts right at the very beginning of the Bible that we read about him wanting to walk with us. And so I'm gonna talk about.
Five times about walking. One of the times the person didn't walk and he should have been able to walk and the other four times they didn't. OK the first one is in Genesis chapter.
Three, I think.
And verse 8, so who do you think if it's in Genesis chapter 3, who do you think is talking about Zachary?
Adam and Eve. Where did Adam live? Can one of the kids tell me where Adam lives at first? Go ahead. In the Garden of Eden. That's right. And in the garden was the garden being nice. It was beautiful.
00:15:08
Probably one of the nicest places you could possibly live. You know, there's a place not too far from where my parents live called the Garden of Eden. It's a beautiful lake. I don't think it's quite as nice as the trail garden. And you know, the Lord came.
And I think it says, it doesn't say this earlier, but he came and he was walking in the garden and he wanted to talk. Walk and talk with who? And somebody tell me.
Back. All right, let's just read the verses. It's in Genesis chapter 3.
And this was after they thin.
It says in Genesis chapter 3 verse 7, the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sold fig leaves together and made themselves acres. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from amongst the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. So you know the Lord came down and he wanted to.
Talk and walk with Adam. And could he?
Could the Lord talk and walk with Adam in the way that he wanted to?
Now we couldn't put yours. Why not?
Sophia Because he has been. Because he has been. If you're bad, you like to be around your parents.
I don't think so. Well, sin made it so that.
Adam and Eve couldn't enjoy the presence of the Lord in the same way as they did before.
That's a very sad thing, isn't it? Just like I said, if I, I mean, I think it made the Lord very, very sad. You know, we don't.
The Lord couldn't walk without him in even the same way after that because of sin. And you know, he wants to be with him. He wants to spend time with it, but sin separated them from God so that he couldn't. And you know, that's very sad. But what happened so that we can now enjoy being with the Lord again? What happened?
Is that great?
The Lord came and he died on the cross. And if we asked them to wash our sins away, umm, we can enjoy calls from before again. I just want to go to the New Testament, somebody else who walked with the Lord and the ones I want to talk about today, it talks about walking with God. You know, we read about lots of people in the Old Testament who walked with God. There's a whole bunch of we read of Noah walking with God. We read of a man named Enoch walking with God. We read of a man named Abraham walking with God. We read of Isaac walking with God. We read of Jacob Rockman with God. We read of David Rocken with God.
You know, walking with God is a very, very important thing. You know, I hope that we can say that everybody in this room.
Likes to walk with the Lord and you know, it's in two senses. You know, maybe we actually can walk in a physical sense. Maybe we could walk down the road and talk to the Lord and pray as we go for a walk. You know, I think go across has come to my parents a few times and I think he gets up early in the morning sometimes he goes for a walk.
Think that's nice? It is very nice, very nice when in a very physical sense we can walk with the Lord, you know?
Halifax doesn't have the reputation as being the best city in the world. I have very good memories of this city, even though two of the hardest years of my life before I was married was sent Halifax. But I remember the Lord helping me when I was having a hard time. I studied late at night because I was in the waterfront on the other side of the harbor here just a few blocks up, and I would study until I was totally exhausted. Then I would get off the walk down.
Morris St. which is right beside Spring Garden, two blocks to the harbor front. I'd walk along the harbor front down to Umm Purdy's Wharf, and then I'd walk back from Purdy's Wharf to Marsh St. again and back up. And I spend a little time talking to the Lord. And you know, that helped me through two of the hardest years of my life. And I have tremendous memories of being in the city because of that. You know, the Lord loves to hear us talk to him. You know, it's not just in a physical sense we can talk to the Lord, but also.
Every day in the struggles that we have, we can spend time with the Lord. And I wanna read of two disciples who walked with the Lord. And you know this is interesting because Jesus came as a man to this world.
00:20:13
And we're gonna read one of the first times that we read of him, specifically Washington John, chapter one, umm 1.
Inverse 35 Actually, we'll go back up and we'll reverse 29 The next day John's is coming to him and said, behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. So the nice thing about the Lord Jesus is that he could take away the very sin that Adam and Eve caused. That cuts us from being able to walk with the Lord in the way that we should. And then down in verse 35, it says the next day after John stood and two of his disciples.
So there was two disciples here, and John, and they looked on Jesus as he walked.
He saith, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw the following, and said unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, which is the saving interpretive master, Where dwelleth thou? And he said unto them, Come and see. They came, and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day.
Or it was about 1/10 hour.
So there was two young men here. I don't know how old they were, maybe in their late teens, early 20s, maybe they were a little bit early, older than that. And John the Baptist, who was.
Probably around 30 at this time he saw the Lord Jesus walking and he said, behold the Lamb of God. And what did those two disciples want to do when they heard him say that? Can one of the children tell me what did those two disciples want to do when they heard that? John the Baptist said that he was the Lamb of God.
Sylvia.
They wanted to follow him. Is it a nice thing to want to follow the Lord Jesus? It is a very nice thing to want to follow the Lord Jesus, isn't it? And to walk them while these two disciples, they wanted to follow the Lord Jesus and they were following him. And the Lord turned around and he said.
He said to them, he said.
Umm, what do you want or what CT And what did they want? What did these two disciples want?
Tax.
What was the specific question they asked that was good? That's a good answer.
It said where dwelleth hour? Where do you live? Where are you? Where do you? Where do you stay? And they followed him to where he is. Do you think they wanted to be close to the Lord? You think it's a good thing to want to be where the Lord lives? I think that's a good thing.
I think it is, you know, we read verses in the Bible that say that there's there's verses where two or three are gathered together in mining. They are in mind in the midst of them. You know, it's a wonderful thing to want to be where the Lord is. And these two disciples wanted to be or wanted to see where the Lord lives and where he dwelled and they wanted to follow him. And, you know, I hope that's true of every boy and girl and adult in this room that they want to walk with the Lord. And I'm going to call this the.
The Walk of.
Friendship. I want to be a little bit careful. Maybe the walk of fellowship or community would be a little bit fatter, but they want it to be close to the board. And you know one of the nice things, if we walk with the Lord and we're close to him, you think we're gonna find out where he is and where he isn't?
I think we will and, and I, I don't wanna make any strong statements about that at all, but one of the wonderful things of being close to the Lord is we have I, I remember talking to my mother about this two years ago. Everyone of us has been us a desire, if we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior to be where he is. And that's a wonderful, wonderful thing to have inside us. And these two disciples, they follow the Lord here. And you know, Andrew was one of them and he became a disciple, the Lord, he followed him. Umm.
Right up until the time that he died. So that's the first walk with the Lord. Is that a nice walk with the Lord?
I think it is. I think it's very nice. You know, when items in they couldn't walk with the Lord, he couldn't walk with the Lord anymore. But here the Lord actually came down from heaven to be a man and they could actually walk with him and spend time with him. And, you know, I think they learned wonderful things. And we, we can do that in a, in a sense now too. So that's the the first walk I wanna talk. But the second one I'd like to turn to is in Matthew chapter 14.
00:25:16
This one is a little bit.
Different.
Tough verse 22.
Does anybody know the story of Jesus walking on the water? Do you know the story of Jesus walking on the on the water? There was a Can you tell me what happened?
There's a couple of guys 1516.
Six months, she wants something. I don't know, It's so good.
I go up and let it yolk and then he like, umm, the stuff failed and I'll feel that is very good, Very, very good.
You know, they were, the Lord told them to get in the vocal over the other side, and they rode the boat for a long, long way. It was that they were in the middle of the lake. I think it's like wild or so out to the middle of the lake. I've never rode about that much in Newfoundland, where Bethany Russell lives. I rode about a few 100 meters, and that's been hiring enough. But they were tired and the storm came up and the Lord had told them to do that.
And.
They let's let's just read what it says.
In Matthew 14 verse 24, the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. And in the 4th watch of the night, Jesus went unto them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit. And they cried out for fear. I'm gonna talk about this as the walk, the loss of fear, walk walking in fear. And straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good truth, cheer it is, I be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee on the water. And he said, come.
And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind was boisterous, he was afraid and began to sink. He cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, said unto him, O thou little faith, wherefore didst thou thou? And when they were come into the shift, the wind ceased.
Then say that we're in the shift came and worshipped him, saying of a truth, Thou art the Son of God.
So here's another story. And they were scared here.
They were in the middle of the, uh, the lake and the storm came up and they were terrified and they see somebody walking on the water and they thought it was a ghost or something. But then the Lord said it's me, don't be afraid. Peter says to him, He says, if it's you tell me to come to you on the water and he gets out of the boat and can you walk in the water? Walk in the water. But what happened?
He got afraid because of the wind and what happened.
You know what, on Tuesday of this week, in the morning, I have a meeting every morning for the last month. It's from 8:30 to 9:00. And it's where about 10 people come and tell all the problems. And I'm a little bit responsible for what's happening. And I knew it was going to be difficult on Tuesday. I said, Lord, I want to walk with you today. Help me. And you know, I got into that meeting and people started complaining about their problems.
And do you think I kept my eyes on the Lord?
No, I didn't the way that I should. I got my eyes off the Lord and I started this thing. And Dave Lawrence can tell you that Tuesday was not a very good day. But you know, when we keep our eyes on the Lord, he helped us. Yesterday He talked about the chipmunk who was stuck in the barrel. And what did he say? There always was for us when we get into a difficult situation.
It'll be easy to remember.
There's always a stick, always a way, you know. Well, you know, it doesn't talk about Peter walking back to the boat with the board, but I think he did. And the Lord helped him walk in the water. He helped him through the fear of that situation. And, you know, when we walk with the Lord, do you think he can help us when we're afraid?
00:30:03
I think city can. You know, one of the nice things about these stories about walking with the Lord is that in every case it gives them special recognition of who it is. And in this story it says.
Of a truth, thou art the Son of God. The disciples seem to have a special recognition in this situation.
That this was kind of gone in a way that maybe they didn't have before. And you know, that's something that's nice when we try and walk with the Lord.
And this is a special set and that's beautiful. Well, that's another story of somebody walking with the Lord Jesus. I want to read another one, and this one is in Luke chapter.
24.
And this is the story of the two people on the way to.
Emmaus after Jesus died on the cross. Does somebody want to tell me what happens in this story?
One of the children.
Zachary, are you on Howie Well?
Walking down the road and then umm, umm, she came and added to people that they didn't go. I didn't miss him.
And then he was going to go. They they walked to.
A man and he was going to turn back and go to wherever and.
Yeah, they asked him to stay and he did. And they had breaking, they had breaking with breaking and they both at each other and then they looked at him but he wasn't there.
That's very good. Sorry. Yeah, that's a a good story. You know, this is the story of.
I'm going to call it walking when they were sad, walking sadness. So these two people, umm, Cleopas is one of them, I think.
Dave Mearns can tell you who the other one was.
Who is the other person? Dave?
I don't know exactly. The press is way. Perhaps his wife. Yes. And I've I've heard that too. And they were walking away from Jerusalem and, you know, they were sad because there were things happening that they just didn't understand what had happened in Jerusalem that they didn't understand.
The Lord Jesus had died, and who did they thank? The Lord Jesus was Sophia.
Their Savior, their Messiah, and they couldn't figure out, they thought he was going to come down and set up His Kingdom and fix all of the problems that were happening around. And did that happen? No, it didn't. He got crucified and they weren't expecting that to happen. And they didn't remember that He had said that he was going to rise again, although they had heard that from a few people. But they were walking with the Lord Jesus. But you know, the Lord, sometimes when we're having a hard time, sometimes he comes and He walks with us.
Anyway, and isn't isn't that nice when he does that? Let's just read what it says here, because it's beautiful.
Umm, loop 24.
And we'll start in verse 13. Behold two of them with that same day through the village called Emmaus, which is from Jerusalem. Both 3 sport furlongs, and they talked together of all these things which had happened. It came to pass while they commune together and reason Jesus himself.
Drew near, but their eyes were holding, that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What matter of communications are these, that He has one to another as he walks?
In our side.
And the one of them, whose name was Cleophus answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass in these days? And then I'm just gonna skip down.
To.
Verse 28 And they drew Nye under the village where they went, and he made as though he would have gone further, but they constrained him, saying, Abide with us for his poor evening. The day was far spent, and he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sought to meet with them, he took bread and blessed it, and break and gave to them. And their eyes were open, and they knew him. And he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another. Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked to us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scripture. And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and family 11 gathered together.
00:35:09
And then that we're with them. That's a nice story. You know, at the end of that, after the Lord walked with him, did they recognize who he was?
Zach had said that they, they, umm, they had bread together. They were bread together, umm, and did did they recognize who he was at?
Yes, yes, it says. Their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their side.
You know the Lord can help us when we're sad, He can help us when we're scared, and He loves it when we want to be close to Him.
You know, sometimes I'm sad. I'm.
And but you know, if we spend time with allergies, it helps make make it happen.
And uh, we sang that song. Oh, happy day. I think we gave it out and fixed my choice. When we spend time with the Lord, he can help help us realize what he's done for us. Scissor eyes where they were so happy that they turned around and walked the whole way back where they came from, even though it was late at night. You know, Dave Burns talked about yesterday the first time running was mentioned in the Bible.
This is a hard question.
But does anybody remember why Abraham might have ran?
Pardon.
Yes, and who is he probably recognized if that was the.
Or, uh, or I don't know how much he understood, but.
I think that's part of the reason why you're handing, you know?
The law when we spend time with the Lord and we recognize who he is, He can give us energy that we never thought was possible previously. Well that's the third story of people walking with the Lord. The 4th one is actually in the Old Testament and.
This is a story that I think all of you know.
Does anybody know the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Yes.
And what happened to them? Would somebody like to tell me the story of Shadrach Meshach? Would you like to tell me that story?
Just quickly, in your own words.
Yes, Nebuchadnezzar. That's a big name.
Very good. Yes, He threw them in the fiery furnace, and what happened? The Lord saved them, and that was what I would call the walk of deliverance.
Or in the fire. And you know, let's just turn to that. It's in Daniel.
You know, I don't know quite why.
This story tells us that they're walking in the fire and if somebody has a thought on that.
I would appreciate it, but you're right, they wouldn't bow down to this. And they were thrown into a the fiery furnace. And what happened to the men who threw them into the fire?
That.
They died because it was, they got too close and it was way too hot. They they died because they got waste. They got too close. It was way too hot. That's right. But the Lord made it so that they didn't get burned at all. They didn't even smell a fire, even their clothes themselves. But either Jordan, did the Lord rescue them from the burning fire fiery furnace? Yes, he did. And what did Nebuchadnezzar see in the fire that he was surprised about?
4-4 people and how many did he throw in?
Three. And who did he think the 4th person was?
Good answer. Let's read what it says.
It says in.
1St.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was a stonied, and rose up in haste, and said, Fake, and said unto his counselor, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king, he answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt. And the form of the four is like the Son of God.
00:40:09
You know he had a recognition.
That this was, it looks like the Son of God. You know this. I don't know for sure. This may have been the Lord in a pre Incarnate form before he came into this world as a man. Umm.
But it was very, very special. The Lord actually came and He walked with them in that fire. Do you think the Lord will help us through difficult situations that we have in our life?
I think he will.
You know.
In almost all of these situations, they're not nice situations. Would you have liked to have been with Peter walking on the water if the Lord wasn't there?
No, I wouldn't have been. I wouldn't have you. I don't know what I would have done. I would have been exhausted, tired and terrified. But when the Lord was there, he helped them. He helped them off in the water and in the situation of the two in the road to a base, you know, would it have been sad if the Lord didn't rise from the dead?
That would have been awful, awful, it would have been terrible. But you know, the Lord, umm, turn that situation to around and in this situation, he helped them through the fire and they showed incredible faith here. But you know, Nebuchadnezzar recognizes the form of the fourth was like the Son of God. And you know, the Lord helped him through a very, very, very difficult situation and it actually worked on Nebuchadnezzar's heart.
Too, well, they're the four stories of people walking with the Lord.
And you know, I'm not that it's almost quarter after now, I'm not gonna go into it. But you know, it is very important that we walk with the Lord.
I told you of all the people that, that were mentioned and uh, I'm not gonna go into this, but Enoch walked with God until the Lord actually took him to heaven. Don't you think it'd be nice if we could walk with the Lord until he took us back to heaven? Do you think that would be a nice thing if we walked with the Lord until he came back to take us to heaven? That'd be pretty nice to be able to have that set above to say and you know.
What I the last time I talked about this topic, I talked about the blessings associated with walking with the Lord and I'm just gonna go through them quickly. Umm, these are things that you can look at yourself, but.
It says there's special blessings associated with walking with the Lord. It says, yes, I will walk in my ways and keep my statutes and my commandments. It's like Father David, just walk. Then I will lengthen my days. That's in first kings three. It says in in Psalm one that someone who walks with the Lord will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. It says in Psalm 84 that no good thing will the Lord withhold from somebody who walks uprightly In uh, in Proverbs 28, it says if you walk uprightly, you'll be saved. It says in Proverbs 28 that if you walk.
Wisely, you'll be delivered. That's what happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It says, umm, in Isaiah 40 that, uh, it will be able to walk and not faint. It says in, in uh, Jeremiah that if we.
Walk with the Lord the good sorry Sandy in the ways and see and ask for the old password is a good way and walk there in you shall find rest for your soul. If you don't have rest if we walk with the Lord, it says.
It says in Habakkuk at the end of the end of the book it talks about.
Being able to seem like a deer walking on the, on the top of the mountains, You know, I love to hike. And uh, that's one of the blessings associated with walking with the Lord. And you know, in the New Testament, we're told of a whole bunch of different ways that we were walked. We should walk houses to walk. Actually yesterday Ted Porter talked about walking circumspectly, but it says to walk in the spirit and it says to walk in love. And it tells us to walk, umm, honestly. And there's eight different ways It tells us what, you know, it's wonderful for us to be able to walk with the Lord. And I hope everyone in this room.
Has that desire to walk with the Lord and you know it's not always gonna be easy to walk with the Lord, but will he help us every time Will the Lord help us every time he will that's a problem. It says can you finish this first. I will never leave the you know that verse.
Good answer because I will never leave your completely. The Lord will never leave us or forsake us. Well, it's.
Our time is up, but, uh, that's something I think you guys, every one of us to spend more time, you know, there's over 300 references in the Bible to walking and, uh, there's tremendous blessing associated with it. And I hope it's a desire that every one of us in this room has. You know, it's a very individual thing. I don't know what problems Dale Steward has in his life. I'm sure his life is perfect.
00:45:23
But if you walk with the Lord, you think they'll help you now?
You most definitely will. And you know, I could talk to anybody in this room. And you know, I think if you were, if you were to ask them when you tried to walk with the Lord, did he help you? What do you think their answer would be?
Exactly. Yeah, that's right. And he'll help us right until he comes back to take us home before let's let's pray.
Our God and Father, we just thank you very much for the boys and girls in this room. And this little topic that we've had before is of walking.
Umm, with the Lord, what an incredible privilege it is to be able to do that and to know that we don't have to be scared and hide ourselves anymore like Adam and Eve did, But to know that if we put our trust in the, our sins are forgiven. And that we can be like Andrew, the other disciple who followed and desired to be where Lord Jesus thou art. And Lord help us when we're scared to walk with thee, help us when we're saddened to walk with thee. Lord, help us.
When we're in the fire.
To Aquafree and Lord help us to be like Enoch. So it could be said that he walked with D for 300 years and uh, he was not for Godfather. Praying for the boys and girls as this world gets worse and there's so much more evil around us that they will learn to walk with thee personally and individually if we just ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus anyway.
Revelation 3:10-13 Philadelphia
Reading
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188.
The last two verses.
Oh Lord, how precious is my power? Oh 100,000.
521.
Right. Hurry. No, no, no, no, no.
Yeah.
We invade the our pregnant now across the land.
Lord, let us pray. Oh Lord, in the evening, in my own, bring me.
Oh wow, that's come. I'm pushing it every day.
Grateful hearts reading heaven to bring it to me.
Could we also sing the last three verses of one 68168 beginning with verse three? What is lost in this world when compared to that day?
What is was in this world?
00:05:10
Oh yeah.
And it's got the address of Philadelphia. Would that be all right?
We did talk a little bit about it, but not the whole verse.
From 10 the 15th yesterday.
Reading from Revelation chapter 3 verse.
First is 10 to 13.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience.
I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world.
To try them that dwell upon the earth.
Behold, I come quickly.
Hold up fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown, Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name.
He has passed in years. Let him hear what the Spirit said under the Church.
As we were saying in the last reading meeting yesterday.
Keeping the word of his patients.
I believe.
Has the significance of going on faithfully for the Lord, even though it may seem a long and difficult pathway. We find earlier in the address to Philadelphia that what the Lord values is those who keep His word and do not deny His name.
And yet, as we find the days growing more difficult, it really becomes a matter of keeping the word of his patience, doesn't it? Because we see the tide of evil, as we mentioned before, getting greater and greater in this world. And perhaps what is equally distressing, if not more so, the weakness and perhaps unfaithfulness among the Church of God. And we realize that we're part of it.
And sometimes.
We lose our patients, at least I do, and we want to have something happen right away, and that can have two effects, I would suggest on our hearts. On the one hand, it can result in our trying to, if I could use the expression, whip up some enthusiasm and whip up some kind of energy for the Lord with human energy, and that won't work. It'll only last for a little while. Human energy can't do what the Spirit of God.
Wants to do.
The other effect of losing patients can be that we start trying to.
Or rather, we start.
Losing heart, losing confidence in the Lord and just kind of, if I again, could use a common expression, just hunker down and say, well, I'm just going to crawl into a hole and wait until the Lord comes. And neither one is right. We can't do with human energy what can only be done by the Spirit of God, but neither is it a day to be discouraged.
I've often thought that in Second Timothy where the apostle Paul after he says all day which are in age of return, there isn't one hint in the whole book of discouragement. Tears being burdened, concerned, yes, very definitely, but not even the slightest hint of discouragement. And so it ought to be today. And so there's a value in keeping the word of his patience. And God would call on every one of us to do that.
00:10:07
How long the Lord will leave us here, we don't know. It's hard to imagine things going on too much longer. But we know that our dear brethren of past generations said that 40 years ago, 50 years ago, when events in the world at that time seemed to point to the very near return of the Lord Jesus. But whatever time He chooses to leave us here, we can have the assurance that He'll give the strength to keep the word of His patience.
The encouragement is because.
Because thou has kept the word of my patients, I also will keep thee from or out of the hour of temptation. We have no doubt that that refers to the tribulation. And you and I know that there are many dear children of God today, even those who are, uh, safe children of God in the sense that they're real, who are persuaded that they will have to go through the Tribulation. Some are even making preparations for it, laying aside.
All kinds of provisions in order to survive that awful time.
I say it very kindly. Many are going to get a certain amount of surprise when they're caught up when the Lord comes. And in no way does this scripture imply that only those who have kept the word of His patience will be caught up when the Lord comes. Afterward, they that are Christ that is coming, every believer will be caught up when the Lord comes to take us home. For those who have kept the word of his patience, I believe will have the sense of it in their souls ahead of time.
And that is why they are allowed to keep or not allowed, but that is why they keep the word of his patience.
Because hope is dependent on faith, and if I have real faith that the Lord is going to come and Take Me Home, then that hope will sustain me. And in that way, I will have the strength and what it takes to go on for Him. Whatever time He chooses to leave us here. I won't get discouraged on the one hand, nor will I feel that I have to jump in and, as it were, uh, get things going with human energy.
But we can have the absolute assurance that the Lord is going to keep us out of that hour of temptation, though we see that brother Bill in connection with some Old Taste Testament things, Noah, uh, knew ahead of time what was going to happen, didn't he? And he was preserved from that hour of temptation. And then Enoch was, uh, taken away before the judgment and Rahab and even a lot, although he was a worldly Christian.
Uh, he was preserved from that terrible judgment that fell on Sodom too. So it's nice to see that in the Old Testament, uh, those who had life or faith, umm, although how weak it was some, in some cases still, uh, they were preserved from the judgment, weren't they?
And I suppose that there will be some when the Lord comes, who will doubtless be saved, as it says in First Corinthians 3, Yet so as by fire that is just pulled away before the judgment comes. Poor lot so immersed in the affairs of Sodom, that it was only with great difficulty that the Angel persuaded them to leave. And of course his dear wife.
She was so reluctant to leave that she disobeyed the command and looked behind her. And we know what happened to her turned into a filler of salt.
And of course, some of, uh, Lot's family left behind too. Very, very sad. Well, we thank God for the lots of this world that will be saved yet so is by fire. But isn't it wonderful to keep the word of his patience as Abraham did? He didn't have to go through all that being.
I know it's sort of helpful sometimes to see other scriptures that give that same thought about the church not going through the tribulation, but I've been held by an expression in Second Thessalonians chapter 2.
The Second Thessalonians chapter.
00:15:03
I'm sorry, uh, fir First Thessalonians chapter 5.
And verse 9.
It says for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. And as I understand it, their wrath is referring really to the tribulation, isn't it? And salvation would probably be going beyond the salvation of the soul. That would include the salvation of the body, Yes, and also a similar verse in Romans chapter 5.
Romans chapter 5 and umm.
Uh, verse 9. Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. I think it's a similar thought, isn't it? Hmm.
OK, And uh, if you were about to mention Second Thessalonians 2 also brings that before us because we don't need to go do it in detail, but they're the dear Thessalonians. Saints were persuaded that the tribulation had come upon them. And Paul has to point out that that day shall not come, can come except there be a falling away 1St and that man of sin be revealed and so on.
And of course, the same thought as you brought out Standard in the 13th verse.
We are bound to give thanks all the way to God for you, brethren, beloved the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, and so on. So the Church will definitely not go to the tribulation.
Will be an awful time, as it says here. And it's very significant, the wording. It says it shall come upon all the world to try them to dwell upon the earth. And there's a difference, a slight difference between those two expressions. The world refers to the whole world, the earth, I believe more to the prophetic earth, that is that part of the world which has known the truth of the Gospel and we know that.
The most severe judgments, the most severe time, will fall not only on a phosphate Israel, but ultimately on that part of the world which has had a Christian testimony. God is going to bring together that Roman Empire again and put it together in a different form, but largely the same peoples that were there when the Lord was crucified.
And they are largely those who have known the gospel.
And had an open Bible and the testimony of the word of God and they'll be tried very, very severely. But again, we say, of course that apostate Israel will will fall upon it more than any other. But that isn't particularly the subject of revelation. And so here it talks about those that dwell on the earth, earth dwellers, and it's those who have set out to make this earth.
The object and the horizon of all of their thoughts and have forgotten God. And so that awful time will envelope the whole world, but it will fall particularly on that part of the world that is known, the gospel.
They that dwell upon the earth is uh, an expression peculiar to revelation, isn't it? You get it quite a few times. And I was thinking that, umm, uh, Mark was speaking this morning about the importance of walking with the Lord and these earth dwellers. Their characteristic is found there in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 18. I just read it for many walks of whom I have told you often and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies.
Of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, whose mind earthly things. It seems to me that sort of defines who these earthwellers really are.
I was wondering if umm, versatile Matthew.
Matthew 3.
There's seven.
00:20:04
The way you saw many of the paracetamol baptism.
Regeneration of Viceroy who have warned you to please.
Begin the Tribulation.
I guess I would take that as a general term, uh.
Because we know when the Lord Jesus came initially he preached the same message that John the Baptist had preached, namely the Gospel of the Kingdom. And of course the Lord was there.
To set up that Kingdom had Israel accepted him. But I believe brother, in the sense that you put it, put it out, it is true because.
When the Lord does come to set up His Kingdom, He will in fact, as we know, purge out from it all. Things that do offend and everything that is not according to His mind will be taken away. And only those who are looking for the rightful King and who have real faith will survive that tribulation and go into the Millennium. Now we know many of them, of course, will suffer larger than along the way, but God is going to.
Purge out of this Kingdom all things that do offend, and so the Lord here is warning the scribes and Pharisees.
Of course, this is John the Baptist's words, not the Lord, but I believe in that sense it was the judgment that would attend the coming of the rightful king. So in the broad sense of the of the word, I feel that yes, it would be.
Because that time had been prophesied in the Old Testament, the Day of the Lord. And we know that of course, the day of the Lord does not merely include the tribulation, but ultimately the whole of the millennial period plus the judgment at the end of the Millennium, so that I believe it would include it. Would others see it that way?
The old saying goes silence and flies consent.
I.
I was just thinking of the.
2nd Thessalonians in chapter 2 There umm, I always understand that the general lab and uh, but umm, it's all intrinsically connected, umm, for sure umm.
And I know the uh in second.
2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 doesn't include the Jew, umm speaking about the profession, Christians and.
We don't know for umm, but anyway, umm.
Verse five, uh, remembering not that when I, I was yet with you, I told you these things and now you know, uh, what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. Umm, for the mystery of iniquity does already work. Only he now left the left until he be taken out of the way. And of course we know that that is the Spirit of God until he meet the Spirit of God, be taken out of the way, God the Holy Spirit.
And he's going to be working.
No longer on the earth, you're going to be working from heaven like.
Before the day of Pentecost.
And then that shall be revealed when the Lord shall consume that the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. And then you can read on and it's just terrible how those that seem to well, perhaps just to keep on reading and.
Even him who's coming is after Satan, the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceitableness of righteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might just say. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they might believe alive. And of course.
00:25:11
This is a terrible verse to even contemplate after the rapture that they all might be damned.
We believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Oh, what a terrible day it's going to be. Uh.
I guess you could say that those in Revelations, uh, they're the same as those ones that dwell on the earth, Uh.
The earth Earth flowers are all through the scripture, aren't they?
From Genesis to Revelation.
And it's significant in that passage that brother Stan read in Philippians 3.
It doesn't say that those individuals are the enemies of Christ.
Ultimately they are, but what was the crux of their problem? They were enemies of the cross of Christ. I'm sad to say there are many today that are deterred from really becoming true believers in the Lord Jesus because it means following a rejected Christ. The cross has been a hindrance to many and I suggest for our own exercise that that's why it's put there in Philippians Written.
Written to an assembly of believers.
Because even a true believer can hesitate to take up the cross and follow him even to a believer can mind earthly things even a true believer can have.
His belly as his God, that is being self-centered and thinking only of his own ease and comfort. And so is the voice to all of us. Are you and I taking up the attitude and spirit of the world around us?
But here evidently.
Or, or in Philippians 3. Evidently there were those who hesitated to accept Christ, who hesitated to come to the Lord because of the cross of Christ. And so it is. Well, if you and I are heavenly citizens, then that's where our thoughts should be, That's where our affections are, where your treasure is there with your heart.
One would think that, uh, when the rapture takes place.
There's gonna be.
Several. Many. Maybe even ones we know. Maybe some from our own families. Who?
Who had heard the gospel and didn't receive it?
And you would think that, uh, when the rapture occurs, they'll go, oh, they grew up.
I mean, you think that, wouldn't you? And, uh, and maybe they regret that they didn't.
Save the gospel.
Umm, I believe Brother Barry Norm Berry process. It commended itself to me.
That isn't gonna be the case. That's what the passage that was read in Second Thessalonians of speaking about.
That you can't believe because of sight, that's not safe. And uh, so what's gonna happen? You, you think it'd be impossible, that they wouldn't think that, but that's what the strong delusion is for.
God is, in a sense, going to prevent them from believing. Because they saw the rapture, they're going to be sent a strong delusion that they might believe a lie. Why? Because they did not receive the love of the truth. They heard the gospel.
But they didn't, uh, receive them and they're not going to get the chance to believe it because of what they see with their eyes. So I, I just put that out. It means itself to me that that's what there's going to be this strong delusion that they should believe a lie that is to prevent them from entering in because they saw their eyes.
I understand the original, it's not a lie, but the lie, is that right?
There is no A in greed. There is no indefinite article.
00:30:06
I think the Lord Jesus in the sense.
Spoke of this kind of roundabout way in the in the John 17.
Where he speaks of.
John 17, verse 14.
And we spoke about in in Thessalonians where it mentioned until the man as soon as revealed and the church will be taken away. There's a natural law that says 2 objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. And the Lord, I believe in his wonderful wisdom, is very careful that those who are in the church and those who are not.
At a certain period in time, will not occupy the same space because it's impossible for them to do so.
And this is, I think is what he speaks of in verse 14. He says, I have given them my word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, because I am not of the world. I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil. And some have even said that it says from the evil 1.
So it's sort of a a prophecy of in light of what we've been talking about in Thessalonians of the Lord himself in the sense of saying that yes, we're not of the world and we should not take the instantly out of the world. But there will come a time when that evil one appears that those who are not of the world and those who are true believers will have to be taken out of the world. So that he and all his, if I can use the term fullness, can be revealed to the world in who he really is.
And, uh, the Church in no way shall impede that, uh.
His umm, total revelation according to the will of God in any sense. So the wonderful thing to know that the the Lord doesn't want us to have any part in the world that would umm succumb to the total evil that it goes to come to in those days.
Another thought that I've had about the church not going through the stipulations is that this is the the church.
Is the bright?
And, uh, as we read in in season 5.
That, uh, Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.
And, uh, I don't think any of us who are husbands would wanna have our.
Our bride going through.
That kind of.
Any kind of judgment or you know, even even witnessing it.
Umm, And so I don't know if that's the right thought or not, but it, it just seemed to me that it seemed to me that the worst would not put his bride through witnessing the fibrillation that's going to go on in this world after the reference.
I I was just thinking, I read a little article before I come up, umm, about a interface, uh, uh, service, umm.
And the man that's sponsoring this? Umm.
Umm, just after I was saved, uh, he was very active in the denomination I, I attended and umm.
He, umm, he was real positive because I would look at him and I wonder.
Everything said and it was revealed by the things that he was talking about that this man really doesn't know the world at all. And uh, when I was talking to his wife and she was the same friend of mine as him, umm.
She said, oh look, my husband, he used to believe that at one time he was uh, brought up, uh, you know, brethren so-called, so-called brethren church in umm.
Australia and I said, oh, and he doesn't believe that now. And it was just like, oh, it was such a shock to the system. I can weaken my knees because I but I'll just read a little bit here about this interface.
Service the faith traditions that we have identified are those as those would like to include in the service, uh, our aboriginal, big mob, Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jain. I don't even know if that one is Jewish, Native American, Shinsuke, I don't know about that. I don't know what that one is. So Rascal.
00:35:06
So after asteroidism, whatever that is, but you know, they're all going to have light candles and some beautiful music and play beautiful music and.
But.
That's what's happening today. It's all coming together. And, uh, Satan is a great unifier and, uh.
And they're working for a World Peace, umm, and uh.
So that there will be peace all over the world and all people will be one.
Instead of theme is one world, one people, one religion. It's almost hard to believe you're at that point in time where.
All the Christmas just falling away.
Well, they want that because they're earthquakes. That that's why they want that. That's the whole point.
And if we see the heavenly calling of the Church as uh.
Robert was bringing out. It solves all of those problems for us because prophecy relates to the earth and to God's dealings with the earth. We are a heavenly people. The tribulation is the time of Jacob's trouble. As we get in the Old Testament, it's not the time of the church's trouble. The Lord may allow you and me to go through difficulties down here, and He has allowed His Saints to suffer many difficulties, even to the point of martyrdom, all down through the ages.
But He will not deliberately allow His people to go through that which is meant to try them, that dwell upon the earth. That is not the horizon of our thoughts. That is not where we belong. We belong to heaven. And so when God begins to deal with this world as this world, He takes His bride away as we had before He takes them. And that perhaps brings us to the next verse.
Verse 11. Behold, I come quickly.
If you notice the Darvey translation though, and it's very beautiful, the word behold is not there. It's.
Simply, I come quickly. If we were to go on to Revelation 22, there we get it. Put in that way, Behold. And the word Behold, I believe, is meant to call attention to the fact that here is one who has something to say. We get it in the address to Laodicea. Behold, I stand at the door and knock, and so on.
But to Philadelphia, there is no need for that to behold.
You and I can understand that in natural terms.
If our spouse or one of our children or a good friend were at some distance from and perhaps had their mind occupied with something else, we might call out some kind of word, even their name, in order to get their attention and then give the message. But if they were right next to us?
And we were in intimate and enjoyable fellowship with one another. There wouldn't be the need for that, would there? There wouldn't be any need to call out something to get their attention or to call out their name. Why? Because they're right there. They're enjoying our fellowship. And we would be able simply to turn to them and say, I'm coming quickly. And that's the sense I believe in which we get it. Here I come quickly.
On the one hand, there is the word of his patients.
But on the other hand, there is the encouragement. I come quickly.
That shows us that the Lord isn't going to delay one moment. He's not going to stay His coming one moment longer than His necessary. Now we know that time has gone on. I can still remember my late father-in-law, Albert Hagel, some of whom will remember him here. And I will remember when he wrote down January the 1St, 1970.
And he shook his head. I was there. We were at a New Year's meeting together. And he shook his head. He said, I can't believe this. I never in my wildest imagination thought that I would ever write that date.
00:40:07
I remember well his giving and address to young people 30 years ago, young people in their teens and early 20s, and he told them.
Quite automatically too. I was there.
He said. Young people, you have already lived more than half your lives.
But he was wrong.
That was 30 years ago. Those young people are some some cases pretty close to being grandparents now.
Some of them are, at least in my case anyway. And the Lord still hasn't come.
What do we make of that?
He still says, I come quickly. And as the Lord has prolonged the day of grace, what is the reason? Oh, we are to account the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. He will shorten the tribulation so that man would annihilate himself. Can he lengthen the day of grace so that more will be saved? I'd love to think that he does.
You and I may look at the magical year of 2000 and say, well, what's happening? The Lord ought to be coming, and now it's 2013.
Ah, the Lord is long-suffering and not willing that any should perish. And so I say again, whatever time He leaves us here, He will give us all the grace and whatever is needed to follow Him with a full heart until He comes. But the message is still, especially to the one who.
Wants to have that Philadelphian character. I come quickly.
This was said almost 2000 years ago, yes, when he said I come quickly. But really the Lord's coming has always been a present hope, hasn't it? And it just seems like, as you say, it was a word of encouragement, because he goes on and says, hold that fast which thou hast. So even for dear brethren that lived 1000 years ago or even more, the Lord would say, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast. Well then on the other hand, I suppose there are some will say, well, maybe the Lord won't come for another thousand years, but.
I think, uh, if we look at the way things are in the world today, we know it can't go on much longer. The Lord has given us a sense that we're right at the end because what follows and we don't have time to look at it, but the, the, uh, Church of Laodicea is certainly the condition of things that we see around us now. And at the very beginning of the next chapter, it says, uh, the Lord says to umm, John, he says, come up, hit her.
And that's what the Lord is going to say to us very shortly. Shortly, isn't it?
And then I know the, umm, the word umm, uh.
I come quickly. Umm.
Well, the translation would say I'm coming soon, which, uh.
Completely loses the sense of it because like.
Still mention there, umm, he's gonna, he's gonna come, uh, exactly when the last one is saved, when that last one comes in the door and that last one might be saved this afternoon and umm, and then he's gonna, he's gonna give a shout because there's no longer any rest to be in this world and he wants us to be with him, you know, more than we want to be with him. He has that desire that.
That eternal love.
And so it's going to happen.
As soon as the last one comes in the door. Didn't you say so? Yes, very definitely. I don't believe the Lord will delay one moment longer after the last one is safe.
I was thinking with respect to your comment that Brother Robert gave about the bride, and if we, uh, were to, won't need to turn to it, but uh, in Revelation 19, we read about the marriage supper of the lamb following, uh, following, uh, that is the appearance of the Lord Jesus coming out of heaven. So it's obvious that as a, uh, bride has, uh, already been taken up.
And umm, I was thinking too in John 14 verse 16.
He was about to go away to his father. He says, I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever. Even the spirit of truth. So it identifies there that that's the Spirit of God. And that's peculiar to the day of grace, isn't it, that the believers indwell by the Spirit of God. It wasn't true in the Old Testament. The Spirit of God came and it went, uh, and I believe, uh, can be corrected if I'm wrong, but it seems to me in that tribulation period, it'll be similar.
00:45:29
Similar way that the Spirit of God will act, but we were talking about, uh, Second Thessalonians chapter 2.
About the one that restrains until he be taken out of the way, well, uh, and then the wicket one will be revealed and so on. And so comes the tribulation period. Well, if he's taken out of the way and we are still here and then he's left us behind. But uh, that would be in contradiction to what we have in John 14.
He said there, uh, the Spirit of God will abide with you for sure.
And so I suppose we could say it this way, that when the church is taken home, that's when the Spirit of God will go and that restraining power, that holding back a measure of the evil in this world, uh, will be taken out of the way. And then it will come in like a flood and that restrain will be removed. So I think these are.
Are wonderful because, umm, we do not look for tribulation. We don't look for that time of Jacob's Provost and said, uh, it's primarily, umm, for the Jewish people and so on. It will be taken away before that. And that's why I believe it says for those, uh, in Tesla Andica who were going through tribulations and so on, Paul brings before them in first Thessalonians for the coming of the Lord Jesus.
And he says, So shall you ever be with the Lord? Wherefore comfort one another with these words. So we look forward to that event, which are our comfort, not to trouble, but the event of the return for what she's expected. Next thing we can say that we look for as though to make up the body of Christ, and then it's good.
Well, there's responsibility connected with that privilege, isn't there? If the Lord says I come quickly, then there's the responsibility to hold that fast, which we have that no man take our crown.
And it simply says, hold that fast which thou hast.
That is, I believe the Lord is saying, you and I are responsible for whatever He has revealed to us.
Some may have more than others. God holds us responsible for what He has given us. And so you may see and I may see another believer who is going on with something which I feel to be contrary to the word of God. And yet the Lord might seem to be blessing him or her in their Christian lives and in their service for him. Well, they may not know what you know. And on my part.
I may go on with something in my life that some others could not go on with because they may have more light than I do. Well in one sense it's God saying I hold you responsible for what you have. It's something of the same thought in Second Timothy 2 where it says.
Follow righteous faith, charity, peace with them to call on the Lord out of a pure heart. One who calls on the Lord out of a pure heart doesn't necessarily know everything.
He may not even have the full sense of the whole truth of God, but he hasn't turned his back, willfully turned his back and resisted that which the Spirit of God is seeking to bring reported. And so we're responsible to hold fast what we have and how important that is. God will hold you and me responsible for what He has revealed to us. Someone else.
May not have as much though or to hold them responsible for what he has given, but there will be a crown and God I believe will have a Philadelphia right to the end.
00:50:01
We just trust that you and I will be part of it, because if you and I fail in holding what we have, the Lord is able to raise up others. The Lord is able to raise up others who will take that crown. And it would be very sad if there were those who had had so much of the mind of God, so much of the truth of God revealed to them, who lose that crown because of unfaithfulness and a desire to be.
Earth dwellers. And then we see others whom the Lord is raising up. Well, it's a very searching thought to each one of us in this.
I'm just thinking we get that brother Bill and Ezra 7, We don't have time to look at it, but, uh, when Ezra and those who are going with them to Jerusalem, they were weighed out so much gold and silver and so on. But then when they got to Jerusalem, there was the weighing in of the gold and the silver. So the Lord is way to us those precious things that he has given, but there's a day coming when we'll have to give an account of what he's given us. Yeah.
And we don't really have truth until we walk in and do we?
We have that expression again in Second Timothy, chapter 3, the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of. I may learn something if I listen to it being ministered, or read it in God's Word, or perhaps in some good written ministry, but I'm not really assured of it until I walk in it. And I don't believe that God will allow me indefinitely if I could use the expression to carry the theory of the truth of God in my head.
Without the practice of it in my walk.
Uh, in that connection, maybe turn to averse. This is only one verse that is very similar, uh, Luke chapter 8. But this verse with variations is repeated, uh, five times in the gospel.
But this one will do for our purposes.
Luke 8 and verse 18.
Take heed therefore, how ye here.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. I would suggest that that's a universal principle in the things of God.
We are among those who have. If we have learned something of what God gives us in His Word, do we walk in it? Then we'll get more, and that hath shall be given. But whosoever hath not, that is, if I refuse to walk in it, if I think I can carry it as a theory in my head, we'll find that what I seem to have will be taken away from you.
And that's a very, very solemn thought. I believe sometimes we can value the things of the Lord in a certain sense, and we can admire the truth of them and others, and we can see someone else enjoying them, and in a certain sense we can enjoy hearing them. But if I fail to walk in the good of them, I'm going to find that I'll eventually lose it. And so it's a very, very solemn thought, because the loss is not merely a loss for time, but a loss for all eternity.
And we need to bear that in mind. And so going back to Revelation 3, hold that fast, which thou hast. The Lord wouldn't tell us to hold something fast if there weren't the danger of it being taken from us. And we say again, the devil is working overtime today because I would suggest, among other things, that he hates the truth of the one body almost more than anything else. It would almost seem as if Satan will not that he in any way likes to see blessing in the gospel.
But it almost seems as if you'll even tolerate blessing in the gospel if he can take a good shot at the truth of the one body. And so we need to hold fast not only the truth of the one body, but everything that God has given to us, because there is every attempt being made today to take it away.
It brings, uh, Satan hates everything, and that brings any glory and honor to the Lord. Hmm.
00:55:21
Well, verse 12 brings us to.
The Overcomer.
And it was mentioned over lunch the other day, but it might be good to mention it again just so that we see it in the first three of the.
Addresses for these seven assemblies.
We find it, said, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, addressed to the entire assembly, And then there's a word for the overcoming.
But in these last four, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, the Word, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches, is at the end only to the overcomer. And I believe there's a reason for that. When the church had gotten as far as the state of things in Thyatira, the Lord, as it were, said, there's no hope of restoring things.
In the first three the Lord was calling.
And exposing the state of things with a few to expecting restoration.
But Thyatira has children and Perpe perpetuates itself, and God doesn't look for recovery. And so the condition of things in all of those last four go on to the end. There will be a thyroid when the Lord comes. There will be a a Sardis respectively Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Thank God There will be a Philadelphia when the Lord comes, and there will also be a letter to see it.
But the Lord speaks to the overcomer because it is possible to be an overcomer. And let's never lose heart in the difficult days in which we're living. God would not tell us to be overcomers if it were impossible to do so. And I would suggest that the encouragement given here in this 12Th verse is perhaps some of the greatest encouragement.
In the whole Bible.
Quite a few years ago now.
A brother in an assembly, a local assembly, was making a remark relative to the fact that wouldn't it have been nice to have lived in the early days of the church? Wouldn't have been It had been nice to have lived when all believers everywhere were one. Wouldn't have it have been nice to see the wonderful power of the Spirit of God demonstrated, the large numbers that were being saved, the relatively rapid expanse of the Church of God.
And an older brother sat there, and after the first brother was finished, he quietly said with a smile on his face.
I wouldn't trade. I wouldn't trade. Why'd you say that? Oh, he went on to say. He said the light shines brighter as the day grows darker. And while it would certainly have been wonderful to have lived in Pentecostal and Apostolic days, yet there is a very special privilege according to those who are in the last date. And he said, if you and I are willing to follow the Lord with a full heart to keep his word and not deny his name.
The word to the overcomer is some of the most wonderful encouragement, and you see it in the Old Testament, don't you? When Josiah kept the Passover right at the end of Israel's history, just before they went into captivity, says there was no Passover like that since the days of Samuel. Marvelous. But then things got even, shall we say, further back in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.
There they kept the Feast of Tabernacles, and they read in the Law that they were to dwell in temporary dwellings called booths.
And they did so, and it's recorded that they have not done so since the days of Joshua. And so very often there is something about that character of things amid the opposition and the darkness and the difficulties that stand out in the mind of God and have a very, very special quality that was not there right even at the beginning of things. And so.
01:00:15
There's a wonderful encouragement that God gives us.
I was just thinking of John on the Allopathmos when you were speaking.
The airless anger and the It's in the first John chapter 2.
I just think of the Spirit of God, be his and him, you know, and.
Umm, so many, uh, people that don't know what they're saying.
But anyway, verse 27 but the anointing which you have received with him abide within you. And you mean not that any man should teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you of all things and his truth and there's no lie and even as it has taught you.
Or you shall abide in him. And now, little children.
I don't know if we're literally supposed to be there or not, but and now little children abide in him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. Here's my comments.
Especially the last month you've seen before him as it was coming.
You know, but let me change.
Revolver, you're going to change something like this with his glorious body, and that's what we wait for.
Would you think that that means?
There could be some Christians who are going to be more counties. They're going to be doing things.
Go ahead, Dave, you've got something on that. Oh, no, I don't read. Go ahead, do I?
I was just having another problem in connection with the overcomer. Go ahead. Well, I believe you're right, Bill. I believe there will be a sense of loss and a sense of shame. Every dear believer, no doubt, will rejoice when he hears that shout. But as we mentioned earlier, it may well be those who are earth dwellers and as such are not really looking for to come and to be snatched out of the fire, so to speak, the way Locke was taken out of Sodom.
Was a blessed thing, But what a sense of loss, what a sense of shame to be so admired, perhaps in the things of this world that I'm not waiting for or looking for the Lord. And then suddenly I have, as it were, to be yanked right out of it, away from something that was so absorbing my mind and my heart that I had lost the sense and the expectation of the Lord's coming. I believe I'm sorry I had digressed it.
On that part you had. Oh, go ahead, Dave. Wait a minute. I just couldn't find the verse. No, no, no, no. Let's just appreciating, uh, what The overcomers here.
That, umm, often the overcomer in, in these various churches, uh, what, uh, what is promised to them is in contrast that often the difficulty where you have, you know, umm, the loss of first love. Well, the overcomer there and he gets an appreciation for the, the greatest display that there ever was of love that as seen in the tree of tree of life. I've just thought of it here in connection with the overcomer. It says that the, in the overcomer who I make a pillar.
You know what that's in contrast to? A little strength. You don't think of a little strength being a pillar. You know, I have something interesting in my work. I have some men that work for me.
And, umm.
I have one that, uh, I'm very, very nervous when he's working on a table saw. I have a three horse table saw. It's a piece of wood gets jammed and a three horse table saw, it'll fire that piece of wood right through the wall. And I'm always worried about the men. Sometimes when they're behind the table soft, they're running something through it. I'm really worried about this one person. He's very careful, but I'm, I'm always a little bit worried about him waiting on the table saw. Now there's another man.
I don't worry about him at all, people thought.
You know the reason why he's cut his finger off.
01:05:01
I don't worry about him at all. You know, it's just exactly what the table saw can do, and he's very, very careful with it. Well, I just thought of here, the overcomer.
Who appreciates a little strength and deals with that? What what happens to him? Oh, he's made a pillar. He's made a pillar in the temple. I just really appreciate that in connection with the overcoming.
Very lovely. Keep on going to date because.
It says and he shall go no more out.
The two Philadelphians today.
He may have to go out and it's not easy.
He's called upon, and we get it in Second Timothy, to purge himself from vessels to dishonor. He's called upon to separate from that which does not honor the Lord. Sometimes it's not easy because in separating from evil, it may end up separating.
In some cases from believers that we hold dear and love as true members of the body of Christ, the emphasis is never and we emphasize that on separating from another believer. It's rather that he, that him that name, the name of the Lord, depart from iniquity. But if I as a believer associate myself with iniquity.
Another believer in separating from inequity may end up having to be aloof from me too. And so it's very difficult sometimes. Won't be wonderful in that day to go no more out. And so I like that comment, Brother Dave, that the reward is commensurate with what the faithful one has had to go through down here.
The martyrs crown in Smyrna. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. There's a contrast there. And so on. And so in every case it's relative to what the believer in that particular situation has had to deal with in this world. The reward is a contrast to it. And so it is all the way through here.
There's such a steadfastness in the Lord Jesus.
That's unexplainable to us in our normal state of mind and and the sense of way that we do things. I think it comes quite evident in these two verses, both 11 and 12. And once again, he gives himself as the source of all things. It's not dependent upon us, but yet it reads that way, like hold fast, hold that fast which thou hast the bottom line of what we hold fast. Is it not Christ himself, no matter what doctrines may this may ask or confuse us or whatever.
The bottom line is we have one who holds up.
In hands that cannot be shaken or moved.
And So what do we fear of these things?
We know him, He holds us in his hands and He'll never let us go.
And that's why it's just him that overcomes. Will I make a pillar in the sample because something you have to work for nothing that we can do. He does that for us. He gives us that same steadfastness that the character of himself. And I was just thinking what Bill read there a while ago. You think of man and and in the world and how that you try to unify themselves. And perhaps they can get together in the same room and they can light their candles and they can do their dances and all that. But the bottom line is they still come as whatever doctrine they hold.
Gather together for that one moment. When that moment's over, they all go back to what they had and what they helped, and they still can't see eye to eye unless they come together for these little gatherings. But He had an dimension of the one body. What keeps us together is not what I hold, not what you hold, but what Christ holds, who He is, and what He holds for us. That's what unifies us. It's the secret of God that brings us together. It's nothing that each of us brings into that lake. This is what He brings to us.
It's a wonderful thing to think about that when he says that it's the person, the Lord Jesus Christ himself that tells us that him had overcometh. I will make another in the temple of my God and he shall not so no, no or no no more out what confidence we have in him. What a joy it should bring to our hearts to realize that he's the one that says these things, the one that holds us in his hands and will never let us go. That's very that's very important Brian the power to for us to overcome.
By the Spirit of God dwelling in us, not by our own power or determination or.
Resolve or whatever you want to call it, the power of the server.
Our time is pretty well gone, but just a comment or two on the last part of the verse. I will write upon him the name of my God. Beautiful. There are many names in this world that are excellent in Christianity.
01:10:08
The name of my God will be written on you and me up there in the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. The New Jerusalem is a picture of the church, isn't it? In that day every will believe, every true believer, a part of that church will be seen in glory there. And we see that very clearly brought out in the vision John had of the New Jerusalem and Revelation 21.
And then finally, I will write upon him my new name.
We don't know what that new name is, but some have postulated that it's Son of Man. I don't know, it could very well be. But at any rate, you and I will bear that new name. Why? Because the Bride of Christ is so clearly and definitely associated with him in that day that they are one, just as you find in the book of Genesis when God brought Eve to Adam and says.
And he called their name Adam.
So we'll be in that day when you and I are so closely associated with Christ that we will bear the same names He has.
We've seen 224.
So that we never might forget what Christ has suffered for our sake. To save our soul and make us eat of all His glory to our faith. Keeping this in mind, press on to glory in the pictures Crown.
324.
So that we know I forget.
That.
From her heart say we do anything good and that may not come.
To me, oh, come on. And the floor in the middle of the earth and anything, but I can't say anything.
And someone else management changes.
Blood range by a pleasure.
But I have some of my activities with me so.
Work on Friday afternoon. We're ready to start today. So I don't know the administration.
'S now I'm saying it's raining for every day. I won't go wherever we're going to spend.
I don't know what I can see.
And.
What I am?
Uh.
Acts 20
In-Law Relationships
Saul's Conversion
Gospel—Bruce 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 would like to welcome each one here to the Gospel meeting this evening, and we'd like to start the meeting by singing hymn #37 hymn #37 the Gospel of Thy grace. My stubborn heart has won. For God so loved the world He gave his only Son, That whosoever will believe shall everlasting life receive.
In #37 in this country.
In life, breathing and sleeping in the room.
But I serve.
The light man healing generally the wrong journey is the 1:00.
One shall I run away from anywhere?
For the world.
Speaking.
Of trouble. I said no, it's my heart loaded from my heart.
I can love. All right, the world around the corner of the world. MMM. All right, let's go over to life. Gravity show on the earth.
Umm, really?
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
We all in prayer together.
I want to go and turn to the back of the.
Uh, chorus sheet. And I'd like us to sing. Uh #43 it is my, indeed my prayer that I will be able to speak so everyone may understand that the children, the boys and girls may understand clearly the way of salvation, but that we may all benefit from hearing from God's Word. So I'd like us to sing #43.
One door and only one. That reminds us that there's only one way. There's only.
One way, when the Lord Jesus was here, he said I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh under the Father, but by me. There are all kinds of people that like to think there are many, many different ways to come to God the Father. They don't mind talking about God and they don't mind talking about the fatherhood of God. But it's becoming more and more unpopular.
00:05:00
Uh, and very unpolitically correct to refer to the Lord Jesus in public places, but let's remember that there's only one way. If you want to know God, you're and only one, one and only one.
Dead night and I'll try and conquer you. One door and only one in heaven's undergoing tiger, do you?
I want to refer to one verse first in Second Corinthians chapter 4.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 4.
And verse 3.
But if our gospel be hid.
It is to them that are lost. I'm going to read on a few more verses in whom the God of this world and you notice when it says the God of this world that G is not capitalized, it certainly does not refer to God our Father. Those of us who know the Lord Jesus know God as our Father as well. The God of this world we know as Satan or the devil. The God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not.
Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Now this. These are the words of the Apostle Paul. For we preach not ourselves.
But Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants, for Jesus sake, for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.
In the face of Jesus Christ, another place in the Scriptures, the same man who wrote this book made a statement, a very important statement, and he said, roll unto me if I preach not the gospel. It's a great privilege to preach the gospel, but it's also a great responsibility to be faithful to what God is telling us through His word. Now I'd like to go back now to Acts chapter 8.
I'm sorry, the facts of Chapter 7, First Acts Chapter 7.
And verse 4, I'm sorry, this verse 54.
Acts Chapter 7 and verse 54.
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth. Well, stop there because we have to explain who they are and who.
Who him is in the last line of the verse there was a man here and I'm not going to read what he had to say, but this man's name was Steven and some of you may know and recognize that as far as we know, Steven was the 1St man.
Who gave up his life for the Lord Jesus Christ? We would call him a marker. He was the first Christian martyr as far as we know.
And so he told them, in no uncertain words, very plainly and clearly.
Their responsibility told them what they had done, their responsibility and to turn.
But many, many didn't. And as a nation they did not turn to the Lord. And so He spoke at great length. And now we noticed when they heard on these things, they were cut to the heart. That means their conscience were reached. They they were very upset.
They realized, I think, that Steven was telling the truth and the whole truth. But how did they respond to that? Do you have two ways to respond to that? You can say yes, what that man is saying is true. I must humble myself before God, and I must come to God through his Son, the Lord Jesus. That's one choice you have to make.
00:10:19
But the other choice which these ones made in this chapter.
Nashed on him with their teeth.
They ground their teeth together. They were so angry with them. They didn't like what you heard that what they heard him say. So we're gonna read on. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven.
Looked up steadfastly and have we heard a little bit about looking a little earlier, I think on yesterday, but this Stephen was looking up steadfastly into heaven, and with his seed he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of man standing on the right hand.
Of course, then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears. Why do you think they stopped their ears? I want you, boys and girls particularly, to think about it. Have you ever put your fingers in your ears like this? And why would you do that?
I'm guessing it's probably because you don't want to hear what somebody is saying. Maybe mother or father have had to give you a scolding and you might want to put your maybe you might think you want to do it, but you might be afraid to do it. I'm not sure. But these people were so angry with what they what they heard, they didn't want to hear anymore. So they stopped their ears and plugged their ears, probably, I'm presuming, by putting their fingers in their ears.
They cried out with a loud voice and stomped their ears and ran upon them with one accord. Were they running to him because they wanted to tell him how much they liked this message and how they wanted to know more about the Lord Jesus and how they wanted to put their trust in Him? I wish that were so, but it's not. It's not. So we read on and see what happened and they cast him out of the city.
And cast them out of the city. What about the city? And they didn't stop there. They could have said, well, we're going to throw them out of the city and we're going to shut the city gates so that you can't get in because we don't want to hear his message anymore. But they didn't do that. No, they and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. Now that was the way. That was the way the Jews had.
And there were times that God had told them that they should stone somebody if a man was worshiping idols.
Or there were a number of other laws that, uh, they broke, and then it was the responsibility of the Jews to stone these ones because they were absolutely defying God. Steven wasn't doing this. He was putting before them their responsibility before growth. And so they stole him with stones.
Customer of the city and stoned them, and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul now.
There's a couple of cases in the Bible where people's names are changed and this is one man whose name was changed later as the has the same number of letters but the S is changed to P so we know him later. And most of the account in the book of Acts is talks about the man Paul but his his name before that was solved and so.
You know, if you're going to throw stones, and if you're wearing a big heavy garment and it's loose and it's hanging around your feet, you want to take it off because then you could throw a lot further. And so, but they didn't know what to do. So here's this man standing or sitting there, and they here, here, take, take my clothes. I can do a better job at killing this man that I hate so much. And so the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was thoughtful.
And they call and they stone Stephen, calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice.
00:15:06
Lord lay not the sin to their charge, and when he said this he fell asleep. You know when it says he fell asleep, it means he died. They kept throwing stones at him until.
Until he died, I'd like I think about the Lord Jesus when he was on the cross. One of the one of the last things that he said before he gave up his life, he called out to his Father. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Steven couldn't say this because by then they certainly knew what they had done. Stephen had brought this information to them and told them in no uncertain terms how they had sinned against God and rejecting God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So he couldn't say Father.
Forgive them, for they know not what they do. But he did say, Lord, lay not this sin.
Now, I just brought this as an introduction. I don't really wanna talk about Steven. I wanna talk about the young man at whose feet they laid their clothes so they could do a better job of getting rid of this man. They hate it, and they hated him because they he brought to them the message.
From God regarding God's own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if if we are?
Responsible.
And if we're faithful enough in telling others of the gospel and telling others of how they can be saved.
It's not likely in this country that people will take up stones and stones, but they won't like, they won't like it. And they say some unkind things. They may do some things too, as we have noticed yesterday. So now I want to read just one verse, a couple of verses in the next chapter.
And Saul was consenting unto his death. In other words, Saul.
He was fully in agreement. He agreed fully with what these men did. He didn't actually, probably that we know of. He didn't actually pick up stones to throw Steven himself, but he was in total agreement, sometimes just standing by.
Is enough for people to know whose side you're on. So he was consenting unto his death, and at that time there was a great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem.
And they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
So there was a lot of trouble coming. These Christians, people didn't like what they heard and they were trying to get rid of them. So they made them, they made them afraid. So they went to other places. But you know God, that was in God's plans because when they went scattered and went to other places, they took the message with them. And so other people heard the way of salvation. Now verse 3, skipping verse two, As for Saul.
He made havoc of the church. Now havoc is maybe a word that some of the young children.
Don't know, but it means caused a lot of trouble, a lot of upset. He did everything he could to make their life miserable. We'll see what he did. Entering into every house and hailing men and women. Committed them to prison. Hailing means he got ahold of them and probably didn't do it. Probably had a band of soldiers with them. I don't know, it doesn't say here, but he had the authority to get them together and force them to be taken into the prison.
And that he was just doing everything he could to.
Caused trouble and therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. The table's got turned on. The people that wanted to shut these people up, they didn't wanna hear the message and so they scattered them abroad. So the message went out farther and farther into the known world, which was particularly around the Mediterranean Sea at that time. So we're gonna go on now to Chapter 9.
And we want to look just briefly, uh, a little more about Seoul. We're going to just read the 1St 9 verses. I know there's a lot more about Saul and that's this chapter, but I want to, uh, think about particularly, uh, what Saul has to say in the form of Paul later. So Chapter 9 and verse one, and Saul yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.
00:20:15
Went under the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogue, that if he found any of this way.
Whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound under Jerusalem. I wanna bring your attention to 1-2 words in that verse.
Any of this way my margin tells me that in the Greek if any of the way.
Boys and girls remember who said when he was here I am the way the truth and the life that's that's this way. That's the way that they're talking about the Lord Jesus presented himself as the only way to God. No man cometh under the Father, but by me or except through me. I'm paraphrasing it, but I believe that is the thought of.
That I am the Way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh under the Father.
Umm, except through me for, but by me. And so, umm, if you found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound under Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.
Paul got stopped right in his tracks. Or Saul. I'm sorry, I should say he's not Paul. Yet Saul got stopped right in his tracks.
And I think he must have had some sense.
Of who was going to speak to.
And he fell to the earth, and he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul.
Why persecutest thou me?
If you look at it from the way people might think of it in some way, why would why would Saul think?
Why would the voice ask that question?
Because Seoul was not that far as he knew, He wasn't persecuting the Lord. He found out it was the Lord, uh, that was speaking to him. But we know in another portion, Lord tells us that he that touches, uh, the least of my little ones. And I'm not quoting it exactly to touch up the apple of my eye. You know, there's nothing that I like less than if somebody came along and poked their finger in my eye.
That's very sensitive. That would really hurt. And I don't know whether any of you boys and girls have experienced that. I hope you don't, but if you do, you'll understand what I say. And so this is the Lord speaking, and Saul must have recognized it and at least a little bit of it. And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus.
Because that was the very one He had been spending all his time and energy to get rid of the followers of Jesus. He knew Jesus wasn't here on the earth anymore. He knew he had gone.
That he wanted to get rid of his phones. I am Jesus, whom thou persecutes.
I am Jesus.
Whom about persecutors?
What a revelation that must have been to solve, to realize, uh, that it was the VE, the very, uh, the very one who these people served and, and, uh, followed.
They were the ones he was trying to get rid of. He was throwing them in jail and no doubt many of them were going to their execution after their jail sentence.
Well, this was.
A great, very important revelation to solve.
And it was a life changing experience for him.
And through this he came to know the Lord, not as his enemies. He came to know the one who loved him and gave himself for him. Uh, I'm going to go down to the skip part of and I'm going to go down halfway through verse six and the Lord is still speaking and he says, arise and go into the city and it shall be told the.
00:25:22
What thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice of seeing no man.
And saw a rose from the earth. And when his eyes were opened, he saw no man, but they led him by the hand.
And brought him into Damascus and he was three days without sight and neither did eat nor drink. I think I understand this correctly. Perhaps when he was down on his knees his eyes were shut tight. But when he gets up from his knees and he opens his eyes, he finds.
He's not there, and for three days his sight was gone. For three days. I wonder why.
God took a sight of me. I'd like to think that perhaps.
It allowed Paul to have a closer relationship once he came to know the Lord inside because all the things that were around him. You know, when we're reading the word of God, or perhaps you, we've all been in this meeting here and these meetings today. It's very easy to get distracted.
Maybe if you're a young child, you're sitting beside somebody who's poking you or.
Are trying to disturb you and it's hard to listen what what God is saying to us. And so I wonder if perhaps his sight was removed so that he could hear what God was saying to him directly without any interference. And he didn't eat or drink so for three days. Has anybody here not eaten or drunk for three days? I think probably it would be unwise under normal circumstances.
Although I remember reading of some of the great revivals in the last three or 300 or 400 years ago where men and women were so overtaken with their sins.
That they were totally prostate before golf and they couldn't eat, they couldn't drink. I don't know that they lost their sight, but they were so filled with the the the thought of their own sins separating them from God, soul filled with guilt because of sin.
The the everything that had to do with the ordinary circumstances and responsibilities of life were completely forgotten.
No, we don't see that much today. I've, I've, I've heard of it in a couple of cases that it doesn't happen much, but it did happen at, at times, uh, hundreds of years ago and it certainly happened to the one we know of now as the beloved apostle Paul now.
I want to go to some of the words that Paul has written and we've already reminded. We were reminded last night.
About the gospel and Paul's special responsibility in the gospel, the gospel of the grace of God and the gospel of the glory of God. Now I'd like to turn to 1St Corinthians 15. I'd like to turn to 1St Corinthians 15.
And instead of hearing about Paul and his experience on the road to Damascus, now Paul is speaking and writing to us as especially designated servants of God himself through the Lord Jesus Christ. He was specially chosen to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Now who are the Gentiles? The Gentiles are all those who don't have a special claim.
On God.
Because they are Jews. So in this as, as this is explained to us here, there were two groups of people at this time. There were the Jews. They were God's special chosen people, and all the rest of the world were the Gentiles. God had to do with them, but never in the same way. The Jews were God's special chosen family. But now, since the cross of Jesus Christ, since he died, and he rose again on the third day.
00:30:04
Now the golf school is going to go out through the whole world. But now, uh, let's read this first and we can further discuss that as we go. Moreover, brethren, 1St Corinthians 15 and one, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you. So Paul is writing to these ones in Corinth. He wrote 2 letters. This is the first letter he wrote and he's saying, I've already been there. I've already talked to you. I've already.
Spoken to you about this. This isn't new, but I'm writing to you to remind you about it. Unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.
So that was a good thing that Paul was able to say to them in Corinth. I'm gonna read that again. I declare unto you the gospel. And remember, we heard last night that the gospel, the word gospel, means good news. On what better news could we have than to know that Jesus died for sinners, because we know that we are sinners. I preached unto you, which also ye received in the wherein you stand, by which also ye are saved.
If you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. Now this might be a little confusing to us. Does that mean that if you really believe in your heart that you could lose your salvation?
I'm absolutely certain that's not what it means. I don't believe that's what it means because we have many other scriptures that tell us that once we are saved, we are undwelt by the Holy Spirit, that we are kept in the Father's love, we are kept by the Lord Jesus and we cannot be lost. So what do you think this means? Well, you know, we have some scriptures. We have some examples, for instance in the book of Acts of those who believed.
That they didn't believe down in their heart.
They believed in their head, so they believed all the things that was preached to them, but they didn't really let it affect their heart. They didn't believe in their heart.
And so there may be boys and girls here who they've heard from them when they were tiny, when they were in mum or dad's arms. They've heard about Jesus. They know all about Jesus.
So they know, they believe that Jesus lived, they believed that he went to the cross and that he died for the heaven really accepted the Lord Jesus into their hearts. And if that could possibly be yourself, and perhaps there's an older person here who is in that situation, perhaps you give a center, you agree with everything that you've heard today, but you haven't really made him.
Your own You may acknowledge that the Lord Jesus is a Savior. You may acknowledge that the Lord Jesus is the Savior.
But you may not yet have acknowledged in your heart, and you have not yet told him.
You have not yet said the Lord Jesus is my Savior. And you know, there are some who believe and some who I think really belong to the Lord, but they haven't told somebody else. And you know, I think that gives you confirmation in your heart that you really belong to the Lord. The same man who wrote this said in another place, if thou shalt confess, if thy mouth.
Jesus says Lord of the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead.
Thou shalt be safe. So I think it's important. It helps to confirm in your own heart that you belong to the Lord. If you've told somebody else that you've made that decision, I believe that's very important and it gives you real peace and joy in doing so.
And so I think that the second part of this first may perhaps refer to some who who said, yes, I accept it all in my head, but they didn't let it affect them and come into their heart. It was just a head belief and it was not a heart belief. And now this is what Paul is saying. That happened before. I delivered unto you, first of all, that which also I received, which I also received.
So basically what Paul is saying is I'm not making this up.
00:35:04
I'm not just telling you because I think it's a good story. I'm passing on to you information that was given to me directly by God.
This information was given to me directly by God. Now, we don't know exactly when all this revolution came to Paul. We know, of course, he had the initial revelation on the road to Damascus. But we know there was another time that he was stoned and taken up for dead.
And some have thought perhaps that at that time.
Uh, he speaks of being caught up into the 3rd heaven. Perhaps at that time he heard more clearly and it was given to him more clearly, the full encompassing gospel of the grace of God and the gospel of the glory of God. We don't know, but this is what he says. I received, I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins.
And I think that's probably one of the first verses I've learned as a tiny little child. We often gave that out to the youngest children when they came to the gospel temple. Christ died for our sins. I hope everyone, every boy and girl here knows that verse and can say it, and not only knows it in their head, but they believe it in their heart as well. Christ.
Died for our sins.
According to the scriptures.
Does that mean, Well, a lot of the scriptures, a lot of the New Testament scriptures hadn't been written at that time. But we know if we go back to the Old Testament, there are many, many. I know they've been counted. I just don't have an official account. Many, many prophecies. How that the Lord Jesus, umm, as the Messiah would come into this world, uh, that he would go as a lamb to the slaughter, as it were. And before his shears, he's dumb, so he opens not his mouth. We have countless scriptures telling us.
Of his coming. And so he died, and he fulfilled every prophecy exactly every.
Eye daughter and every T crossed every prophecy 100% and exactly fulfilled by the Lord Jesus. So I believe at least that's one thought that is connected with this. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
Let's go on.
And that he was buried.
And that he rose again the third day, according.
2 The scriptures.
And that he was seen of Cephas.
Now, Cephas wasn't the name that we know this man of very much it. It was his name that was one of his names, but it's not another one of his names was Peter. Peter.
And you know, it's interesting that Paul mentions Peter because Peter had denied the Lord and he denied him three times. But.
How gracious, glorious he was seen of Cephas, and then of the 12 So all those, the ones who have accompanied the Lord Jesus, and very closely that traveled around with him and heard his things and observed his miracles.
The Lord Jesus appeared to them.
And after that he was seen of above 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remained under this present. But some are following us.
I often marvel at the unity and the largeness of the testimony of Christ's death and resurrection. We know in the Old Testament, uh, uh, they were told under the law, in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. Well, there's 500 witnesses here, not two or three.
It's just as if God has said, I want you to know that there's no possible way that this can be hidden.
I want you to know that it happened. He died. He rose again.
He's gone back to the fore.
00:40:02
After that he was seen of James, that of all the apostles, and.
Last of all, he was seen of me also as one born out of due time. When did?
Paul, ever see the Lord Jesus? I think we had already read about the time when he saw the Lord Jesus. I believe he saw the Lord Jesus when he was on the way to Damascus. Remember, he had papers in his pocket.
Uh, charges from the chief priests in Jerusalem so we could collect and gather up the Christians and get rid of them.
And it was stopped.
Heard the voice, and I believe that he saw the Lord there.
Last of all, he was seen to me also as of one born out of due time.
As if he was plucked up and taken.
And they didn't pass through the normal channels of birth. That's the, that's the thought that was one born at a due time.
For I am the least of the apostles.
What, you say this is the great apostle Paul, This is the one who has written more books than anyone else in the New Testament, and then he says he's the least of the impulses.
Why? Why does he say that?
That are not neat or fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God.
By the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. But I labor abundant more abundantly than they all, yet I not I. He's not taking the credit for Himself.
He's the channel. If you have water here and you wanna get it over there, you run a pipe, you collect the water here and you run the water through a channel and the water gets to there, but it's not the channel that does the work. It just carries the water. And so Paul was a channel and so.
And I labor more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God. So the grace of God is like the water that travels from point A to point B. And of course we know.
The water in the Bible often speaks of of the word of life speaks of of this book, the water of the word and therefore whether where I are they so we preach and so ye holy well, I I don't see anyone here in this room who hasn't heard the Gospel many times.
Another scripture says God speaks once, only twice. That man receiveth enough. There's no guarantee that any one of us.
Anyone will hear the gospel any further?
Before this meeting is over, the Lord Jesus may have come and those who have heard the message, heard the gospel and have rejected it said no, I don't want any of that stuff. Those who have heard the message and rejected it, they will not have any opportunity backwards. There's going to be a different gospel that's going to go out during the time of the Tribulation, and those who haven't rejected the gospel of grace will have every opportunity.
To accept the gospel of the Kingdom. But if you've heard the gospel and you've understood it clearly.
And you've you've rejected or just said, well, I'm gonna leave it. That's that's for when I go up and then.
You're going to be responsible, and if the Lord Jesus comes tonight and you haven't accepted the Lord Jesus, it will be too late. It will be too late after that. Now I'd like to go through some other things that the apostle Paul wrote. I want you to remember the most important one that I'd like to bring before us was in verse three in this chapter, First Corinthians 15. Christ died for our sins. Now Paul was writing to more than one person.
And he was including himself as well and so right and proper that he would have said Christ died for our sins. But now I want to address each person individually today, tonight. And I'm asking you, can you say?
00:45:03
Price died for my since I wanna make it really personal, just like I said, it's fine to say yes Jesus is a savior. It's even better to say that Jesus is the savior.
It is far, far better by better by far to be able to say Jesus is my savior. Can you say Christ died for my sins? Now let's go to first Timothy. We're having too much more time. But there's a few more verses I want to look at first Timothy one.
Chapter One.
And I wanna read. I'm not gonna comment much on when I read from verse 11.
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust, this was a special commitment by God through to the apostle Paul. That was committed July 1St, and I thank God our Lord, who has enabled me for that. He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry who was before a blasphemer.
A blasphemer. That's a terrible thing.
To say, but he said it about himself and the persecutor. We read about that already, didn't we? How he was trying to get rid of the Christians and injurious. He had every purpose in doing them harm, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly and unbelief and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. Now this is the verse.
That I want you to think about this. I want you to remember this is a faithful saying that's just like a flashing light when you come to a corner. It it serves to a virtue. That's what I think. These words, This is a faithful saying, stop and listen. Pay attention to what's being said. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. It's such an important message because it's a universal message.
So it's worthy for everybody in the whole world to accept. Now we know.
Not everyone is going to accept that message, but it's such a worthy message that all can and should accept. And what is the message?
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Who I am, chief. Now I'm going to ask you if I'm going to ask each one here, if you can personally say this about yourself. Can you say Christ Jesus came into the world to save me? The gospel is nothing if it's not personal.
To be applied to the hearts and lives of everyone on the face of the earth. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Christ Jesus came into the world to save me. Now Paul goes on, and he acknowledges that he was one of the worst sinners in the world. You might say, well, I've done so many bad things, I can't possibly imagine how God would accept me. Well, Paul says I'm the very worst senator that ever could have been on the face of the earth.
And yet he accepted me. Surely he will accept you, and we know he will because he said him. That cometh to me. I will in no wise cast out. You know what that word is? No wise. It's a funny expression that we don't use that today. But it means I will never, ever, ever cast it in the original language in which it was written. It's known as a double negative. It means I will know not ever cast it.
In English, if you put two negatives or two Nos together, we can change it around and become positive and make a positive statement. But in the original language of Greek, one negative accentuated and emphasized the other, so that that little statement could not be made in a more powerful or in a stronger way than when the Lord Jesus sent him. That cometh to me. I will in no wise casting.
00:50:00
So the Lord Jesus is going to save a soul who consented to the death of that first Christian martyr, and then there's no one on the face of this earth, no matter what he has done. Our brother last night spoke of Adolf Heightman who had been responsible for the murder of 6,000,000 Jews. And although we don't know that he ever accepted the Lord, the message was available to him and he was. He could have accepted the Lord.
Have you chosen to do to do so? And the message goes out to all and sundry today. So remember, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Now I want to look at another verse in Hebrews Chapter 7 and verse 25.
This, uh, confirms what I have already said, or what I should say, what the word of God has said.
7 and 25 Hebrews, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost. You know, I don't think I've ever heard anybody use that word in common current English language, but I think, and I hope most everybody can understand what that word is saying. And I looked it up and I looked to see if I could find some other renderings in a reliable literal translation.
And I found, uh, one literal translation that said he was able to save.
Them completely, completely.
Another literal translation said he is able to save them at all times. I'm not going to pass judgment as to which maybe the most correct. I'm quite happy and content with the word uttermost because to me it means that there's no limit to God's ability to save us. Through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, He is able to save them to the uttermost that come under God.
By him? Who's that?
Common God by him by through Jesus. This is in this day and age. This is the for those who have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our only access to the Father is through the Lord Jesus Christ, so he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Now I'd like to look at a couple of verses.
Umm, just before we close in Romans chapter five first of all.
We already know, uh, that we're sinners, and we know that Christ died for our sins, and it doesn't matter how extreme, how terrible a Sinner we are.
The gospel still is meant for you.
And so I want to look here at Romans 5 and.
Verse 12.
Wherefore as by one man.
Sin entered the world.
And death by sin. And so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
I like to look at, just just for a second, uh, at the thought of the fact that there is sin and there are sins. If you want to look at it that way, you can think about a, a tree and you got the root and you got the fruit that appears on the tree.
I believe sin is the root.
And we were at each one of us were born as children of Adam, and we were born with a sinful nature. But it doesn't stop there, because we each individually have made a choice or had made a choice in our lives for sin.
And so we are guilty because we are born in sin. We are born as children of Adam, and Adam sinned originally, but we are also guilty because we have sinned ourselves. All have sinned. Now verse 19, I want to read the same chapter.
Because this is the wonderful part for us, by one man's disobedience.
00:55:04
Who is that? That was Adam back in the Garden of Eden. Many were made sinners.
Sold by the obedience of one shall many.
Be made righteous.
So shall by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. We know I've already told you who the 1St man is. That's Adam back in the garden of you. Who is the second man? I believe the 2nd man is the Lord Jesus Christ.
He was the only one that was perfectly 100% obedient 100% of the time.
He came in this world as a man, as a man, and he said when he was here I do always those things which please the Father, always no exception.
Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound.
And so God sent the law, not because he he knew they couldn't keep the law, but he sent the law so that they would realize that they couldn't keep him. So they would realize that there was no way they could keep the law which God had given. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. So there was so much sin. I've been reading through the accounts just lately in the Old Testament.
Through Samuel and Kings, and now I'm reading in Chronicles.
Oh, what a sad well, perhaps I'm even going to starting a judges and going through Judges Samuel King's unknown to Chronicles. What a sad story it is that even those that knew, even though that those that were part of God's special earthly family, they sinned as well.
And they turned away from God countlessly. They built idols and they got down on their knees and they worshipped things that were made of stone or gold or brass or wood. And they forgot about the God of heaven. The God of heaven would be part of the the water. So they would cross the Red Sea who parted the River Jordan so they could cross the River Jordan. They forgot about him and that.
But there was still grace where sin abounded. Grace did much more about it, and grace, while I believe, was sort of more at the cross of Jesus Christ.
I say this reverently, and I stand to be corrected than at any other time in man's history.
Grace, Lord Jesus went on the cross. He bore our sins. He bore the punishment for our sins in His own body on the court.
What a blessed Savior we have. How sad it would be having heard the message, the good news of salvation. If you would leave this room tonight, whether you're young, whether you're old or whatever, if you would leave this room without knowing the Lord Jesus, that's your own personal Savior. Let us pray.
Our gracious God and our Father.
We thank you.
Out of a full heart for the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. Or do you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? That though he was rich, he became poor? That ye through his poverty might be rich? And what richness we have in knowing the Lord Jesus as our Savior.
With our great concern is that there should be one here tonight, if one here who has not yet accepted the Lord Jesus the Savior, that they might do so before it is forever too late. We do not know. We have no assurance of time past this very second. We do not know when our precious Savior will return and call away those who who he who He has redeemed by His own precious blood.
So we commend ourselves to be known, and with Thanksgiving our Father again thanking thee for the gift of the Lord Jesus, for the gift of His.
For the gift of God, our blessed God, which we know is eternal life. And this all came from the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee and we praise Thee and thy worthy and precious name, Lord Jesus.
Acts 20, In-Law Relationships
Open—B. Prost, D. Mearns
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98298 I faced away my brothers here we come to Canaan show and meet. There's 298.
So he's going in, my brother's here and come to King and stronger. We'll make anything forever there when our soul is over.
Hello.
The Headlands bring up a little bit of the Saints and hunt before.
One eternal day was getting and one, two steps in presentation with half of the Illuminati. As soon as soon as the beginning, we had the word and everything. And in the South side, I know it's going to run back and let's see. Go on and go, go, go, go, go.
Hallelujah.
Could we look for a few minutes once again at the 20th chapter of Acts?
20th chapter of Practice.
We referred to it last night in the Gospel.
At least the one verse.
But I'd like to look at two other entities that the Apostle Paul mentions.
In connection with his ministry.
Just to get the setting here with which most of us I'm sure are familiar, but here was the Apostle Paul going up to Jerusalem.
And many along the way, we're telling Paul, no, Paul, it's not the mind of the Lord that you do, that you will encounter only trouble and eventual imprisonment. Don't go.
00:05:06
Well, Paul did go.
Probably it wasn't the mind of the Lord. He had been told to go to the Gentiles and he's going to Jerusalem did not result ultimately in any blessing to the Jews as he was hoping. But of course the Lord did use it for blessing in a number of different ways.
We're not going to speak about that this afternoon, but as Paul was going up there, he calls for the elders of the assembly and Ephesus.
An assembly where there had been a remarkable amount of blessing.
As far as we know, the Apostle Paul spent more time there than in any other single city during his ministry.
And there have been a good number of people saved and he had been able, it seems, to minister the truth there in a way.
That he had not been able to anywhere else.
Now I am not suggesting that Paul did not minister the same truth everywhere, but there seemed to be an appetite for it and a a grasp of that understanding of the precious truth of God in Ephesus more than perhaps in other places.
As a result, Paul has a special burden for them because, as we find out in reading what he says.
He fully expected that he would not see them again, nor is there any record that he ever did. Whether he did or not, we don't know, but there is no record of it. But in rehearsing his ministry, Paul mentions three things which I suggest have a voice for you and me today. The first one is what we talked about last night in verse 24.
Paul says there that none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
That's one thing.
So then we go to the next verse, and we find he says, And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
The gospel of the grace of God. The Kingdom of God.
And then verse 26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I.
That I suggest to you and to me have an order to them and a balance.
First of all, as to the order.
The Gospel of the Great God.
Oh, that's a lovely phrase. I don't know anywhere else in the New Testament where we get it quite expressed in the same way. The Gospel of the Christ of God. And that is the gospel that God is preaching today. We spoke a wee bit this afternoon and also in a previous reading meeting about the so-called Gospel of the Kingdom. That is what was preached by John the Baptist. That is what the Lord Jesus preached in his early ministry.
But then that was, if we could use the term, superseded by what we have here, the gospel of the grace of God.
Later on, when you and I are called home, once again, God will use His servants to preach the gospel of the Kingdom. But the gospel of the Kingdom is connected with this earth. It has earthly hopes, earthly blessings.
You and I, receiving the gospel of the grace of God, have heavenly hopes, heavenly blessings. This time in which God is dealing with man in grace is unique in man's dear and God's dealings with man. And the gospel of the grace of God means that God is reaching out to whosoever will and extending command in grace the undeserved favor of God.
A full and a free salvation through the finished work of Christ.
00:10:05
Oh, I say to your heart and mind, that has to come first. That makes sense, doesn't it? How could anything else be directed to us from God until we first settled a sin question? And so that must come first. And let's remember that when we came to Christ, and I know that most, and I hope all here know the Lord as their Savior. We can't assume that when we came to Christ.
Isn't it true that we had to come right to the end of ourselves? We had to realize that we were nothing but lost, guilty sinners, and more than that, that we could do nothing to save ourselves, but that everything was dependent on Christ and His work on the cross?
We had to be brought right to the end of ourselves and realized that it was only that God's grace and mercy reaching out to us that could save us. Well, we have to remember that all through our Christian pathway because as we've said before, true Christianity makes everything of Christ and nothing of man, nothing of man. We tend to forget that even as Christians, don't we? And so here we have the gospel of the grace of God.
That's the order. That is what has to come first.
So then what do we have? Paul says. I have gone among you, preaching the Kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom of God?
It is not, in the sense in which Paul uses it, having to do with a Kingdom that is clearly visible in this world. As we said earlier, when the Lord Jesus began his ministry, he preached the gospel of the Kingdom, and had he been accepted as the rightful king, he no doubt would have gone ahead and set up that Kingdom. But God, knowing full well that man in the flesh could never accept his beloved Son.
Had already in the purposes in a pack, his purposes in a past eternity.
That precious truth that he was going to bring out when the Lord Jesus was rejected. The precious truth of the assembly. God had chosen you and me in Christ long before the foundation of the world.
I still love an illustration that Eric Smith and some here are old enough to remember him.
Brother who was a missionary in South America for many years and he loved to tell stories about how the believers down there accepted and enjoyed the truth of God. And he told how of once in a reading meeting, the question was thrown about, thrown out, What is election? What does the word mean? And this and that explanation was offered. And finally one man who was a chief among the Inca Indians apparently said.
He said, brethren, it means simply that before God ever dropped one stone into place in this world.
He was loving this poor Indian.
Beautiful. Isn't that beautiful?
God had in his purposes you and me to be brought to Christ.
So it's not talking about a visible Kingdom here. So what is the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God is an expression in Scripture which brings before us a moral state that is in keeping with an ought to characterize those who recognize the rightful King.
We're in Canada right now. We can speak of Canada, and sometimes we mean the geographical part of the world that is normally thought of as Canada, but we can speak of Canadian things in Canada in terms of what characterizes the people here, the way they act, the kind of culture and so on.
Man by the name of Pierre Burton. Sad to say, he wasn't a believer, but he wrote a book once entitled Why We Act Like Canadians, and he pointed out certain things that characterize Canadians and he drew certain parallels, but also some differences between how Canadians act and how people in the United States act. Well, we won't go into that afternoon, but the point is.
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The Kingdom of God is not so much talking about a visible Kingdom.
But it is, it is the moral character of God's Kingdom, and you and I are in that Kingdom of God. If we are truly saved, the Lord Jesus could say when he was on this earth, the Kingdom of God is among you.
Meaning that he in his moral character that he exhibited, showed up with the Kingdom of God was.
That is very, very important, and the apostle Paul minister that very, very strenuously. You read it in the epistles. Romans 14 says the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. In First Corinthians, I think it's chapter 6.
It gives a long list of serious sins, and it says that those who practice such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. We get similar thoughts in the book of Ephesians, similar thoughts in Colossians and in other places too. Why was the apostle so careful to present that?
Because Christianity is not simply How shall we say it?
A fire escape from hell. It is that, but it's much more than that. God did not save you. And merely that we might enjoy the fact that no longer are we bound for a lost eternity, but that when we get through this life, we are going to spend eternity with Christ. He wants to see in you and me the character of Christ exemplified. Isn't that beautiful?
And that's why it talks about the Kingdom of God here. And Paul preached that, preached it very strenuously.
And finally.
He says, I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
As we said a moment ago, you and I live in a very, very wonderful time because during this time of God's grace, all the purposes of God, from a past eternity to a coming eternity have been fully revealed. That's the way it tells us in the first chapter of Colossians. Paul says that he was given. Well, we might turn to it just to read the verse.
Colossians, Chapter One.
And he says in verse 25.
Whereof referring to the church.
Whereof I have made a minister.
According to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you.
To fulfill.
Or complete the word of God.
To fulfill or complete the word of God, You'll pardon me, but I need loud water.
To fulfill or complete the Word of God, there is no new revelation since the apostle Paul.
Now it's true that the details have been filled in.
John's revelation that we have been reading from wasn't written by Paul, and it was written after Paul had long since been with the Lord. But it doesn't give us any new truth in that sense. It merely fills in details of what Paul had already given. All the purposes of God are given to us in Paul's ministry. Isn't that wonderful? Could you and I have chosen a better time in the world's history in which to be born, in which to have this gospel of the grace of God presented to us?
In which to have.
The Kingdom of God preached to us, but on top of that, to have all the counsel of God, oh, I can't think of anything that is, shall I say, more wonderful than that, to know that God has not only taken us into favor in Christ, but he says, I want to tell you everything that I am going to do all my purposes in my beloved Son.
You're associated with him in it, and so I want to tell you everything that is going to happen.
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And we're all part of it so that he wants us to know and understand that. That's why it says in Ephesians chapter one that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Rather, Harry Hayhoe used to say, that's the jewel box of the whole Bible. And it's true that you and I are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heaven placed in Christ.
And then we begin to get them enumerated in that first and 2nd chapter of Ephesians.
There's an order here, as we said.
You cannot talk about the things of the Kingdom of God until you have a new life that is able to do it.
The Lord Jesus, when he was here in this world, preached what is often called the Sermon on the Mount, and that's perhaps most explicit in Matthew 5-6 and seven. But if any were to listen to that preaching.
And really, take it to heart, he or she would have had to say.
Oh, I can't carry that out. I can't live that out. I couldn't even keep the law, and this goes much further than the law. If I'm going to carry this out, I need a new light. I need someone to change me from the inside out.
Because.
I can't do it.
We first of all need a new life in Christ before we can have the things concerning the Kingdom of God preached to us.
But then we have all the counsel of God.
And if we are properly going to understand all the counsel of God, is it right that our lives must be in proper order? I don't say that you and I couldn't learn in an intellectual way all the counsel of God. I don't say that we couldn't have a certain amount of head knowledge about things that God is purposing in Christ. And we could, as it were, read those things and keep them in our heads.
But we won't have them in a way that give us the real enjoyment in our souls.
I can well remember and some will recognize from where this is coming, but many many years ago there was a young man who wrote to a much older brother than himself some hard questions he had from the word of God. The older brother was well equipped to answer them, but after about the 3rd letter the older brother in replying said allow me to make an observation. He said I suggest.
That you.
Have been studying your Bible a little too much and not reading it enough?
Strange way of expressing things, isn't it? What did he mean?
Uh, we know what he meant. He meant that that dear young brother was approaching the word of God with a view to getting head knowledge and, uh, uh, going at the scriptures as one would go at a textbook in high school or university or something.
And of course, he was finding that, as we do find in the Word of God, that very quickly the truth of God is beyond our understanding.
We can enjoy it, but only so much as we walk in communion with the Lord.
Many, many years ago, long before my time, there was a brother who talked about studying the Bible and I believe he had the right idea. But an older brother said the Scripture doesn't use the term to study the Bible.
No, we're not going to make a man an offender for a word. And if somebody talks about a Bible study, we're not gonna catch them up and say, hey, don't use that word. But the point is we need to look at the word of God as that which is morally speaking to our souls, seeking not merely to give us head knowledge, but to.
Give us the enjoyment in our hearts of all that God is communicating to us and to have it form our thoughts.
Our words, our actions, our everything in our lives down here.
So there is that order, and if I am not diligent in the things of the Kingdom of God, if I am allowing in my life those things which are not in keeping with one who professes the name of Christ, I am not going to be able to enjoy and understand all the counsel of God.
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So that brings us to the next comment. There is a proper balance in all of these things, which I would like to talk about a bit.
Sometimes we see a dear believer.
And he has. And maybe she has.
To a real heart for the gospel of the grace of God.
Oh, how wonderful, how wonderful that is.
But.
If we get so occupied with the gospel that we can't see anything to do with the Kingdom of God or all the counsel of God, is that the right way to be? I can remember a dear brother in Christ, not gather to the Lord's name, but I knew him well, and in conversation with him one time he was older than I, probably old enough to have been my father.
He said, And these are exactly his words. I don't concern myself with all these things about doctrine, he said. There are souls on their way to hell and I want to get the gospel out to them, and that's what's important to me.
Is that a good way to look at things?
I don't think so.
Turn to First Timothy.
For a verse, very important verse.
Chapter 2.
And we'll start at the end of verse three, First Timothy 2 and the end of verse 3.
God our Savior, or perhaps it could read our Savior God, which is God's character in this day of His grace, who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. God doesn't say that one is more important than the other, although again we say there's an order. You can't come to a knowledge of the truth before you're saved. But God doesn't say that being saved is more important than coming to a knowledge of the truth.
Now back to Acts 20.
It's wonderful to emphasize the gospel, the grace of God.
But let's not neglect the things of the Kingdom of God.
There have been some dear believers.
We'll emphasize the gospel of the grace of God.
And yet who said to say, neglected the things of the Kingdom of God? And as a result they allowed that in their lives, which spoiled their testimony and eventually closed their mouths in preaching the gospel. Very, very sad.
There have been those, on the other hand, who have been so taken up with all the counsel of God that they have relegated the gospel of the grace of God, as it were, to the back burner and said that, well, it's not that important today. Our real mission today is to hold the truth and to walk in that. And let's really get emphasizing that because, well, if we don't do that, who will?
Is that the right attitude? 1000 times no.
If you and I, as we had in our address to Philadelphia, don't walk in that character, God will have those who will. And if I may be allowed to say this?
You and I know that over the last few years there has tended to be a giving up of the precious truth that God has revealed to us in His Word in these favored lands. But what has God done? He has begun to raise up those in other countries where, at least as far as we know previously, there was not that same knowledge of the truth. But God has exercised souls who have a hunger for it and who want to get hold of it, and who are willing to go to whatever lengths it takes in order to happen.
Yes, God does hold us responsible, but never, never 1000 times, never does He call upon you and me to neglect the gospel of the grace of God. And if we see the story of the beloved Apostle Paul who spoke these words, I suppose we could say none was more strenuous and more faithful in preaching the gospel than he. But equally, none was more faithful.
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In holding and preaching and insisting on the precious truth of God in every possible way.
God calls on you and me to do the same.
Now again, we don't wanna be misunderstood. There is such a thing as we know as gift. And if God gives someone the gift of an evangelist, then they may not in that same way have the same gift of giving out the truth.
Brother Al Larson, who has been with the Lord many years, came from Des Moines, IA. Someone pitched a question at him in a reading meeting at a conference, and his reaction was, don't ask me, I'm a gospel preacher.
Did you have a care and a love for all accounts of God? Yes. But he recognized that there were others there whose gift was more in ministry and teaching, and he deferred to their ability in their knowledge in that realm. But did he have a love for all the counsel of God? I know full well he did. And so now we have the Kingdom of God. And there are those today who would lay great emphasis on the Kingdom of God. Praise God for that.
Oh, we can be so thankful for that. Who are very careful in their personal lives not to do one thing. Well, who can say we don't do one thing, but not to do anything that would in any way bring a reproach on their testimony for the name of Christ. How careful we need to be about that.
And you and dear brother, many years ago, he's now with the Lord and.
He was a professional, he was running his own business and as sometimes happens, he had suppliers of equipment and things that he was using in his business and it still happens today. The people who supplied those things wanted to give him what is conventionally called a kickback. I think everyone knows what that means, where they would give him something as a reward for their business.
And as you talked to one of those representatives one time, the man said, well, we're gonna give you this. He said it's very, very good and we're thankful for your business. He said it'll be a nice thing. Well, this believer whom I knew well said yes. He said, what's left, He said after the Canadian Revenue Service gets its share.
All the representatives said, well, you don't, you don't have to declare this as income. It's not, it's not going on our books in any way that.
The government would ever catch up with it. You don't have to put this down as income.
Pretty tempting, isn't it? Sometimes.
Government wastes a lot of money, why should we hand over our hard earned money for them to waste some more? Hope No one from the civil service is sitting here to hear that. But anyway.
The point is, there's waste. We know it.
Anyway, the point is this brother, without cracking a smile, he said, well Sir, he said, I like to do my books as if the Lord were looking over my shoulder, and he declared that his income, he's a good testimony.
Later on, when that same representative representing that company who had suggested that he not declare was very ill on his deathbed, he sent a message to that brother in Christ. I want you to come and see. I want you to come and see me. And he was able to lead him to Christ on his deathbed. Why? Because he knew that here was a man.
Who was faithful to the Lord in the little things of life, where He would, on the human side never have gotten cut?
Things concerning the Kingdom of God, how careful we need to be bred in the world today is throwing these things out the window. Cheat wherever you can, do all kinds of unrighteousness. And if we're not careful, I speak to my own heart. We can get caught up in it. Well, I want to leave time for someone else.
All the counsel of God.
So important to have that.
God has revealed it to us, and as we had in the address of Philadelphia back about 180 years ago, give or take, God raised up those who were led of God to bring back the precious truth of the assembly that had been lost for centuries. I don't say that none enjoyed it. I'm sure God had those who in an individual way enjoyed that precious truth. I can tell you a couple of stories relative to that, but.
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We won't for the sake of the time, but they're beautiful stories about those who appreciated in a wonderful way some of the things that we enjoy.
But they were few and far between, and only as individuals.
But collectively, God brought out that precious truth of the assembly.
All the counsel of God.
But I say again, we need to keep all this in balance. Let's not get so occupied with all the counsel of God that we forget about the things concerning the Kingdom of God. Oh, what good is our testimony if I know everything about God's purposes and yet don't walk out of it?
This is a true story that took place probably 35 or 40 years ago now, but I heard him say it. Our brother, our late brother Eric Smith, again referring to him, was at a Bible conference, fairly large, hundreds of people there in a large US city, and I can't even remember where it was, but he was outside walking around just during the lunch hour or during the supper hour, getting a bit of exercise.
And he was an older man at the time, and he overheard two people speaking who were not attending the conference but who were there looking around. And he caught what they were saying, although he wasn't eavesdropping, he just happened to be walking by. But one of them said to the other, what is going on here? And who are these people anyway?
And it might not have been a very fair comment, but it was made just the same, the other man said. He said they're Christians. No one is, brethren.
And they have the truth, but they don't walk in it I.
Was it a fair comment? Perhaps not. Was it an excuse? It might have been because sometimes those who do not want this, the truth of God will use the bad walk of those who have it as an excuse for not walking in at themselves. God's not going to accept that excuse from them in a coming day.
Every one of us should give an account of himself to God, and I won't be able to point the finger at someone else and say, because he was unfaithful and he didn't walk to please the Lord, and because there was dissension and difficulty and coldness and unfaithfulness among those that profess to know the truth. That's why I didn't walk in it myself. Oh, the Lord's not going to allow me, as it were, to get off the hook that way. No, I'm responsible for what He has revealed to me. But at the same time, what a reproach if that is the case.
All the council of the government, well, I say this.
Because I believe we need more than ever today to keep these things in proper balance in our lives. On the one hand, not to neglect any one of them. On the other hand, not to emphasize one that the expense of the other. All you say, but I don't have the gift of preaching the gospel. I don't have the same gift of approaching people. Some of us don't, and I'm one of them. I find it very awkward to approach people with the gospel. Some have a much greater gift than that.
But.
Timothy was told to do the work of an evangelist.
That means you do the best you can with the circumstances in which God has placed you and the same with other things. We're to keep them in proper balance. But remember the order, the gospel of the grace of God, the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and then all the council of God.
Bill, they think that in a very orderly way.
I didn't bring a comb.
Just like to make a few practical remarks.
A little part of the Council of God.
00:40:02
There's umm, there's a few younger couples here with younger children.
And I would like to.
I'm not qualified to take out what I'm going to, but I would like to have taken this up in my local assembly. So Marcus heard this.
So I'd like to make a few practical remarks.
With regards to our in laws.
So some of us here are umm, mother in laws.
Some are sister in laws.
Summer daughter in laws.
Some are all three.
So our father in laws.
Some or something love?
Our book.
From her brother in laws too.
It affects most of us here because.
Most of us here have a brother-in-law or sister-in-law, or if we're younger, we may soon have on the horizon.
Now it's been my observation.
That there have been marriage difficulties.
Amongst believers.
And some of the time.
Some of the difficulty.
Can be traced to a bad relationship with in laws.
So. So what's my responsibility to my sister-in-law?
What's my responsibility towards my brother-in-law?
What's my responsibility towards my mother-in-law?
Whom I love and have a good relationship with by the grace of God, not because of me.
Uh, this is a different flavor of things that we don't normally take up in the word, but what does the word say about these things?
I think they're important. Umm.
Because they're not talked about.
Uh, I was at, umm, one of my customers a short while ago, umm, my own in-laws, they were passing through and I just made the comment that, uh, my in laws were, uh, coming to stay with me for a short while. And he was quiet for a minute and he says, oh, I suppose there won't be any mother-in-law jokes for a couple of weeks.
And I knew what he meant. And that's a sad thing that there's a stigma matched sometimes to, uh, relationship with a mother-in-law.
So, So what? What do we find in the word?
Let's turn to Genesis.
Genesis chapter 27.
I'm sorry, Genesis chapter 26.
Sometimes, you know, we're content.
To have a relationship with any one of our in laws.
And it might be less than good.
And we, umm, say, well, it's the way it is and we'll just carry on. We'll make the best of it. And it's a bad thing, but we just won't go there and not try to do anything about it. So here in in Genesis chapter 26, we read this verse 34.
Esau was 40 years old when he took to wife Judith, the daughter of Biri the Hittite, and Vashemath, the daughter of Elon Hittite, which were a grief of mind.
Unto Isaac and to Rebecca, you know, it's in my observation to view, umm, some older couples and as they, uh, have a relationship with their children, some of whom are married and they have a relationship with their daughters in laws and uh, sons in laws. And it's this.
00:45:08
There's a grease of mind.
Uh, uh, you know, it's a subject.
It's a sad thing to have to umm, you know, and you go through your life and uh, as I say, I'm not qualified. I don't have, I don't have uh, sons and laws. I don't have daughter in laws. I expect that the Lord be with us here. There's some on the horizon. Umm, but it just seems a sad thing when you have a couple like this.
Who have spent all those years bringing up these boys and one of them gets married and you have a grief of mind.
Day after day after day with the daughter in laws.
Now let's go over each other.
Chapter 27.
And we have here, umm, a scenario where.
We're umm.
So time has gone since the end of the 26th chapter.
And there's this time when.
When Jacob has sought to steal the blessing from his brother.
And we read in the.
In verse 46.
And I expect some 35, almost 40 years has transpired between the first statements and this statement. And Rebecca said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Hess. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these which are the daughters of Lamb, what good shall my life do unto me? You know I have. It's been my observation to see, dear sisters.
Who have a relationship with their daughter-in-law.
That is such that they could say, just like Rebecca, I'm just weary of life because of this relationship.
Isn't that a sad thing?
Is that what the Lord would have for us?
In our relationships with each other.
Whether it's spine, you know, I've I've spoken unadvisedly with with my lips to my sister-in-law.
And, umm.
You know there's a manner into which.
I'm to conduct myself with my sister in laws.
And it's, it's with respect and I haven't always done so. And it's been cause of, of sorrow to me just because of the things I've said. Maybe just in teasing or maybe just flippantly I said something and I heard them and it's less than good.
How, how and and you know, with an in law relationship, umm, it's a family relationship. It's a close relationship and sometimes the hurt can go deeper than other relationships and here.
That's sad. Here's here's the lady that she's brought up her children. Now she's got a boy that's married, He's been married for some years and and and it's just her whole life is she's just weary of life, a part of it. She says she's weary of life because of her relationship with her daughter-in-law.
You know some of the difficulty.
I believe in umm.
In a relationship between a daughter-in-law and a mother-in-law, a daughter-in-law father-in-law, or vice versa.
A son-in-law and a mother-in-law or son-in-law and a father-in-law?
It's perhaps not having.
Good understanding.
Between the difference.
Of a daughter and a son.
They're different.
I'm sure, Stan, you can tell me that there's a difference between your voice and your girls.
They're different.
Our responsibility within this different.
Thankfully, mine are not here. Not even the sun came with me. I hugged my voice.
00:50:04
Uh, differently than I do my girls.
I do it on a continual basis with my growth.
Because.
I could speak to any of the women here in this in this room and they'll tell you they're affected by touch as opposed.
Uh, the male gender in this room is not as affected by touch as those who are female. And so I embraced my girls, umm, when they were young, umm, you know, I, I called them just like I called the boys, but it was, as they got older, I did it more. Why? Because the time will come where if they don't have that physical relationship with their dad, they're going to look for it somewhere else.
And sometimes there isn't that, that, uh, that concept.
Uh, in an in law relationship.
And when it's lacking?
There can be, there can be difficulties. Let me just substantiate that by looking at an incident in David's life.
We turn to umm.
We're not gonna do well here with client, but that's alright. We'll just make a few more comments.
Because there's a number of I would, I would, I would encourage you to look in the word at the various different in law relationships that there are because they're so instructive. But let's look at David Slice in Second Samuel.
Second Samuel, chapter 12.
This has to do with Nathan's parable to David, after David's sin with Bathsheba. Now David, he embarked on this, this parable that he gives to David and he's going somewhere with it. He's got a direction that he's going and he's trying to bring something out of David. He's trying to prove a point. So he says this second Samuel 12 The Lord sent Nathan unto David and came unto him and said unto him.
There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks in herds, but the poor man had nothing saved one little Ulam which he had bought and nourished up, and it grew up together with him and with his children. It did eat of his own meat and drink of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as the Spirit of God now does not take a random word.
It says wasn't they him as a daughter?
So here he perhaps wouldn't have used the same warning if he was speaking about a son.
But Nathan is trying to push a button here with David.
That will get a reaction and what's the result? Let me just get you this little and it's, it's cobbled, uh, and it's oozing as not a sun, it's as a daughter.
And David is just livid. He's just livid. You know, if you go over Chapter 2 when Amnon.
Goes into files David's daughter.
He is just enraged.
It's very similar wording to what we have here.
Sometimes, uh, umm.
We, we could develop this difference between sons and daughters in umm further, but we won't. I would encourage you to look at it. Umm, let let's turn, let's turn to Umm Mark's gospel.
I'll, I'll just look at that. Two other examples before we close here. One is in Mark's Gospel.
Umm.
Mark's Gospel chapter one.
We have here umm.
A situation with umm, uh.
Simon Peter and he has a wife and he also has.
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A mother-in-law and we read here in Mark's Gospel chapter one, verse 30.
But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever.
And then on they tell him of her.
You know, that's often what presides in.
Relationships, you have a fever that presides between a daughter-in-law and a, and a mother-in-law or a son-in-law and a mother-in-law and it's just a, it's just like, uh, some people say it's, uh, it's just a bad mix.
It's like a fever.
The temperature rises whenever these two are together.
And in this situation, the only thing that fixes it is the hand of the Lord.
And often that's the case, often people go for years and there's this bad relationship with their in laws and it just never seems to be fixed. It's only the Lord that can come in in a special way, as he does here in the 31St. And he came and he took her by the hand and lifted her up and immediately the fever left her. And that's often the only way a bad situation leaves is by the hand of the Lord coming in a special way, a recognition perhaps on the on the part.
Of whoever that there's a bad situation here and just crying before that he come in with his hand and remove the situation. Well, our, our time is gone. So let's let's go to the book of Ruth for a moment and we'll just look at this in contrast to what we had in Genesis.
The Book of Ruth.
Umm. Just to read umm.
A first year in connection with Coed.
In verse eight we read, then set borons onto the roof here stone on my daughter going out to glean in another field rather go from hints. But if I hear fast by my maiden, and let thine eyes be on the field that they do reef and go thou after them. Have not I charged the young men that they shall not touch thee?
And we're now at our thirst. Go to the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I'm a stranger? I just noticed this next verse.
And Boaz answered and said unto her.
It has fully been showed me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband, how thou hast left thy father and thy mother the land of thy nativity, and are come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. You know it's it's it's interesting.
That the foremost feature.
That was in mind as he looked at Ruth.
Was the way she had conducted herself.
With regards to her mother now.
Isn't that beautiful?
Isn't that beautiful?
The relationship that Ruth had with her mother-in-law.
Was such that it's so impressive.
It, it's beautiful. It's beautiful. We don't often see it. There's often a friction there. And it's not just the mother-in-law and daughter, daughter-in-law relationship. It's it's often brother-in-law and they're just, they're just miles apart. Some of these relationships, they, they take, they take some work. Let's turn to.
To.
Peters, Epistle assisting closing just for a verse.
First Peter, chapter 4.
Mm-hmm, Mm-hmm. My brother Ted's not here. He's hearing this with me a number of years ago. And I pondered it. It wasn't in relation to this subject, but I, I, I looked at this in relation to this subject first. Peter, chapter 4 and verse 8.
And above all things.
01:00:01
Have fervent love among yourselves, for love shall cover a multitude of sins above all things.
No, we we had before us yesterday, walking circumspectly.
Just use a little example. We have a brother in our assembly.
And umm, it's still beer, coffee. He is a garden, and he really appreciates his garden.
I mean, get squirrels that are running in and out of the garden. He doesn't like them. So he takes boards and he hammers nails right close to each other through the forks and he places these boards in his garden.
And they're all through the garden. And I was there working one day and I was, uh, we were having our lunch on the, uh, on the deck and I was watching a cat walked through the garden. So there's all these spikes sticking up through and the cat is placing it, It's very carefully in between these, these nails that are, they're sticking up that is walking circumspectly. That's what that means.
And you know, just in connection with the relationships that the Lord has put us into, it's so easy for us.
Take a good relationship and just by a flippant word, turn it into a bad relationship.
And, you know, we just can't turn it back on.
It just doesn't happen that way. Sometimes it's a long haul to get the confidence back, but here we find.
Peter, he writes above all things.
Have fervent love.
Among yourselves. Well, may the Lord bless these few thoughts and I would encourage each of our hearts to, umm, consider this subject and look at the various ones that we find in the Word that are in laws. It's so instructive in my own heart and would be such a help in my own relationships with those that I find myself.
#17.
May the grace of Brighton fall down over your first.
Her eyebrows.