Des Moines Conference: 1968
Table of Contents
Jesus Loves You. He Knows You. He Is Calling You.
Children—E. Pilkington
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Best Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so #40.
He's allowed me.
As I know.
Our Bible.
Shall be so.
Level 1 to him.
1.
My army.
Yeah, yeah. Love me.
Lovely.
Help me.
Hold on, three eyes have I gave him all?
And wise.
He will want y'all reimburse.
I.
Love me.
No, I.
Anyway.
This Hague.
All me.
In our eyes.
Hate me, they cry every heart.
Yeah.
God love me.
Yes, he La La wings.
The Bible.
Break me up.
Please tell.
When I.
Marry.
God.
I'll die.
Until what?
I am.
Yeah.
The Bible.
How Great Falls?
He will.
Take.
00:05:02
Off behind.
Always.
I cross him.
Can I die? He will.
Take me.
Away.
Yeah.
You know, it's a wonderful thing to know that the Lord Jesus loves us. Sometimes we sing this hymn, you know, without just really realizing what we're singing.
Many years ago and a little offended school back in Ontario.
There was a little girl that her name was Jeannie.
And back in Ontario, though, we quite often asked the children if there's a hymn they would like to stay.
And that little girl whose name was Jean, he would always put up her hand if she could 1St And we always knew what you wanted to say.
It was always Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so. You know, children, I'm so glad that I have the Bible this morning and that the Bible tells me that Jesus loves me. And you know, when the Bible tells us that Jesus loves us, we know that it is true. He really loves us.
And so this little girl, Jeannie, she would always give out that him but one Lord. The afternoon I noticed a little genie seat was empty. He was not in her accustomed place.
And the next day we saw on the headlines of the paper.
That little genie had been burned to death. Burned to death.
Turn a little brother, you know.
As children quite often do.
I know when I was a boy I used to do the same thing. Children like to play with matches, they like to play with fire, but sometimes when you play with fire, you get burnt.
And so little Ginny and her father, they were playing with a fire.
And her clothes caught on fire and she was burned to death.
Oh yes, little children die.
Yes, it's not only all people that die, but little children die too, and that's why little children need to be safe.
And I'm so glad that the Lord Jesus came into this world to save me and to save children, you know, as we think of the Lord Jesus.
One day the disciples, they wanted to drive the children away.
But the Lord Jesus, why he took them up in his arms and he blessed them and he said, suffer that killed him to come up. Oh yes, he loved everyone. And so little genie, you know, she was taken away suddenly. So we went to see her mother and father. And as we spoke to the mother and father, they didn't know the comfort that the Lord Jesus alone can give at such a time. They didn't know the Lord is their Savior.
But this is one thing they did know. They knew that their little girl loved Jesus.
And they said why Jeannie, she was always singing Jesus loves me. This I know for the Bible tells me so.
Oh, the Bible didn't tell us so. It might not be so, but the Bible tells us so. And though I'm so glad that Jesus loved me and he loved each one of us, and I think perhaps now we could just thank the Lord Jesus for his love. Whose are his?
Let's.
I'd like to read just a few verses in the 10th chapter of John's Gospel.
You know, he's saying, I'm so glad we sang that Jesus loves us and we meant that we're so glad that he loves us and we we know he loved us because the Bible tells us so. And you know, God has given us his word and he speaks to our hearts through his words and he speaks to us in a language and with even the youngest.
00:10:25
Can understand.
I noticed on the card that there was only one meeting where it mentioned children's meeting and so as this is a meeting for children, I want to address my remarks to the children.
And they, the Lord, blessed His word to each of our hearts.
Now here in John's Gospel chapter 10, we have the Lord Jesus speaking, and we might just read a couple verses.
John 10.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entered not by the door, and the sheep fold, but climbeth up some other way, that they seem as a thief and a robber.
But he that addeth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Today I'm not quarter openness and sheep hear his voice.
And he called his own sheep by name.
And leadeth them up.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
Now we might just go down.
To the ninth verse.
Now Lord Jesus again speaking, I am the door by me. If any man enter in, he shall be safe.
And shall go in and out and find pasture. 11Th Verse.
I am the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep the 14th verse I am the Good Shepherd and know my sheep and am known as.
And the 27th verse.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hands. My father would give them me as greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my father are what?
Well, you know the Lord Jesus.
Here he is speaking to his own and he says.
I am the Good Shepherd. You know, there are two kind of sheep mentioned in the word of God and there are two kind of sheep here. I believe in this room this morning. There are those that are lost sheep and those that are safe sheep.
And you know the Lord Jesus, he came all the way down from heaven and or that each one of us might be saved.
And here he says, I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep in order to save you and I who are lost. Why it cost them his life.
Yeah, and I like this little verse. You know the third verse, it says he called his own chief by name. Oh, yes, dear young people, children, this morning, the Lord Jesus knows your name. As I look into your faces, I know the name of some, but I don't know the names of all. But you know there's one above the Lord Jesus, whose presence is here this morning, that knows your name. He knows your name, and he's calling you.
Oh I thank God that there are many that have heard his voice calling to him and have answered His voice yes.
And so there are those who are lost deep and those who are safe.
In March.
Dallas and Vincent.
There was a man after we had given out the gospel, he says I have a six sheep. He says come and look at it. And so.
It was up at the leprechaun. He's come here, know the place, so he took me around behind the clawing, behind a shed.
And there on the ground was a sheep.
And it was sick.
Oh yeah, still. And it was sick. Just one look told me that sheep was very, very sick.
And you know, as I look down at that.
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There is something in my heart just when I was about you, I felt sorry for that Jesus. There was laying on the ground and the hot sun was pouring on that sheet. There was laying and with pants and I noticed about 10 feet away there was a pail of water. But that sheep was so sick and couldn't even get up and go to the water to get a drink.
And the man says all this sheep is very sick.
It's paralyzed and it can't move.
And you know, as I looked at that sheet and I looked at the water, I went and I got the pail and I took it over right to the chief.
And I poured a little water under the mouth to moisten its lips.
That was all I could do to that, chief.
I didn't have the power to heal that Jeep.
My heart went out to it, but all belonged. I couldn't do anything for that sheep. I could take a little water, you know, and and give it to him, but that sheep was so sick.
It couldn't even swallow the water. Couldn't even swallow the water.
And you know, I think that's a picture of each one here who is not saved.
You know, children, you and I are looked at a sheep in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah tells us this all we like sheep have gone astray. Yes, and that's a picture of everyone. We turn everyone to our own way. But you know God, when you look down from heaven, he saw that you and I, his sheep were going astray. And in love he spent his Son, the only one who could give light to you and I.
The Lord Jesus, he came down from heaven and he became a man.
And you know, as he walked through his this world, as he looked at the six from the afflicted ones, you know, his heart went out to them.
My heart went out to that sheep. It was 6 and that Jeep can all it needed someone with more power than what I had.
To restore life to and oh, you know, sometimes as we look at you, dear children, young people.
Sometimes, as we see you going astray, the we're still going your own way.
Still turning your back on the Lord Jesus. As we look at you, our hearts go out to you and we long to bring something to you from the Word of God that will bring joy to your heart.
Yes, but all ourselves were not able. And you know, the Lord Jesus as he looked upon this world, it's hard enough to it. Yes, it's hard enough to it. And so he could take the kiln up in his arms and he could bless them. But you know, children.
The Lord Jesus, his life as he walked through this world, could not.
Could not take away your sins and mine.
Hold on.
The Lord Jesus says I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Such was the condition of you and I that the Lord Jesus had to give his life for us. He had to give his life for us.
And soul.
I had to turn away from that Jesus there. I left the laying on the ground. I couldn't do anything for it and I turned away from it.
3rd the way.
Oh dear children.
If you're not saved, you're sick. Yes, you're sick.
You're like that 6 sheep, and that's six sheep. You know, I didn't have any appetite. I didn't even have any power to swallow.
Oh, such a picture of your condition of mine. We have no strength. We have no power to do anything to save ourselves.
And so the Lord Jesus, He saw our condition. God saw our condition in each sentence.
And the Lord Jesus came down here in love that you and I.
And he went to Calvary cross, He gave his life for us. There was no other way whereby we could be saved. No, no other way. And so here in the 10th of John, the Lord Jesus says.
He calls his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. Oh, I like to think some of the names in the Bible where the Lord Jesus called his sheep. I think perhaps that is was one of Jesus sheep and at the Lord Jesus saw Zacchaeus condition. You know, you remember the story of Zacchaeus in the 19th of Luke. Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus and all children. You've all heard about the Lord Jesus.
00:20:23
Zaki has heard about Jesus and he wanted to see him. Do you want to see Jesus?
You want to see Jesus? I want to tell you there's a way.
Yes, and the Lord Jesus is a way, and that he is, He was a little man, and it tells us he couldn't see. And so he ran ahead and he climbed up into a Sycamore tree. Yes, thank you. As you know, I believe the picture of many of our dear young people.
They want to see Jesus, but they want to keep in the background. They go on anybody to see that they want to be saved.
And I'm afraid there are some who do not want others to know that there are Christians. But you know, Zacchaeus has declined up in that tree. His heart, oh, his heart yearned. He wanted to know Jesus. Oh, is there heart here in this room this morning that wants to know Jesus?
Do you really want to know him when I tell you the Lord Jesus wants you to know him and he's calling you this morning, Yes, he's calling Zach. Yes. As he climbed up into that tree, he thought that no one could see him. So I want to tell you, Jesus knew he was there. Jesus could see him and he can see you this morning as you sit in your seat. He can see right at your heart. He knows with you. You really have any love in your heart for him.
And so Zach years, you know, he looked down, but when Jesus came, what did Jesus do?
The people, the crowd, they went by.
The crowd couldn't see Zacchaeus up the tree, but Jesus knew he was up there and when he came to the tree he looked up and he said Zach is make haste and come down. What was that nice that years was a lot cheap. He was lost and the Lord called my name. Oh dear children, he's calling you by name this morning. Each one here. Have you listened to his voice? Have you listened to his voice?
As your heart responded to His voice, have you come to Him? Have you accepted Him as your savior?
Oh, you know, Zach is accepted. Jesus, could we just turn for one moment those who had Bibles to the 19th of Luke?
It says in the 19th of Luke.
And the fifth verse Jesus said, make haste and come down.
And then the sixth verse that says, And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
Oh children, that's what you and I need to do.
You love the Lord Jesus.
He wants you to receive him. He wants you to receive Zach is what he wanted Jesus. And when Jesus said make Haitian come down, why he came down, he made Hayes Oh yes, he made hate. He came down and he received Jesus. Yes, and he received him joyfully and the Lord Jesus had good news for him. Oh, you could say to Zach he is the Son of man has come to seek and to save.
That which is lost and all beloved, each one of us, without Christ, our love.
Lost, that is what's lost. But he was one of God, sheep and gone astray, yes.
And the Lord Jesus.
Why he called them by name. Oh, I enjoy that.
Thought that the Lord knows each of our names. He knew Zacchaeus name and he knew that Zacchaeus wanted to see him and so Zacchaeus receive him.
And you know what happens to a boy or girl, a man or woman that receives the Lord Jesus? It tells in the first chapter, John's gospel is offers to as many as received him who the Lord Jesus to him, he has given the power or the rights or title to become a son of God, a child of God. Isn't that wonderful? And all you have to do is receive him as your Savior. But oh, let's not forget. Let's not forget what it caught him.
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In order to save us. Oh, it says, here I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
This morning, you know, we're going to gather here in this room and we're going to remember the Lord Jesus and his death. We're going to remember what it cost Him in order to save us from our sins, All children.
The Lord Jesus loves you, He loves you, and so he is calling.
Yes, he called his own sheep by name and leaded the most.
Some time ago I was in A at a brothers farm and he had a lot of sheep and they weren't all old sheep, you know, you had some young laughs.
And I noticed that his children, the moment they got into the barn, they they headed for the little less and they picked a little land up in their arms.
Why did they fix those little lines up in their arms where those little lands, you know, they didn't have any power. They just picked them up in the arms and you know.
I could see as I looked at their faces that they love those little laughs. They love them, yes.
Yes, and I think of a great big dog was the cometh and try to take one of those little lands. I think that I think that those children were going to chase the dog away, don't you? Oh yes, I think that those children, they would do all in their power to protect those of the last. Oh yes, they loved the land and you know they knew the names too. They had a name for each one and the Lord knows your name too.
Hang it on. I spoke to one of those lands and one of those sheep.
And didn't pay any attention to me at all.
They didn't know my voice.
The Lord Jesus is calling. Do you know His voice when he calls? Always calls you this morning. He wants you to know Him, He wants you to know Him. And so it says here, I am the Good Shepherd. And it says here, when he put it forth his own sheep He goeth before them, and the chief follow him, for they know His voice.
Oh, are you and I following the Lord Jesus? Are we following him? Do you know his voice?
You have to receive him as your savior first before.
You can follow him.
You know, the Lord Jesus said to Peter, he says, follow me. Oh yes.
The Lord called each of his disciples. He knew their names, and so he says, My sheep.
Hear my voice and I know them.
And they follow me. Oh yeah, they follow me.
Now let's just go on as our time has gone. It says here in the 27th verse, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man **** them out of my hands.
Now I like this.
My father has given me as greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's head. Oh yeah, my keep here, my boss.
And it says I know them, I know them and what else?
The shepherd, you know, has something to give the sheep. He has something to give the sheep. Oh yes, and what is it?
I give unto them eternal life. Oh yes, the Lord Jesus this morning wants to give each one something. He wants to give you eternal life. Oh yes, He has a gift this morning for everyone here in this room.
A gift. And what is this gift? Oh, the gift of God is eternal life. The gift of God is eternal life. You have that gift. Have you received that gift?
Oh, the Lord Jesus wants you.
Some weeks ago.
I was walking down a certain village and the islands and visit and I was walking down this Philly in around the huts giving out tracks and there was a brother there and he started to tell me a story.
And he says, brother, he says when I was over in England.
He asked me to speak to the children.
And he said, brother, I didn't know what to say.
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But I thought about the Good Shepherd.
And down there is a bit and they have a lot of sheep.
And so he's thought about the Good Shepherd.
And so he said, I told him a story.
And I want to tell you this story he told me. Perhaps some of you have heard us. You pardon me for repeating it, but this brother, he says brother some years ago.
There was a man out of Sandy Bay that started a rumor.
That Mount Soufri was going to erupt, going to erupt.
Now, many years before that, there was a man that warned the people that it was going to erupt and people didn't believe him. The government had paid this brother.
To what?
Come, let's know of him. And when he saw the danger was coming to a crisis.
He went about warning the people.
And no, they didn't listen to him.
And you know, beloved children.
Today we see the crisis of approaching the coming. The Lord has drawn eyes and we would seek to warn you of your lost conditions.
But you know, there are many today that don't want to hear.
They're turning their backs upon the Lord Jesus, the one who is the Good Shepherd. And you know, down there, this dear man, I'm sure his heart was filled with sorrow as he went to one and to another, and they didn't believe him.
At last he had a plea for his life.
And those who didn't listen to his advice, to his warning, they perish. They perish.
And so this brother was telling me a story that took place some years after.
And he said, brother, this man, he started the rumor that Mount Soufri was going to erupt again. And so he told the people.
And the people believed them. It was all I just a joke, as he called it. But the people believed him. And they ran it all to their houses. They made preparation to flee and they fled.
They believed in them.
And one woman, you know, she had a little house and she had a sheep, and the houses down there are built on wooden posts and she took her sheep and she tied it underneath the house to one of the posts.
And.
He fled. One day went by, two days went by. Three days, nothing happens. Nothing happens.
Course it wasn't true.
And at last one time in the mountains to see for himself. And he looked down there where the volcano had erupted some years before. Why? He saw that it was dead. He saw that that mountain was morning rough. It was just a joke. It was false.
Oh, beloved.
How long it is for people not to believe the truth and yet to believe a lot? All I want to tell you dear young people, until this morning, if you don't believe on the Lord Jesus and accept Him as your Savior.
The day is going to come when you are going to believe a lie. I believe a lie. Yes, it's all, but it's true.
Well, this woman, she made her way back to her house.
And when she got to her house, he looked under the house and the sheep was gone. It was gone.
Well, she felt sad or she was stolen.
One day as he was walking down the village, he saw a man coming towards her with a sheep, and she recognized it as her sheep, her sheep.
And she went up to him and she said, man, you have my sheep, that's why. Oh, he said, no, that's my sheep. You're wrong, that's mine. Oh, she said, no, I know that, mighty.
He says you can't have it because it's mine.
Well, this woman took.
Took the case to higher authorities and the day came when.
The judge some them to appear before him.
And there the charge was laid against this man, and he had sold this woman's sheep, and he said.
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I didn't steal the sheep. That sheep is mine.
And so the judge, you know, he turned to the woman. You say that your sheep. Oh yes, I know that mighty well, the judge said to the man. You go downstairs.
This case was held in the town of Georgetown and Saint Vincent, and the courtroom was upstairs from this building. And so the man went down the stairs and the judge says when you get down there, call your sheep and tell the man he called his sheep.
And he said it was his sheep, but that sheep didn't respond to his voice. It didn't pay any attention. And the man called, but the sheep didn't respond. Why? Because the sheep didn't know his voice. And finally the God says to the man come back up and he said to the woman.
Now, he said, you go down and call, so she.
And so he went downstairs, and she called her sheep. And you know right away why the sheep didn't. And it's ran down the stairs. Yes, she went. The sheep went to the woman. Why? Because that sheep belonged to that woman. That sheep knew the voice of that woman, and that woman knew the sheep.
Oh, yeah. Oh, one glance at that. She told that woman it was hers. Oh, I want to tell your children, the Lord Jesus knows this morning whether you're one of his sheep, He knows. Whether you're one of his sheep, he knows.
Sometimes people say that they're safe.
I can remember when I was a little boy.
To avoid being embarrassed, I remember saying that I was safe when I was.
If you ever done that.
And I can remember one day my brother saying to him to me.
To Derek.
There's a man coming to the house tonight and he'll ask if you're safe.
You better not tell him you hope so you'll be in trouble.
You know, there are many that say I hope so.
That got me thinking, you know?
You got me thinking.
And I asked myself some questions. All children. You ask yourself the questions. I ask myself the question whether I really love you. And my heart told me that I did.
And the word of God shows me that Jesus loved me.
And so, sure enough, sure enough.
After the little meeting in our home, this man came up to me and said Eric.
You say, you know what I said, oh, I hadn't made the decision that you know what I said? I said yeah.
Can you say yes to the Lord Jesus?
What? I'll tell you what happened.
As.
Years went by, you know, I was tempted.
To go with some other boys. Well, yes, if you're one of his sheep, you know there are false shepherds around and you'll seek to lead you astray. They'll seek to lead you away from the Lord Jesus.
And so.
I got that straight.
And I can remember the very afternoon I was so unhappy. And I want to tell you, young people, if you love the Lord Jesus and are saved, I want to tell you and warn you that you'll, you'll not be happy.
If you don't follow the Lord, you'll not be happy.
Jesus says my keeping my voice, and I know them and they follow me. And if you don't follow the Lord Jesus, if you're one of his keep, I want to tell you that you have a shepherd that is so wise.
So faithful.
That he will not let you go your own way. Oh no, he will not let you go your own way. He loves you too much and he'll deal with you.
Oh, dear young people. Christian, this morning the Lord Jesus is calling to you. He's calling you by name. You know him.
Have you responded to him?
Oh, May this morning, if you haven't, may you respond to him.
And accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior. And let's not forget the Lord who is a Good Shepherd knows yours, whether you love him. You know Peter and his epistles from the second chapter. He could write to the Christians and you know what he said to them. He said, For ye were as she born astray, but have now returned.
00:40:17
Oh, returns onto the shepherd and fish of your soul. Oh, you haven't come to Jesus. Come to him this morning.
A Young Man
YP Address—E. Smith
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.
139.
This world is a wilderness wide.
We have nothing to seek or to choose.
We've no thought in the ways to abide.
We've not to regret nor to lose.
Tis the treasure we found in his love.
That has made us now pilgrims below.
And is there when we reach him above.
As we're known.
All his fullness will know.
And #139.
Dear young people this afternoon.
I would like to talk to you about.
Young man.
We find in the word of God a young man, I might say, that God has used to speak to me.
We read a few things about this young man in the 106th song, and then I thought after we'd read these few verses, we might go back.
And pick up his history to see the sequence of events that led up.
To what is written about him in the 106 psalms.
And Psalm 106 and verse 28.
They joined themselves also unto Bail Pier, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions, and the plague break in upon them.
Then stood up in 1/2 and executed judgment and sold. The plague was saved.
And that was counted unto him for righteousness.
Unto all generations forevermore.
You know, it seems to me, dear young people, that today, and it seems to be becoming more and more pronounced as each day goes by.
That the young people of this world seem to feel that they must stand up for themselves.
That they must stand up for their own rights.
That the young people are entitled to be heard.
That their voices.
Are voices that should be listened to.
As we read what's going on in this country to some extent in Canada, over in Europe, again, how we see students standing up to declare what they think is the way things should be done, to declare their rights, to let everyone know that they have a voice and they want to be heard.
00:10:18
Well, dear young people, when I thought about this and thought about this young man.
We have someone here that stood up. It tells us in that 30th verse, then stood up in a hat. And all dear young people, I say with all my heart, it's a good thing for young people to stand up.
It's a good thing for young people to take a stand.
To stand up.
But all May God give to you and to me.
The grace to stand up.
For what God tells us is right to stand up. For what God tells us should be stood up for.
This man's been a hat, and I'd like to talk about this afternoon.
Has a very interesting history.
And one that parallels, I feel to a large extent, many of the young people who are here today, particularly perhaps.
The children, the young people born into the homes of Christian parents.
Would you turn with me? We'll be referring to this passage again, but turn with me to pick up one little verse in the first chapter of Numbers.
Numbers Chapter one.
And verse 7.
Numbers chapter one and verse 7.
Of Judah.
Nation, the son of a Minidas.
And now turn over to the 6th chapter of Exodus.
The 6th chapter of Exodus and the 23rd verse.
And Aaron took him Elishiba, daughter of a Minitab, sister of nation, to White.
And she bear him, Nadab, and by you Eliezer and Itamar.
And now the 25th verse. And Eliezer Aaron's song took him one of the daughters of future White, and she bear him in a hat.
You'll connect what we have here with the portion in the first chapter of Numbers.
You'll find.
That finnehas grandfather.
Was Aaron of the tribe of Levi?
And his grandmother was Elishiba of the tribe of Judah.
And so in their offspring, in Eliezer, for instance, the father.
Of finna has we have one in whom?
The priestly tribes and the kingly tribes, the royal tribe of Judah and the tribe of Levi were united.
I was thinking of this passage this morning in connection with the verse that was read in Revelation.
Both being made kings and priests.
You know what, dear young people, if you have a spinner hat pad.
A parent, A father.
In whom?
Look, the priestly tribe and the kingly tribe were united.
You might well say that Finna Hat was born, and rightly so. You might say that Tennehas was born into a favored position.
What a place to be in to have someone as a father.
Who?
Was of the two tribes, particularly of the tribe of Levi, but who could also trace his ancestry from the other, the leading the outstanding tribe of Judah, the tribe from which the Lord would come.
And as I look around this room this afternoon.
00:15:03
It strikes me as I think of thinner hat, how many here have been born into such a favorite position?
Dear young people, to think that God has been pleased in his goodness to you, to grant to you that you might be born into a family.
Where your mother, your father, or both?
Belong to Christ.
You have been born into a place of favor, a place of privilege, a place of blessing. And what a thing it is.
To realize.
What a blessing this is.
There are numbers of us that were not born into such a place. God has been very gracious and very good to us.
All dear young people, May God give you to see and to value what it is.
To be in the place like Finnerhan to have.
As a parent.
One of whom God speaks as a king and a priest.
To have one as your mother and father.
That belong to Christ.
And earnestly desire to see you brought up, and to support the Lord, and to go on for him.
Well, Finnaff was born into such a position. Finna hath had a great deal.
To be thankful for, but dear young people in a hat, the position that he was born into, the fact that he had such a parent that he could trace his lineage back through the tribe of Levi and Judah.
Was of no particular avail in the moment when it came.
That's been 1/2. Must take a stand.
He must stand up.
We find, if you'll turn with me now, over to the 21St chapter of Numbers.
The beginning of a sequence of events.
A series of things that happened that led up to that time.
When thinner hat stood up.
As we read in the 106 song.
We haven't time to read all the verses in these chapters, but I would like to just touch on the highlights as we have them opened up to us here in these two chapters leading up to the case of cinemas standing up to the law.
If you look at the 21St chapter of Numbers, and the eighth verse, it says, And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee A fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, And it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
We might say, dear young people, this is the first step.
This is the first step.
In taking a stand for the Lord and standing up as a young person for the Lord.
There can be no stand taken.
There can be no standing up for the Lord.
There can be no letting your voice be heard.
Standing up for the more.
Until you first of all.
Come to know him as Savior.
Until you are first of all.
Looked to the serpent upon the pole.
Until your eyes have first of all.
Been directed to the cross of Christ.
And seen there the Lord Jesus.
As the one who gave himself for you before, there can be any kind of stand taken.
There must first of all.
Be a personal transaction.
Between your soul and Christ.
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Dear young people, can I ask you this?
Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? The fact that you have been born into a place of privilege? The fact that God has so blessed you?
With a mother and a father that belongs to Christ.
Wondrous privilege as it is, is of no avail in the saving of your soul.
You must.
Bitten by the serpent, as we all are.
Bitten by sins, we must all look.
To the serpent abras upon the poles, we must all look to the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who was made sin for us, He who knew no sin.
We are ever.
To take a stand for him. What a pitiful thing, what a foolish thing, what an empty thing it is for someone ever to think that they could stand for the Lord.
Without ever knowing him.
Savior.
Well, what we have following this chapter.
In the 22nd chapter, we have the account given to us available.
This is the McAllen. I'm sure that's well known to many or most here. How Balaam was hired by Balak.
King of Moab and of Midian.
To come and curse the people of God. To come and curse the ones who had looked.
To the serpent, and lived to come and curse those.
Whom God was pleased.
To call his people.
And when Balaam came, he warned Balak.
That though he was ready to curse the people of God.
Though he was willing to curse the people of God.
He warned Balak in advance that he could not go beyond.
What the Lord allowed him to say.
Well, they're young people, we now find.
In these chapters, a 22nd and the 23rd and the 24th chapters of numbers, we have the history of Balaam and his efforts.
His endeavors to fulfill his commissions.
To fulfill his hiring.
Curse the people of God and how God frustrated it.
Now, again, we don't have the time to read all these chapters, but many of you, I'm sure, are familiar with it. They're young people. You may read it at your leisure, but I would like to point out, pick out the four or five instances where Balaam opened his mouth.
And where we have the.
That God put into his mouth to say concerning the people of God.
If you notice in the 22nd chapter and the 12Th verse.
And God said unto Balaam.
Thou shalt not go with them.
Thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed.
Notice that.
They are blessed.
Dear young people, I'm going to address you now.
As it was my purpose this afternoon.
As particularly those who belong to Christ, you have looked.
Yesterday, last night, last week, last year, 10 years ago.
Sometime you have looked and seen for yourself the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who died for you. You have looked to Calvary and seen the Lord Jesus as the one who has paid the price to redeem you to himself. Well now we have in these chapters perhaps highlighted in the types connected with Israel in the word said concerning Israel.
Some of the things that are true of you and of me. Dear young people, May God give us to be in the enjoyment of these things. First of all, that I love the simplicity of this first statement. Thou shalt not curse the people.
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For they are blessed.
Dear young people, do you know?
Are you enjoying this afternoon the fact?
That you are blessed of God.
Blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
To think that you and I, we who deserve nothing but a lost eternity, have not only been saved from that not only been saved from hell, but we have been blessed of God.
And blessed, dear young people.
With every spiritual blessing.
In heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.
God has held back nothing.
That is for your good and blessed. God has not held back to Himself one blessing.
That he could give.
It's your your blessed of God.
In order since the 23rd chapter.
And the ninth verse.
It says again. Balaam ceased speaking, he says.
The top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him.
Lo, the people shall dwell among.
And shall not be reckoned among the nations.
God was saying through the mouth of Salem that these were his people, that they were to be kept apart, that they belong to him.
Dear young people, do you know that?
Do you know that God is saving out of this world?
A people for His name, and that you are one of them, that you are blessed of God, and that now you are numbered among His people, among this company, that He, as it were, separates to himself and says they're not to be numbered among the nations, not to be reckoned with the rest of this world. These are mines, these are mine.
Fair to dwell alone.
They are a separated company. Dear young people, you belong to Christ.
You're blessed of God and you belong to this separated company. You're one of them.
Regardless of how you're walking or how I'm walking, the fact remains that we are blessed God.
And we are among his own separated people.
You go on to the 20, the latter part of the 23rd chapter.
The 21St verse, he says.
He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob.
Neither have he seen perverseness in Israel.
The 23rd verse Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.
According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel.
What?
Hath God wrought.
Dear young people again.
God is bringing before our hearts here as He put it into the mouth of Balaam.
That there can be nothing.
Laid to the charge of God's delight.
God will receive from the mouth of the enemy of your soul no charge against you.
He sees you as in Christ.
And there was no divination.
No enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.
According to this time, it shall be said of Jacob of Israel, what hath God wrought? Dear young people, you belong to Christ. And now?
In him.
God.
Sees you as purpose. God sees you in Christ.
Before himself. And he sees there in you and in I, in me this afternoon He sees the results of his own works, the results of the work of the Cross. He sees in you and in me this afternoon what he has wrought.
00:30:12
In the gift of His Son He sees what has been the result, you and I in Christ.
For God, he sees us this way, dear young people, He sees us. This is one of the ways.
God looked at us. Are you and I in the enjoyment of this this afternoon?
Is my soul and yours rejoicing?
In what God has brought to see us.
In Christ before God.
Dear young people, my soul has just been rejoicing lately.
It seems the Lord has been bringing, particularly before for my own soul's enjoyment, the precious truth.
That the Lord Jesus.
Took my place.
On Calvary's cross.
And then in grace, as a result of that, He has introduced me into his place of favor before God.
Love with the same love that He was. Loved with the glory that He was given him, He had given us.
Made joint heirs with Christ.
Dear young people, how could we be more blessed with God?
How could God improve?
On the work of his own son? Impossible.
God has worked through Christ to make you even now.
Thick with glory, ready to be there.
With the Lord Jesus Christ.
And to be seen in and like him, you notice that the 24th verse, the 24th chapter, and the fifth verse.
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel?
We read previously through these chapters and we find how Israel murmured, how Israel rebelled, how they grumbled, how they blamed God for bringing them out of Egypt.
And now God says how goodly.
Are thy tenso Jacob, and thy Tabernacle Israel?
Dear young people, God takes his delight in his own God.
Hearts finds the light and those who are resolved to see them in all the beauty and all the perfection of His own Son, to see you and I to view us as in Christ, and He can truly find the delight of His heart.
And those that are his own, how one risk to think that in that coming scene of glory.
The Lord Jesus is going to be able to say, or it's going to be able to be said of Him.
He shall see of the fruit of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied. Oh, when we look at our own hearts. When one looks at one's own heart, how could it be that the Lord Jesus would define His satisfaction?
And having us there with himself in the glory.
To see what he must have endured on Calvary's cross, to make us his own, and then to have him say of you and I.
That he will be satisfied to have a say.
In spite of all that it cost him to make it possible.
You notice the 24th chapter and the 17th verse.
The middle of the earth there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.
And the 19 verse out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
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We now find one lack point race here, the fact that there is going to be 1 Come out of Jacob, there is going to be a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion.
Tells us in the Book of Revelation, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is going to have dominion, dear young people, He's going to take this world he has created.
It he has redeemed it.
It belongs to him.
And he's going to take it. He's waiting.
For the moment when you and I are with Him in the glory before He does.
He's waiting to have those that are his own with him there in the glory before he takes it.
But it is his, and he will take it in spite of the God and Prince of this world, in spite of all the opposition of men, in spite of all the hatred that's natural to the heart of man against God.
He is going to have what is his by right.
Dear young people, we are going to be with him.
We have been blessed.
We are his people. He sees us as that which he has wrought in Christ.
He finds his delight. How goodly our life tabernacles. He finds his delight in his own.
And he tells us.
That this whole scene is going to be his and we are going to share it with him available.
But the one who made these prophecies, these words were put into Balaam's mouth.
And spiritually, they apply to us today. God has the question, Dear young people, after we've read this, these chapters, after you have gone back over them perhaps sometime and read them for yourselves, it will perhaps cause you to marvel how the 25th chapter could ever have been written.
How could the 25th chapter follow what we have here?
You'll go to the 25th chapter now and the second verse.
Says And they called the people, that is, the daughters of Moab, called the people of God unto the sacrifices of their gods, And the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the board was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sons, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.
And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye everyone his men that were joined unto Baal Peor. And behold, one of the children of Israel came, and brought unto his brethren a Midianitis woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation. And when finna hast the son of Eliezer the son of Aaron the priest sought.
He rose up from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand.
And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through the man of Israel and the woman through her belly.
So the plague was speed from the children of Israel.
And those that died in the plague were 20 and 4000. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Sinner has the son of Eliezer, the son of heir, And the priest hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consume not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
Wherefore say, behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace, and he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his gods, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
The 16th verse. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Vex the Midianites, and smite them.
And if you turn over to the 31St chapter for a moment.
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31St chapter in the second verse.
Says Avenged, the children of Israel of the Midianites, Afterwards shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
And the sixth verse. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousands of every tribe them. And Finna has the son of Eliezer, the priests through the war with the holy instruments and the trumpets, to blow in his hands. And they warned against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, And they slew all the males, and they flew the kings of Midian beside the rest of them that were slain, namely Evie and Recum, and Zur, and her and Reba.
5 Kings of leaders, Midian Balaam, also the son of Beor, they slew with the sword and the 16th verse.
Behold, these caused the children of Israel.
Through the Council of Balaam to commit trespass against the Lord in the matters pure.
Dear young people, this is, at least to my own soul, an amazing chapter.
Here we have had recounted.
Through the mouth of Balaam.
God views His people. We have seen them as blessed of God. We have seen these other things mentioned concerning them that we have read.
And now we find.
That through the Council of Bales, through advice given by Baal.
The people of God.
Who could not be cursed?
Because they were blessed of God.
Were enticed.
Away to the worship of Bail Peor.
Enticed away, LED away.
By the desires of the flesh and LED away to the point where God must bring a plague upon dear young people. How can this be? How could it be?
That people so blessed of God.
Would turn away after the false gods of Baal Peor.
All dear young people, it came about through the advice of Valence.
It came about through the advice of this false prophets.
It came about through the advice given by.
One in the mouth of fame.
By one the enemy of your soul and minds who knows so well.
The treachery of these hearts of ours.
That knows so well.
How he first succeeded.
In the case of Eve, in getting her to turn away.
To listen to his voice.
And now we have Balaam here in the Council given.
Leading the children of Israel away, leading them to the worship of false gods. You notice what it says of them. And they called the people under the sacrifices of their gods. And the people did eat.
And bow down to their gods.
Dear, beloved young people.
You and I have been.
So blessed of God.
We have been brought into such a place of favor before himself.
And that's such a cause.
Why isn't it? Why is it that our hearts?
So often respond to the invitation.
To come and sacrifice before the gods of this world.
You know, it tells us in the 106th Psalm, the passage that we read, that.
That they sacrificed unto bail pure.
And ate the sacrifices of the dead. Or how this has struck my own heart and conscience.
Ate the sacrifices of the dead.
Dear young people, we have extended to us every day.
The invitation from this world and from the God of this world to come and sacrifice before the gods of this world.
To come and eat.
00:45:01
Wisdom How many different gods there are?
How often we come in contact with them, we find one. Perhaps we could call him the God of business.
And we're invited in spite of the fact that we are so blessed of God.
We're invited to come and do sacrifice before the Goddess business.
To let God's things take a second place and come and go in the world ways.
After the God of business.
We find the God of pleasure is one that we're invited to constantly.
To come and sacrifice before the God of pleasure.
To come and eat with them.
All dear young people I had, as I said before, I have been so struck with that expression. And they ate the sacrifices of the dead.
We have.
Is dead sacrifices.
Being offered by dead people.
And you and I are invited. Invited by this world.
Seduced by the God of this world.
To come and eat with them, to come and partake with them.
Of the sacrifices of the dead. Or, you know, sometimes we hear young people.
Say things are so dead around here. You ever hear them say that? You ever said that yourself?
In our meeting back home, things are so that nothing ever happens and we find sometimes at the hearts of the young people are attracted to go after the things of this world.
As if that's where life is found. As if that's where really life is. Things are so dead.
All dear young people, what you're being invited to do is to step out of the pathway of obedience to the Word of God.
And instead to step up and eat the sacrifices of the dead, to partake of the things that this world has designed.
To satisfy their hearts away from God.
Right here in this same place today, right here in the same places last several days, we have had the Word of God ministers.
And we have had racist carried on by dead people.
By dead people, ones who have no life toward God, trying to eat dead sacrifices, trying to find something that will satisfy their hearts. And it won't. It cannot, but they try. And then they invite us to go and partake with them.
Beloved young people, we are blessed of God.
We have his blessing procured at such a cost to himself.
May God give us the grace to see these things for what they are.
Another God, dear young people, that I would warn your heart and mind against.
Is what we might call the God of fashion. The God of fashion. We see this creeping in amongst the young people and how it saddens one's heart to see young people feeling they must copy.
The practices of the dead that are around us. You have life from God. You are blessed of God.
The Lord Jesus has paid such a cost that you might be his own. Why should we copy the practices of the dead? Why should we want to dress like them, look like them, act like them?
Or may I speak frankly?
We used to worry and some of us still do, and I I will not hurt anyone's feelings when I say this.
But they're young people. The Word of God speaks.
Of long hair being a glory to a woman.
But it never speaks of long hair being a glory to a man. And we find this practice coming in among some of the young people today. Where are they getting it from?
They're copying dead people. They're copying ones who have no life towards God at all. They're being invited to go and sacrifice before the gods of this world and eat their dead sacrifices.
00:50:00
Their young people, May God preserve you and I promise.
Promise we have here in the case of Finna hat now.
One who took a stand, This thing was coming in and reached such a point.
That one of them felt that they could bring a Midianitis woman right into the camp of Israel.
Well, it tells us that it was at this time. At this time.
That thinner hat stood up.
Dear young people, do you know the Lord Jesus and Christ as your Savior?
Do you know that you're blessed with God?
Do you know that God sees you as one of his own, that you belong to Him?
That he's waiting for the moment when you're going to be caught up to be with the Lord Jesus in glory before he takes all this scene around us.
In the hat now stood up, and it says And he took a javelin in his hand, and he killed this.
One of the children of Israel and the Midianites woman that came into the camp of Israel, he killed them. He took in his hand at javelin. Dear young people, you and I have a javelin. You know, it struck me in meditating on this.
That center has didn't have to go go and look for his javelin, says. He stood up and he took his javelin and he went in and he acted for God. He acted for God. He stood up.
And he let it be known that he was going to stand for God against all this worldliness that was coming in, against all this seduction that was being exercised at the advice of Salem to lead the people of God astray.
Dear young people, their beloved young St. of God, I invite you and I invite myself.
To stand up for God, to take a stand through his grace and goodness, to take a stand.
Against the world.
Against the worldly practices. Against the worldly enticements.
That are coming in amongst his people.
It tells us the spinner hats.
That he stood up.
It says Benahath, the son of Alma Aziz hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consume not the children of Israel in my jealousy, he was zealous for my sake among them. Dear young people, dear young brother or sister, will you be zealous for his sake?
Among the people of God.
Would you take a stand or dear young people, it was something for Finna has the people were all going after them, says the people that he Finna has didn't have much company in his stand, but he took it nevertheless.
God is looking for God is, as it were, calling upon you and I to take a stand for Him, to be zealous for His sake.
Not to be concerned. Not to be concerned about being popular.
But to be faithful, to be faithful to your young people, what a claim He has on our hearts.
The Council of Balaam was leading them into such errors, but Finna has stood up.
Will you and I take a stand for him? Stand for him?
We only have a few minutes left. I would like to turn over for a moment to the 22nd chapter of Joshua.
The 22nd chapter of Joshua.
And the tenth verse.
And when they came onto the borders of Jordan that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to. And the children of Israel heard say, behold the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, and the half Trident Vanessa.
Have built an altar.
Over against the land of Canaan in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh to go up to war against them. And the children of Israel tent unto the children of Reubens, and to the children of God, and to the half tribal Manasseh into the land of Gilead Finahat the son of Eliezer the priest.
00:55:24
And with him 10 Princess of each chief House of Prince, wrote all the tribes of Israel, and each one was ahead of the House of their fathers among the thousands of Israel. And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead. And they spake with them, saying, Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What trespasses this that he have committed against the God of Israel?
To turn away this day from following the Lord, in that he has builded you an altar, that he might rebel this day against the Lord.
Is the iniquity of pure too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord?
Dear young people, it seems to my own heart, and I say I address these words to myself more than anyone else.
But it seems to my own soul.
That the enemy of the people of God is directing his attacks today against the young people, against the people of God, but perhaps particularly against the young people in two ways.
1.
Is through the encroachment of worldliness and worldly practices.
Copying.
The systems of this world copying the things of this world, going after the things of this world. Dear young people, it's no accident that when the Lord by His Spirit says love not the world, neither the things which are in the world, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
What? When he addressed those words, he addressed them to the young men.
The young men for young people, this is a particular.
Problem. A particular difficulty, a particular temptation. But there's another one.
Young people again I I trust that this will exercise your heart and mind.
It seems to me that for many of the young people today.
The enemy of our souls is getting to them.
Making them indifferent.
To God's truth concerning the ground of gas.
Concerning the truth that God has one sentence.
To which he would have his people get.
That God has set up.
One testimony.
To the truth that there is one body, when I speak to many of the children of the Saints about this.
Truth I find many times.
That they are not opposed to this truth. They don't argue against it.
But they are indifferent to it.
They don't value what a precious truth it is.
They haven't laid hold in their souls of what it means.
Before God.
To be gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, in meditating upon cinema has to destruct me that this was the other thing that came up in cinnahas his life.
There was that turning after Baal Peor, going after this world, going after the enticements that Balaam brought before them, and he took a stand with the javelin, with his weapons, with the word of God. He made his stand. Dear young people, may you and I make our stand on the word of God. But when the worldliness and its practices.
Comes to my heart. May we judge it by the word of God.
May we uncompromisingly apply the Word of God.
To what is offered, to see it from what it is, to judge it as God sees it, and to turn away from it as hateful to Him.
01:00:04
But May God give you an eye to dear young people to take the same stand that Finna has to fear. If you read the chapter carefully, we haven't really time to go into it now, but you will find it's amazing to me at least it is to my own soul and reading it the half tribe of Manasseh and Reuben.
And.
One other one Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh. They had not crossed over Jordan. They had stayed outside of the land of Israel after going into fight the battles.
They hadn't really come up to all the privileges that were there as God's people, and now they established another altar. If we read the chapter, we find that they had an explanation for what they did, and God does not particularly condemn them at this point for what they did. But what struck me so much struck my own soul so much.
Was the concern that Finna has had.
For the fact.
That there was a departure from the center that was at Shiloh.
That something else was being established, regardless of the reason for it. He was concerned for the truth that God Center was a Shiloh.
Dear young people, beloved Saints of God, May God give to you and I to be concerned.
Before God for this precious truth that he is committed to us, that he has given us to see that Christ is the center to which he would have us gathered, Dear young people. That we might value it, that we might thank God for it, That we might be concerned about it, That we might teach it to our children, That we might speak of it to the young people.
Just recently one of the young people said to me, you know, she said, it's been years since I heard anything in our meeting about the truth of the ground gathering. Dear young people, I say to my own heart, if we don't value it, we'll lose it, But God will preserve it to us in grace. If we value it, if we're concerned for it, May God give it to you and I to be sold.
To take a stand against worldliness again, against the encroachments of the enemy who would seek to lead us away.
To partake of the sacrifices of the dead and to value this precious, precious place, this privilege that has been given to us, to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the center.
Where he has chosen to place his name.
And the place gathered to him.
Until we come.
Enduring
Gospel
Luke 23:33, Titus 3
YP Address—C. Lunden
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The number 83 in the back of the foot.
83.
The path of the bull.
And paid in debt the dreadful score, the guilt that lay on me.
I looked at him till sight, and dear the Savior to my heart. To him I look who calms my fear, nor from himself with part.
I look until his precious love, my every thought control.
Its vast constraining influence prove our body.
Spirit, soul to him I look while still I run.
My never failing friend finish, he will the work begun.
And grace in glory and.
Behold the life.
I don't know if you can see that.
The first scripture I would like to turn to this afternoon is the 23rd of Luke.
Luke 23.
Three verse 33.
And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him.
Verse 34.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
44th verse And it was about the 6th hour, And there was darkness over all the earth until the 9th hour, and the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, And having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Now if you'll turn with me to the Book of Titus, The Epistle of Titus.
In the third chapter.
Verse three, Titus three and verse 3.
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish.
Disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God, our Savior toward man appeared.
Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Now turn with me to Galatians.
The second chapter.
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The verse 20.
I am crucified with Christ.
Nevertheless I live yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
I believe, dear brethren, dear young people, that we have here in these scriptures the basis.
Of all that would follow in our Christian lives.
First of all, salvation, and then the new position that we've been put in in connection with that salvation, the Spirit of God indwelling the believer. And now we're entitled to say, as we have read in this verse in Galatians, I am crucified with Christ.
The believer is seen now an entirely a new position.
We don't know Christ after the flesh. The old order of things are gone.
As far as the believer is concerned, and he is entirely a new position.
His life is different.
Flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
But we have life in the spirit.
And we will for all eternity.
Have life in the spirit. It's a new character of life.
And sometimes this may be difficult for young believers to see.
That the whole picture has changed now.
And we read what we once were.
What characterized us before we were saved, but how that now there's a new position entirely we've been placed in?
And our life now is in the spirit.
And the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer, prompts him to those things which are just contrary to the old order.
Beside that, we're a heavenly people.
And you know, worldliness, beloved, is just in direct opposite to heavenly mindedness.
The things of this world that attract the natural heart are just absolutely contrary.
To that which is our proper portion, and yet how easily our poor hearts are attracted to all that's around us.
And how we need to be found with this picture before us that we read in the 23rd chapter of Luke of the place our blessed Savior took. Yes, He took it for us.
That now we're entitled to say I am crucified.
With Christ, yes. We didn't have to pass through the agonies of the cross. We couldn't.
But the Lord Jesus did for us.
He took our place.
And the love of Christ now constrains us to act. We have a new life.
A life that wants to please him.
Are you able to say with the apostle?
These words that we have read.
In Galatians, are you able to repeat those with the apostle Paul?
I am crucified with Christ.
Nevertheless, I live yet not I.
But Christ liveth in me.
And the life which I now live in the flesh.
I live by the faith.
Of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself.
For me now, when I was first saved, I remember this verse quoted often by others, and I learned it myself.
But you know, there's a great deal of truth in this verse. I wonder if we realize what it means.
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The life that I now live in the flesh.
The faith of the Son of God. What is this?
Do you know, dear young people, that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God?
And so that the life we now live as believers.
Is always if it's true, Christian character is according to what the Word of God teaches.
Again, we say it's love that prompts all this. It's the cross of Christ. It's what he has done for us.
Oh, how often the apostle brings us into his ministry.
Bring us back again to the very foundations of Christianity.
And you know, beloved, a distance creation and all the wonders. That is the textbook of the believer now.
No, it's the cross of Christ. We get that in First Corinthians.
Brought before us very vividly.
There were the Saints where?
Were endowed with wisdom, knowledge, perhaps wealth. All of these outward manifestations in favors of God, too, in a way. And yet they were walking as men, carnal, because they didn't realize that the character of this new life in the Spirit.
But that's what we have. And now this is the power of the new life.
To take this place at the very start of our Christian life.
I am crucified with Christ.
To take our place at the very beginning with a sense of what it means, not according to the old things that characterized us that we read of in Titus, that entirely new line of things beginning at the cross, and what we see in our blessed Saviors. We read the Gospels that characterized this new life in Christ.
Now I want you to turn with me to a scripture in the Old Testament.
It's in Deuteronomy 26.
Now, before we read this chapter, I'm going to read a verse. You don't need to turn to it unless you want to, but it's the proverbs.
The 30th chapter and the fifth verse. I'm going to read it to you.
Every word of God is pure.
That means it has a definite purpose for us.
He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Add thou not unto his words, lest that he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Every word of God is pure. Now we will read this.
Part of this chapter in the 26th of Deuteronomy.
And it shall be when thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
For an inheritance.
And possess it, and dwelleth therein.
Take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou should bring of thy land.
That the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shall put it in a basket, and shall go on to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.
And thou shalt go on to the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God.
That I am come unto the country which the Lord swear unto our fathers, forgive us.
And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God.
Assyrian and ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few, and became their nation, great and mighty and populous.
And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard *******. And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked at our affliction, and our labor, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and great terribleness, with signs, and with wonders. And he brought us into this place, and has given us this land.
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Even the land that floweth with milk and honey. And now behold, I brought the first fruits of the land which thou, O Lord, hast given me.
And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and shall worship before the Lord thy God.
And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given thee.
And unto thine and unto thine house thou.
And the Levi and the stranger that is among you.
Now we first noticed the work of Christ on the cross.
Father, forgive them.
We noticed that through believing.
By faith that we have everlasting life.
And that we've been put into a new place.
And we can say with Paul.
I am crucified with Christ.
Now there is a new life that I live by the faith of the Son of God.
And what is the first thing that characterizes this new life now?
Why that God gets his part?
Oh, it must always be so.
You know, when the children of Israel entered the land as a people, the question arose in the Book of Judges.
Who should go first?
And the answer was Judah. She'll go first. That's praise.
God. God must have his part.
1St.
Now we have read in this chapter sort of a little resume of.
Of the life pattern of a believer, where he was Syrian and ready to perish, his father was he was under oppression, and the Lord came in his mercy at the cry and delivered.
And I take it that most of these dear young people in this room are saved this afternoon.
Now you've been brought into that good land, and you've been given to possess it.
We have here the the picture.
Of the Christian possession.
What is true today?
All the blessings.
That God has given to us as Christians.
In that new position, seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
Ah, dear young people.
May I say this to you?
Have you brought the first fruits in the basket?
That it might be late at the altar, have you?
Have you come to the place where he's chosen to set his name there? And have you taken the first fruits and presented them to the Lord?
What are the first fruits?
Well, I suppose the thought is that which is taken out of the old to start the new.
It's the thought of the Lord Jesus coming down.
Into this world.
He became a man.
He identified himself with man.
And now identified with Abraham's seed, He's on high. We're associated with him, but a new race.
He's the first fruits, and it speaks of this connection with the resurrection you know in the first chapter of the 15th chapter of First Corinthians.
Christ the first fruits afterwards, they that are Christ that is coming.
Ah, he is the first fruits. He has the first place.
And now God has given and chosen the place.
Where he set his name.
And it's there, and it's only there, beloved, that you and I are to bring the first fruits. All that this means the blessedness and the glory of this person who has introduced the new Order.
And that wave, that that wave sheath that was.
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Presented to God as we have in the 23rd of Leviticus, now in the 23rd Leviticus, the people of God.
When the new crop came in, they were not to eat of it. They were not to touch it until they first had given God his part.
Oh, how important this is.
Did you notice the last verse that we read here?
That they were to rejoice, and all that God had given them.
Dear young people, if you have not taken your place.
Is identified with the Saints.
To remember the Lord in his death. No wonder you're not rejoicing, really.
In what God has given you.
Because it's those who have taken that place and brought that basket.
Of first fruits.
That now they're free to rejoice in all of God has given them.
Are you holding back from something? Are you Are you not taking that place that you know you should and responding to that love of Calvary's cross?
The Savior who bore all your sins in His own body on the tree, are you holding back?
Is your heart not responding to this love?
So we noticed then.
It shall be when thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God.
Give us the.
And what do you have that you haven't been given?
Foreign inheritance. It's yours in Christ.
And possesses that it belongs to you. If you put your foot on it, you place your foot there. If you by faith lay hold of it, it's yours.
Oh, what marvelous grace.
And.
Dwell us therein.
A brother gave out a verse at the close of the last meeting and didn't read it. I hope he will. It's in the 91St Psalm, because there we have abiding and dwelling, dwelling in the secret place of the Most High.
It isn't flitting about here and there. It's abiding and dwelling. That's the portion of the believer.
Abiding and dwelling.
Oh, how good this is.
And why not? Is there any portion greater more blessed than this?
And you know, dear young people, it doesn't seem so when we allow Satan to attract our eyes and our hearts.
And we see present things, and the tinsel of it all, and it draws our hearts away from these good things that are eternal. But the other beloved is only the pleasures of sin, for a season is gone.
But these things are eternal.
Thou shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou should bring of thy land.
That the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shall put it in a basket.
Should go on to the place.
Which the Lord thy God should choose to place his name there?
And thou shall go unto the priest, that shall be in those days, and say to him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country.
Which the Lord swear unto our fathers for to give us. You know, there's nothing like faith that pleases God.
Have you come to this country? Are you sure? Are you sure? On the ground of what God's word declares that you have come to this country?
This good land, and you possessed it. You're dwelling there.
Now if you bring this basket of first fruits, and you make this confession.
You notice in the last verse that we read.
We read the 10th again, and now behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land.
Which thou, Lord, has given me?
And now I shall set it before the Lord thy God, and worship.
Before the Lord thy God.
Now we don't come to worship, you know.
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We come to bring the basket of the first fruits. We come to remember the Lord Jesus and his death.
And then that produces worship in the heart. It's a sense of His love that produces worship in these poor hearts of ours.
And so then the result is And thou shalt rejoice now that isn't that what your heart desires?
Every human heart desires to be happy.
There is such a thing as temporary gladness in this world, but what God is Speaking of is that deep joy that will never pass away.
Happiness.
Rejoicing.
Now this is what brings stability in our lives. This is what gives us power to act in the things that we know to be right.
First of all, to be conscious of a savior's love.
And then to have that happy privilege of responding from these hearts of ours to that love in this way, to give Christ his place first.
Then now will you turn with me?
Until the 22nd chapter of Deuteronomy. And there are a few thoughts there that.
We find that.
Practical things for us, shall we say something like the salt that we had this morning? The salt.
Yes, the salt is needed.
And.
This may also have its effect now in our relationship, in our relationships with one another.
And also that which has to do with personal purity in our lives as Christians.
So we'll read the 1St 4 verses first.
22nd of Deuteronomy Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray and hide thyself from them.
Thou shalt in any case, bring them again unto thy brother.
And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not.
Then thou shall bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brothers seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.
In like manner shalt thou do with his *** and so shalt thou do with his raiment, and with all lost thing of thy brothers, which he hath lost and thou hast found.
Shalt thou do likewise?
Thou mayest not hide thyself.
Thou shalt not see thy brothers.
*** or his ox fallen fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them.
Thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.
Now that little word hide thyself occurs here at least three times.
And how much it reveals of what's in this natural heart and if allowed to act.
Oh, how sad the result. Hide thyself.
Now we find as Christians that we're in a more elevated position than the world.
The motives of the heart are different.
When the Lord Jesus came here, he didn't come to exalt himself, He came to serve.
And that's what should characterize every believer.
To think of others.
And their interests? Is it so With us in our beloved, we're living in a world of selfishness.
Self seeking.
Pleasure.
But the Lord Jesus found his delight and his pleasure in serving.
The Father and his people.
That's where he found his delight and we see him in that 4th chapter.
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Of John's Gospel.
Telling his disciples as he was.
Providing eternal blessing for that poor woman.
Always says to his disciples, I have meat to eat, that she know not of. He found his delight.
In The Blessing of Souls.
That servant on the 25th of Matthew.
That the Lord commands. There were two of them. One had was it 10 talents and the other five? I don't remember, 5 and two possibly.
Thou good and faithful servant, enter thou unto the joy of thy Lord. Now what joy was this servant to enter into?
The same joy that he had begun to know down here. And it's new. It's new beloved.
It's no, it isn't nature.
We read him tight as what we were. We were full of envy, hating, hateful and hating one another. And that's the flesh that's hiding yourself.
Hiding yourself from the interests of your brother.
And now we have this exhortation here in the Old Testament. And remember, every word of God is pure.
The Spirit of God is seeking out, ferreting out in these poor hearts of ours.
That which is so natural to us and that is self, self, self, self all the time.
Isn't it so?
Sell.
And something our brother has lost. And we find it, we're to take care of it for him.
Is that responsibility in regard to our brother? Yes, indeed, dear young people. Have we a sense of this in our souls.
Of responsibility? In what kind of responsibility?
That kind of responsibility.
That is connected with what's spoken of Indiana Peter as the obedience of Jesus Christ.
It is the law of liberty that James speaks of.
You know, some in the in the early days like Luther didn't see too much in the book of James.
But oh, how much profit there is in the book of James for the Christian. We meditate on it.
It's in the book of James we learn about the law of liberty.
We don't have that elsewhere, do we?
We have that expression also. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.
We have that expression of his own will be gathered, he us by the word of truth.
Oh, how much we learned from the book of James, these precious, precious things.
Yes, the Law of Liberty.
The law that is is to us is that which we delight to do because we have a nature now. The life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
That's the life. That's the present life of the believer.
Now we go to the next verse.
The fifth verse, the woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man.
Neither shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all that do so Our abomination unto the Lord thy God. Every word of God is pure.
God hates mixtures.
And He has divided the light from darkness. He has made the various divisions.
Each having its own character and he doesn't want it confused. Now the wise believer.
Will take this verse and act on it according to God's mind.
Because otherwise.
He is literally practicing what Scripture speaks of as idolatry, abomination.
Is interchanged in Scripture with that word idolatry. Think of it.
That's self seeking.
Self seeking. And you know the old saying, it only takes a little straw to tell which way the wind blows.
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Do you want to rejoice in all the things the Lord our God has given us?
It's obedience that makes for happiness.
In this world.
Now we go on to the.
Eighth verse.
I suppose the sixth verse might suggest the thought of resurrection, I don't know.
But there is truth for us there, but in the eighth verse.
When thou buildest a new house.
Then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof that thou mayest not.
That thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from this.
Now a battlement on a roof is a sort of a protection.
So that no one will fall.
I suppose if we thought of the way that the buildings were built in Israel and Syria and those countries.
They would have sort of a flat roof upon which they would sit out.
Oftentimes in the evening the family would sit out in the on the roof and if there wasn't a protection around the sides, possibly there were guests there because there often were someone might.
Fall from that roof and hurt themselves.
Now it gives us the sense of responsibility in this verse.
In connection with our house.
Is there the constant witness, beloved, in our houses in connection with the gospel of Christ?
Do we take this seriously that the world about us is lost?
And God may have sent that person to our house that they might find a Savior. What a solemn thing it is for you and me not to be in communion.
So that we be enabled to tell that poor soul the way of salvation.
What a solemn thing this is for him to leave our house. Is it worth falling when there's no battlements up?
No battlements, no protections. It's the responsibility of the householder to have battlements.
It's the Christian's responsibility.
To have the battlements up.
So that if anyone falls, it's his own responsibility.
It's a solemn privilege to be a Christian.
Privilege, but a solemn 1 because we're living in a world where men are dying.
Is it to every second to pass into eternity?
What a solemn thing it is.
And it's the believer.
That is, left here is the light to reflect Christ.
And to be as it were, that salt.
Of the earth. It will soon be taken away, but the little while that's left.
Ah dear young people, when you start a new house, when you're married and you start a new home, put up the battlements right now.
That no one will fall.
But there will be a witness there.
So if they do fall, it will be because.
Of their own carelessness.
Oh, how good it is to have the battlements up.
Now, there are different ways. Sometimes there may be a text on the wall that's good, but that isn't enough.
The believer's life should be a constant witness.
Besides, there may be the speaking to someone, but I believe the battlements of the Christian life are one of the strongest battlements that you can put up in your house. The consistent Christian life walking by faith.
In separation from evil.
Those are the strongest betterments on the House.
Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds, lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard.
Be defiled. Now this is a question of defiling the vineyard.
The place where you're working.
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We're living in the days when men like to play with their minds.
Reasonings.
Were to bring every reasoning to the obedience of Jesus Christ, were to cast down reasonings.
Cast the mall down.
There is only one pure seed.
Peter speaks of it being born again. That incorruptible seed, It's Christ. It's that. It's the word of God. It's true, but it's Christ. Because in Leviticus there was only one thing that couldn't be defiled and all those defiled. Leviticus 11 and that was the sowing seed that was to be sown.
That's the blessed Savior who came down from the glory and came a man.
And went to the cross. He could not be defiled.
Yes, that's the pure seed, and that's the one that we're to preach. And we're not to use our reasoning minds. We're not to mix all kinds of seeds with this one. There's only one the reasoning of man's mind must go the simple, clear gospel presented in the power of the Spirit, not in the reasonings of men's minds.
It will only defile the vineyard.
Oh, May God preserve us in the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus.
The truth itself and the power of it by the Spirit is sufficient.
Not only for the building of our souls, but for the salvation of souls.
The truth itself, not the reasonings of man's mind, not the divers seeds. God hates mixing.
There's only one.
One seed.
10th verse.
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an *** together.
Now it doesn't the question of sowing a seed, but it's a question of plowing.
Plowing.
We have here the question of associations.
Associations.
And when was there a time in the world when there was more of a stir about associations as there is today?
Why there's an organization for everything.
And it's all going to end, finally, when it will all be gathered together in one head.
And men will be forced in that great delusion that will grip them in an iron grip to worship.
A man and the Lord tells his people in the book of Isaiah say not a confederacy.
Ah, dear fellow believer, let's beware of associations. The Spirit of God has gathered us in one body and that's all we need.
All we need. We don't need to make any of our own.
We don't need to.
Remember, God says, Associate yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
So God says.
No, we don't need any inventions of our own. Oh, May God keep us in the simplicity of the truth of Scripture. But now we have associations that are bad here. You know it isn't good for an ox, a big ox with all his strength to be plowing with an ***.
No, it won't work.
One will do all the work and the other will be just a hindrance.
How many a Christian has found themselves in an unequal yoke?
And in an unequal yoke, possibly that they couldn't break.
For their lifetime, how many a young Christian has married with an unbeliever?
And they found themselves in a virtual prison all their life.
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Do you know, dear fellow Christian, if you're contemplating such a union, remember this.
That you might.
Be able to drop to the level of your partner in their thoughts and ambitions.
But you can never, never bring them up.
To the position that you are in as a Christian because they don't understand it.
Oh, how sad to see an unequal yoke.
When a young Christian because he's been trifling.
And where he should have stayed away from even the suggestion of such a thing, he finally finds himself in an unequal yoke for life. What a sad thing this is.
Now the Word of God expressly declares this here, and we have more of it.
In the second chapter of.
The Second Corinthians. The 6th chapter. But we won't turn to that because we haven't time for all of this.
You know a word to the wise is sufficient.
Don't form an unequal yoke.
If you're in that position now where you're about to break it because God's claims come before anything else.
Break it so I just still have time.
Before you find yourself tied for life in that which will only bring you continual sorrow.
And you can't rejoice.
In all that the Lord your God has given you. But then there might be an unequal yoke, you know, in business.
And you know, beloved, it doesn't make any difference.
How you coat a thing an unequal yokes is an unequal yoke, and whether it be in partnership with one unsaved or 1000 unsaved, it makes no difference.
It's an unequal yoke.
If your yoke was unbelievers, you are in an unequal yoke. Remember that.
And you won't enjoy and rejoice in the things the Lord your God has given you.
If you're in an unequal yoke in business.
Well, God tells you this for your happiness. This is discipleship.
This is walking in the path of pleasing to the Lord himself.
Where you can have power and testimony and witness down here for your blessed Savior that died for you and gave himself for you. Don't you want a dear young people?
But then there are other unequal yokes, you know.
Marriage is business.
And.
That I remember a sister who said to me once she was brought up.
In the place of privilege that we speak of.
And when she got married, she went to another place. And I said to her once, why do you go there? She said. Well, there's nothing for my children.
Where I was brought up among the gathered Saints, there's nothing for my children.
But ah, beloved.
You know what happened?
The son married a Catholic and the last time the daughter was seen she was sitting at a bar drinking.
Nothing for her children at the place where the Lord has gathered his people to his name.
Think it over, dear young people.
And fathers and mothers.
Too well, there's everything there.
The Spirit of God is there. Christ is in the midst. Have everything there. It's faith that lays hold of it.
But then there's also that side of saying, well, you know, it's all right to.
Questions or questions and we can have fellowship with them and their work. No matter, even though we can't break bread with them.
But remember this.
There comes a point where you're associating yourself with that, which is.
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Belongs to that which the Apostle Paul calls the mystery of iniquity.
It's the organization of wickedness in this world, and it may have a front on it that looks good.
But let's be separate from that which is not according to God's word.
We may find that others are doing a wonderful work and let them do it and pray for them, pray for the salvation of souls. But let's be careful of associating ourselves with anything.
That's not according to the word of God.
I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself.
Thou shalt not wear a garment of diverse sorts as of woolen of linen together.
Well, you know, there were those in the Old Testament that were given us as examples lot.
And others who wore a garment of mixed.
Cloth, woolen and linen mixed together.
Now Woolen speaks of that which causes sweat. It's the energy of the flesh. Lenin speaks of that which is provided in righteousness according to the word of God.
That which is the true character of the believer.
As he's seen in Christ.
It's that life that he lives by the faith of the Son of God.
But the woolen is that which would speak of the flesh, its energies.
Now we're not to mix these two.
We might find that it looks like as though we can get get somewhere. We do, but we're not to do it.
Get somewhere where if the judgment seat of Christ, when God will bring everything in review.
When the secrets of men's hearts will be judged and rewards will be given.
Like another has said, what I desire is not quantity but quality.
That which will stand at the judgment seat of Christ, dear young people, are these things not worth thinking about?
Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou covers thyself.
Now in closing, we'll just turn to numbers.
14 I think it is 15 possibly.
Numbers 15 that will explain this verse a little bit.
Numbers 15 and 37.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations. And they put upon the friends of the borders a ribbon of blue, And that shall be unto you for a fringe that you may look upon it.
And remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them. And that you seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which she used to go a ******* that she may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I'm the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I'm the Lord your God. Now what I draw for my own soul in this dear, young people, is just this.
Holiness.
You know when you have the blue introduced, it's heaven.
The fringe of blue on the outer borders of the garments.
It's the character of the believer.
Down here in this world.
But mind you, it's not merely for the display of others. That's not it.
It is that she may look on it.
That she may look on it what for? That she might be holy.
Why? Well, when we think of the blow, we think of the One who is coming for us, our blessed Savior, the coming of the Lord to take us home, And what will characterize every believer in all of our deportment the moment we cross the threshold. Ah, beloved, there won't be anything but holiness.
Now God wants us to remember this, that that's where we belong in heaven.
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And that's what gives a sense of holiness down here.
It isn't that I try to do this or I try to do that, but I have my eye fixed on that blessed Savior who is coming for me.
It's the hope of the church.
Supposing you had.
Your your dearest friend, your lover, coming to visit you.
Wouldn't you want to be in the proper attitude and dress and everything else in keeping with it when he came or she came? Wouldn't you?
Indeed you what?
Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord.
O May God keep us from those things that characterized us before we were saved.
That awful flesh that comes in and spoils everything that we can't rejoice before the Lord our God.
He wants us to be happy as young people and as older ones.
So we sing that little hymn 278.
278.
If someone can raise the tune for us.
Open Mtg.
Open
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Beating Des Moines in 1968. Open meeting.
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Remind me to get.
Just like to read a portion, brethren, in John chapter 12.
The 19th verse.
The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing. Behold, the world is gone after him. And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip, which was the best said of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Philip cometh and telleth Andrew. And again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth along, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it under life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me.
And where I am.
There shall also my servant be, if any man serve me, Him will my Father honor. Now is my sole troubled. And what shall I say, Father, save me from this hour? But for this cause came I under this hour, Father, glorify Thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
The people therefore that stood by and heard it said that it thundered.
Others said an Angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said signifying.
What death? He should die.
Oh, brazen. Doesn't it often impress us as we read the scripture?
How wonderfully God brings precious thoughts together, things that bring before us the loveliness of Christ and also bring before us our responsibility and our position here in this world. Makes one think of the ointment that was prepared in the sanctuary. It tells us that the blending of it was such that no other could blend in such a way to smell there too. And surely we can say that there is no other place where we find.
Such precious things brought together as in the precious book of God, because it brings before us always the glories and loveliness of Christ and our responsibility. Well, this came to my mind in connection with what was said yesterday about the.
Temptation of the Lord and how it tells us there that Satan showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, that he might have them if he would fall down and worship him. And we know that the Lord Jesus refused. He was going to wait the Father's time. He wouldn't receive it from Satan.
Then we find in the 6th chapter of John's Gospel where it tells us that they, the people came when he had he, when he had fed the hungry, and they came, and by force they would make him a king. And there was that temptation from Satan, the Lord refused. And then when he had acted so wondrously and meeting the need, the human need of man.
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Why? They would have him in that way, and the world would have Christ as the one who would write the things that are wrong here.
That would feed the hungry. That would remove sin and misery from the world. If this could be done without judgment, without the cross, the world would have all the blessings. Without the blesser. Well, the Lord we know at that time spoke of the fact that the flesh profiteth nothing. He offended the disciples who were only following Him for what they would receive. But there were those who still continued with Him.
And here we find the Lord, and he's just about to go to the cross.
We find Him, I believe we could say, on the way to the cross. And here it seems that again it says, the Pharisees said among themselves, Perceive me how he prevailed nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him. Yes, and the world here again, shall I say, would accept the Lord without the cross. They would accept Him as a popular one, but not as the rejected. 1 And so it is and that.
Is faced again with this situation, and I believe he meets it in such a way that touches our hearts and ought to stir us. And so we notice here in the 20th verse, there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip, which was of the said of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
While these Greeks were gentiles who had come up, they had heard of the miracles the Lord had done.
And they would like to see him, they would like to honor him as the one who was feeding the hungry, who was doing all these miracles. And so I believe this was a particular joy to the heart of Andrew and Phillip not realizing what was before the Lord Jesus.
Realizing what was before their blessed Master, we find them coming and telling Jesus, as I said, there was the crowd before that would come by force and make him a king. Now even his disciples, they come and tell him why there are people that want to see you, that will receive you as the king. Because here were these Greeks and they wanted to see this great person, this wonderful one who was among Israel.
Andrew and Philip tell Jesus, And isn't there a temptation to us too, to be willing to accept the Lord in a popular way, but perhaps be unwilling to share a path of rejection, of following Him?
And here we find that. And so they come and tell Jesus, And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour is come.
That the Son of man should be glorified, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, It abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. That is here the Lord Jesus. I like to think of it in comparison with the time when the Hebrew servant in the 21St chapter of Exodus. He had served his time.
In that chapter, perhaps you recall, if there was a Hebrew servant and he served his master for six years, then he had the liberty to go out free. He could enjoy his freedom if he wished, because he had served his Master well. Well, the Lord Jesus had served his Father well. He had done everything to please Him. He had walked for His glory and praise perfectly through this world.
And now he had come to the end of that pathway, and he said, the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. But all brethren, the question at this moment, when these, when these Greeks said, Sir, we would see Jesus, the question was, was he to have the place, the glory alone, or was he to have?
Companions with himself, and we remember how this Hebrew servant was faced with that situation in the 21St chapter of Exodus.
He could go out free, but if his master had given him a wife and and this wife had borne him children, then he had a choice to make. He had a choice as to whether he was going to take his freedom along or whether he was going to choose the company of his master. His wife and his children thought it was going to cost him something. It was going to cost him a great deal.
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And so if he, if he chose this, it says that he was to be brought to the judges.
If he plainly said, I love my master, my wife and my children, I will not go out free, then he would be brought to the judges. But if he had took this place, then he must be the servant forever. And so here at this point the Lord Jesus said, and now.
The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified, but he immediately adds.
Accept the corn of wheat, fall into the ground of die, and abideth along all brethren, how wonderful the Lord Jesus, shall I say, made this wonderful decision. He said he was not going to have the glory alone. He was going to have a people with himself. He was going to have a redeemed company. But all the shadow of the cross, I believe, was pressed upon his soul when He spoke of being.
Horrified of them? What was the cost? He must go to the cross. The corner of wheat must fall to the ground and die or abide alone. But if he died, there would be much fruit. There would not only be the gathering in of a company from Israel, but there would be blessing to those Gentiles who wanted to see Jesus. There would be blessing for you and for me if He was, if He is the corn of wheat.
Would fall into the ground and die. And so when he thought of this, he was the one who was willing to go, just like the servant. He was willing to go to the judges. The Lord Jesus was willing to go to the cross with all its suffering, with all its agony. And why, brethren, He wanted company. Who did he want? He wanted you, and he wanted me. He wanted to have us with.
To share his glory with him now yes, he wouldn't have the kingdoms of this world alone. He's going to have it in company that when he takes that place, who will be at his side. All tells us he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day. And when that precious Savior comes out of heaven to take his place and.
To take the kingdoms of this world. Who is going to come with him all he's going to bring his own with him. He's going to be glorified in his Saints, yes. And they're going to see that man of Calvary, but they're going to see him with a company around himself. And through grace, we'll be there.
Oh what a what a blessed thing and how lovely this answer in the heart of the Lord Jesus at this time.
But now again, as I say, what a blending we have of things together, and we see those Gentiles who wanted to see Jesus, we see the Lord Jesus making, shall I say, this great decision that He would go to the cross, that there might be fruit, that there might be companions who would share His glory? He loved his Master, his wife and his children. He would not go free. And isn't it touching, brethren? But immediately then he introduces.
The thought of discipleship, all we can talk a great deal about discipleship, but how perfectly it's brought in here. Isn't this lovely? Oh, it touches my heart that here is the Lord with all the realities of the suffering of the cross before him. And he said I'm not going to have the glories of that Kingdom alone. And then he said, well, that's what discipleship is to follow.
This one who loved us and who wanted.
Our company up there and now, he said, do you want my company down here?
Oh, doesn't this touch your heart, brethren? Yes, he says. I want your company up there. Do you want my company down here? Jonathan wanted to have the Kingdom with David. He said I'll be next to you in the Kingdom. But alas, he didn't want to have his company in rejection. And so here it says he that loveth his life shall lose it. What does it mean to love life?
Well, I suppose there are many things pleasant in life, not things that are wrong.
Not things that are evil, but just things that naturally make up the pleasures of normal life. They're not sinful, but it says he that loveth his life shall lose it. And that is, there are many things that they're not wrong, but they can come between US and following Christ. How do I say again, we say, well, what's wrong with that?
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Well, if it hinders us from following him, then we put it between ourselves and him. He that loveth his life shall lose it.
Yes, I've sometimes said a Christian could have a saved soul and a lost life and it's very easy for us to love life. I'm sure of each one of us here have certain plans we're looking out and we have plans for the future. Well, be careful that we don't love life so much that when the Lord Jesus says, well, I'd like you to do this for me, I'd like you to follow me here or there that we.
Something that we can't part with because we love it more than Him. It's come between our souls and Him. He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world. And I say again, I'm not speaking. Our brother spoke about giving up things that were strong. I'm Speaking of things that are not wrong in themselves, but things that we know quite well come between us and following Christ.
Little things, things that a small account perhaps in our eyes, but they rob us of the joy of His company of following Him. And so it says, he that hateth his life in this world that is willing to give up the present things. What for? To keep it unto life eternal.
That is, Paul gave up many things.
As I he once could have had as a young man. What did he give them up for? Well, he had found something better. He said, I count all things but moths for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and to count them but dung, that I might win Christ. And here, brethren, I don't want to say, Well, give up this because it's wrong, but I, I say.
Yeah, it's Henry, you from following Christ. Is it worth it? Is it worth it just for this life? Whereas you can do something that will be kept until life eternal, life eternal. And let us each one, look forward in the plans that we have made for tomorrow and for the next day and just ask this question, have we planned for life eternal or have we?
Plan for time. Have we planned for life eternal or for time? Now, I don't mean that you don't have to do your ordinary occupation. The slave was told that he could serve the Lord with singleness of heart. And if you can abide in the calling where you're called with God, you can be a testimony for him. I can frankly say that when I left the office where I used to work.
In a certain sense, I felt a certain miss in my life.
You say, what do you mean? Well, I had contacts that I could speak to people and I felt I lost that when I decided that I'd go out. Of course, I could speak to others, but there were opportunities that I had in meeting people day by day. And if the Lord wants you in the office, remember He, that's the place to be. He that doeth the will of God abideth forever. If He wants you to give up your life for Him, that's the place for you to be.
It's not how much you accomplish, but remember how often in the scripture it says he that doeth the will of God.
Abide us forever, who is my brother and sister and mother, the one who does the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Have you discovered His will for your life? Well, if so, it may mean some sacrifices, may be giving up some things that are dear to you. But he that loveth his life shall lose it. He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it.
Unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me.
Why did we give these up? Why was Jonathan? Why should Jonathan have given up the court of Saul? Was it because he was doing anything wrong in the court of Saul? I don't remember one thing that's recorded in the Bible that Jonathan was doing wrong in the court of Saul. I don't remember a thing, but.
I believe that he was not following David. That was the wrong. He was not following David. And so here it says, if any man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am there shall also my servant be all. May we value the company of the Lord Jesus in our lives above everything else. If we lose this, we've lost.
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What life really is, We've lost the thing that abides in our life. And so it says here that he that if any man serve me, let him follow me. Oh, it's not just to engage in some great service, but it's to follow him so that we'll be close when he wants us to do something.
Sometimes we want our children with us. We're going to do some little job and they say, what part have I got in it? Welcome with me and I'll show you. And because they're there, we can show them. And how nice it is. The Lord says, come with me and I'll show you. There'll be things that you can do. You'll miss it if you're not close to me, but if you're close to me, you'll see there'll be things turn up and I'll be able to turn and say, here's one that's by me. He can serve me.
If any man serve, may let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be.
If any man serve me, him will my Father honor. Isn't it marvelous, brethren, for the Lord to be speaking about honoring us at the moment that He was going to the cross to die for us poor sinners, that we were poor failures and following Him, and He's talking about honoring us. When he was going to be disgraced, He was going to be spit upon, He was going to be crowned with thorns, and he's talking about honoring us.
Oh, doesn't it touch our hearts when we think of it? Yes, He values any little thing that we do for him.
And so as He speaks of discipleship on our part, then he says in the 27th verse, Now is my soul troubled? And what shall I say, Father, save me from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour.
Oh brother, we'll never know. But that hour meant to the Lord Jesus what it meant to Him to be made sin for us to bear the wrath and the judgment in our place, we shall never know, not even through all eternity. And here we have combined the two things, the holiness of His nature drawing back from contact with sin, but the love of His heart, saying, for this cause came I unto this hour.
Oh, I think it's beautiful to see, as I say, the combinations that we find in Scripture. The Lords love is going there that he might have fruit and then discipleship and then him telling us that his soul was troubled and that he drew back from the awful suffering of the cross. And then he says, but I came to the cross for this, came to earth for this purpose. Yes, he came to die.
He left the brightness of his home for sinners such as I rejected, and a stranger here.
We came to die. Father, glorify thy name. What did it mean that God's name, the Father's name, should be glorified about the whole question of sin?
Was only one who could do that. There was only one who could glorify God in the place where he had been dishonored, where His glory had been trampled in the dust, where his claims had been set aside. There was only one.
And so he looks up, and he says, Father, glorify thy name. Then came their voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. Yes, the Lord Jesus had shown who he was when he raised Lazarus, and indeed in his whole blessed pathway.
But all it was going to be shown when he, the blessed corn of wheat, went into the ground and died, and then rose again. And God has been glorified about the question of sin. There's a risen, glorified man this afternoon at God's right hand. And so that voice from heaven said, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.
Well, the people that stood by didn't understand. They said that, it thundered.
Or an Angel spake to him or the world doesn't matter into these things. Don't expect, don't expect your unsaved companions to know what the Lord Jesus means to you or what the cross of Calvary means. And that's that's something that they don't understand until they're saved. It'll just be as it was to these people.
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I thundered. An Angel spoke to him.
This is as far as the world can enter into the meaning of the cross.
But you and I, it means far more. And the Lord Jesus said.
This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Oh yes, he was the perfect one. He was the sinless one. He wasn't going there because of anything that he had done. It was for your sake. It was for my sake. That's how I was going. This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. For your sakes.
Oh yes, the Lord Jesus was about to go to that cross for your sake, for my sake.
Because He loved us, brethren, how precious. And so he said, Now is the judgment of this world. Now, till the Prince of this world be cast out. Well, if the Lord had stopped for the first statement, now is the judgment of this world. There could have been no blessing, There could have been no fruit.
Because the cross was the end of man's trial when this world crucified.
Rejected the blessed Son of God. Judgment was passed upon and God's not attempting to improve this world anymore. The judge has been chosen, the day has been set. Now is the judgment of this world. The judgment has been passed, but all how blessed. The Lord didn't stop there. He said now shall the Prince of this world be cast out.
Satan was the one.
Who had the power of death? Satan was the one who held man in *******. Satan was the one who could present to the Lord the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. He was this world's God and Prince, and this world had chosen him. But oh, how lovely for us. He's a defeated false. He's a defeated fault. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out?
And we're no longer part of Satan's goods who have delivered us.
From the power of darkness that have translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, you and I have been delivered from the power of darkness. Satan cannot rob us of this blessed portion that we have judgments been passed in this world, but we don't belong to it. We've been saved out of it. And so the Lord.
When he tells the disciples the meaning of that voice, he said judgments passed upon the world.
But the Prince of this world has been cast out for us, he's defeated, and we have been set free. Just as the Lord said. When a strongman armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he cometh, he taketh all his armor taketh from him all his armor. When he trusted and divideth the spoil, who was the strongman armed?
How was Satan and who? What's the palace?
Well, it's this world. Oh, you see, I thought the world was a very beautiful place. Yes, the Lord called it a palace.
That Satan's palace, Satan's palace fixed up to make it so very attractive to our hearts. But there was one who came into Satans palace. It was the Lord Jesus. And Satan didn't like to see the peace of his goods disturbed. He didn't like to see men and women who were kept under his spell disturbed. But the gospel disturbs the spell in which Satan.
Is holding people.
The Lord Jesus came to deliver, and when he met the strongman in the wilderness, he bound him, and then he went to the cross to spoil his goods and all. How blessed brethren, we've been set free. We belong to Him. We're His now.
All you are now rejoicing in this blessed fact. This world, then, is under judgment.
This world in which we live is under the judgment of God, but we belong to this one.
Who loved us? Who said He was going to the cross, that He might have much fruit? That's one who invited us to share a path of rejection and reproach with Him, just as we shall soon share with Him a place of glory and association with Him up there old is this stir your affections. Does this make you want to follow Him?
Is there, is there a response in your heart and mind that says all? He's done all that for me.
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I want to, I want to see Him. I want to be with Him in my pathway. I want to share his rejection. Well, the Lord gives this blessed privilege to us in this 32nd verse. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.
Now the Greeks would like to have.
Honor the Lord Jesus as King and without the cross they would have come by force in the 6th chapter of John and made him a king about the Lord Jesus announces that Solomon searching fact that Christ lifted up on the cross becomes the new gathering center Christ lifted up upon the cross.
Becomes the new gathering center. The gathering Center for Israel.
The gathering Center for the Gentiles, but for those Greeks, the gathering Center for us. Yes, rather than if we're going to be where He is, it's to follow Him now in his rejection. The moment is near when we're going to be with Him in glory. But how lovely that he brings this before us here when these men wanted to see Jesus.
And the Lord knew that the only way He could have a people around himself was to go to the cross. He fell it in all its fullness.
He invited us into a path of discipleship. He invited us to be around Him, and now our path in this world is to follow Him in His rejection. Are we content to do this? Is He precious to our hearts? Just think of that Hebrew servant again. He said, I love my master, my wife and my children. I will not go out free. Could we imagine his wife and his children saying?
But we don't want to be identified with him.
We don't want to be identified with him. He's got scars when he was taken to the judges. No, we don't want to be identified with this man who went to the judges. Could we imagine such a thing? And can it be, brethren, with all that the Lord has done for us and all he means to us, that our hearts should draw back?
From this blessed privilege, we're going to be with Him up there. We're going to be in that glory. He's going to come to be glorified in His Saints, to be admired in all them that believe. But it's our privilege now to be gathered around Him and His rejection. Soon we're going to leave these meetings, we're going to go back, and we're going to find that the world doesn't want the one who has been precious to us.
In these three days together, if we speak of him.
If we live for him, if we're testimonies for him, we're going to feel the cold shoulder of the world.
But all, what is it that will make it worthwhile to sense that He wants our company, that He died to have our company forever, and that He wants to have it here? That we can, as it were, be around Him in His rejection, as we shall soon be around Him at His blessed coming in that glory, never to go out anymore? Oh, may He make these things and this privilege precious to our hearts.
In the little while, it remains.
Should we turn to the first book of Samuel, chapter 25?
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First Samuel, chapter 25.
Our brother was bringing before us that which has been much upon my heart of late in connection with the the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who is now rejected, that one who was lifted up off the earth.
And who at the present time does not have that which is his rightful due?
The fact that he will in the coming days at his appearing.
Have that which belongs to Himself, that which is His right, not only as to who He is, but as to what He has done, and as we've had Him brought before us, in that one who is rejected, and yet also is that One who will draw all unto Him in the coming day. I was thinking of this.
Circumstance in the First Samuel 25 in connection with David.
As bringing before us.
The attitude of those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior at the present time.
In respect to him as the rejected 1.
And yet the one who is destined to reign in this scene to the glory of God, that one who is to bring into this scene everything that is according to the mind and heart of God.
In contrast with the attitude of those who know not the Lord Jesus Christ, who have no regard for His right or what belongs to Himself at all, we hear much in these days.
As to rights, and as we had brought before us too, by our brother this afternoon.
How that there are those who are among the young of this nation speaking up as to their rights, and we hear this expression on every hand as to human rights. But there is that which belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. He has rights, and the first element of righteousness is that God Himself and His beloved Son would have that which is due him.
Do the Lord Jesus Christ and I believe during the time of the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God looks for those of us who are His people to maintain that which is we, what we might call the rights of the Lord Jesus Christ during the time when the world will have none of it, while he is still cast out, rejected, as they said, Are we with this man? We will not have him to reign over us. Well, I'm just going to read a few verses here to bring before us.
A contrast between a man by the name of Nabel.
And his wife, Abigail.
In verse two, First Samuel 25.
There was a man in Mayon whose possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great, and he had 3000 sheep and 1000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Now the name of the man was Mabel, and the name of his wife Abigail, and she was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance.
But the man was Kurdish and evil in his doings.
And he was at the House of Caleb. The first thing we would point out is that this man.
Navel was a man who had great possessions. He had been blessed with many things.
3000 sheep and 1000 goats.
This was what he was occupied with.
Even though these were mercies from the hand of God, he had no thought of giving God that which was.
His proper do and worship and praise. And we read later on, without reading the verses just to refer to it, that David.
Send some of his men to Nabal to seek from Navel some provision for himself.
And his followers, while they were rejected, while he was being haunted as a Partridge upon the hill, by upon the hills by Saul. And when the young men of David come with the request that provision be given them for them and their leader, notice the words of naval and answer, verse 10.
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And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?
There will be many now servants nowadays that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be? Notice the attitude of this man, he says, Who is David? Why, he's just like a servant who has broken away from his master.
He didn't recognize that David had any rights at all.
But did David have rights? Was David just as a servant? We know at this point in the history of David, he had already been anointed by Samuel to be the king over Israel. That man who was the People's Choice saw had already been tested and rejected by God.
There had been adequate time of trial and testing given to Saul and he had proved that he was not a man of faith.
He was not a man who could wait upon God, and he was not a man who could obey God's bidding. And we know that when Saul disobeyed God in the matter of the Amalekites, Samuel was sent by God to inform him that God had ripped the Kingdom from him, and he was to be rejected as king over Israel.
And then we know that Samuel was sent to anoint David, the youngest son of Jesse.
To be king over his people now Saul refused to accept this.
And I would like to tie this in with a thought that our brother brought before us of Satan being a defeated foe. The Prince of this world is cast out. He is already judged, and he is as a usurper on the throne here in this scene, just as Saul.
Was a usurper upon the throne after he was rejected by God and David had been anointed. So Satan is a usurper upon the throne today. He has no real rights. As far as we are concerned, the redeemed of the Lord, we own the rights only of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though this is not publicly displayed. This is not the time when the Lord Jesus Christ is asserting His rights.
Way yet we as the people of God would own that He has His rights over us in our pathway through this scene, and Satan is as a usurper. Well now Saul would not accept the fact that he had been rejected, and so he endeavored to put David to death.
We know that how David had to flee from Saul's court for his life, and how that Saul pursued David out into the wilderness to put him to death.
And here we find in this circumstance, David is here as the rejected king, as the one who has all of the true rights of God's king. And yet this man, Nabel says, who is David and who is the son of Jesse? Why, he's just like a servant who has broken away from his master. He had no regard whatsoever.
For the rights of David, well, you know, that's what we find round about in this scene in which we live. There are those who are very concerned about human rights.
And the rights of this and that. But they're not concerned with that which is due to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is still that attitude.
That they will not have this man to reign over them, as our brother was pointing out. Oh, yes, they would accept him as king if they could make him king, if they could have him in the way that they would desire him. But they will not have that man to reign over them. They will not have his authority. They will not have his jurisdiction. No, they will cast him out like this man. Mabel, he says well.
I shall not take the things that are mine, and give unto David at all.
This is the spirit and attitude of the world well now.
We read in verse 14 that one of the young men told Abigail. Nabel's wife told Abigail what Nabel had said to the servants of David. Now notice verse 18. Then Abigail made haste and took 200 loaves and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn.
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And 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 caps of pigs, and laid them on acids. And she said unto her, servants, Go on before me, Behold, I come after you.
And then in verse 20 And it was just, and it was so, as she wrote on the *** that she came down by the comfort of the hill, and behold, David and his men came down against her, and she met David. Verse 23.
And when Abigail saw David, she hasted and lighted off the *** and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and fell at his feet, and said upon me, my Lord, upon me, let this iniquity be, and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not, my Lord, I pray thee regardless, man of Belial, even label.
For as his name is, so is he.
Navel is his name, and Folly is with him.
Now notice Abigail.
In her attitude.
Toward David, the first thing we see is that she recognizes that the attitude of label is all wrong.
She recognized that Mabel's attitude toward David was not right at all.
Because not only was David God's anointed king, but David and his men had.
Protected the shepherds of naval and naval had benefited from the fact that David had looked after his shepherds in the field, David and his men. She recognized that the attitude of naval was an unrighteous one, that it was folly and foolishness. And I would like to bring before us this afternoon this thought that the first thing we need to recognize.
As far as the attitude of this world is that its spirit and attitude toward the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is entirely wrong.
Is entirely wrong and justice as Abigail disassociated herself from that attitude of naval so God would have us to disassociate ourselves from the attitude and spirit of this world, the attitude and spirit of this world. And I'm sure that just as in the case of Abigail.
When she disassociated herself from the spirit of naval.
She exhibited by exhibited it by what she did. She didn't merely sit back in the house and say, now I don't agree with Nabel. I think Nabel's attitude is wrong. I do not share his thoughts. But she demonstrated the fact that she did not agree with Nabel by what she did. She brought these provisions out and she made haste to bring them to David and his servants. And I believe God looks for that in us too.
Not only that, we say with our lips that we do not go along with this world in its rejection of the Lord Jesus.
And in its desire to just maintain that which is for itself.
Its own possessions and its own rights, but God would have us to demonstrate it by our actions and our waves in the way that we conduct ourselves in every aspect of our life, disassociating ourselves from the spirit of this world that would not recognize the rights of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, you know, I believe God will take great delight in this even as we find that David was.
Took great delight and pleasure in the attitude of Abigail.
That whatever occurs in the circumstances in the life of the Lord's people, that rather than being like those that know not the Lord Jesus Christ, to approach these things on a human basis, considering it in respect to what is for our comfort or what is for our own liking, for our own pleasure.
We should consider it in connection with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and what is due Him.
As to whether or not we are owning the rights of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Confessing him in a practical way in our walk as Lords, just as Abigail brought these provisions to David, she was she was moved to action. She disassociated herself entirely with naval and she says that's a foolish attitude that he had. Oh, do we really realize that? The attitude that the world has those who know not the Lord Jesus Christ.
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That they are, as it were, the masters of their own fate in the taken. Just work out things for themselves according to their own wisdom and understanding.
Or that they that they consider things only in the light of their own comfort, or their own pleasure, their own desires. Do we really see that? That's a foolish attitude.
That it is falling that God would have us to have the attitude of how all of these things, everything that touches us in our pathway, how it all, how it concerns the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is his will? What is his fault? What does he have to say about all of these things?
You know, I believe we have in this precious book that we've had before us in these meetings here and we've heard precious ministry from brings before us what we might say the rights of the Lord Jesus Christ expressed, they're expressed in this precious book. If we want to know what are his rights for us, what it is he desires for us, we find it in this precious word of God.
Well, we know, of course, that the world's attitude is that.
This book has nothing for them. Do we really see that, that it's folly? Do we really realize that it is foolishness to go on without regard for the Word of God? The rights of Christ is expressed in this precious book. Well may we demonstrate it as Abigail. And she comes and she says this man Mabel is nothing but a fool. She doesn't want to be associated with him in any way.
Now notice she goes on and speaks to David.
Verse 26 Now thou for my Lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath, withholding thee from coming to shed blood.
And from avenging thyself with thine own hand. Now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil, to my Lord be as naval.
Let thine enemies and they that seek evil to my Lord be as naval. Verse 28I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid, for the Lord will certainly make my Lord a sure house, because my Lord fighteth the battles of the Lord.
And evil has not been found in the all thy days. Oh, how she was attracted to David here, even though he was the one who was still rejected. And as far as outward circumstances were concerned, it may not have looked as if he was fighting the battles of the Lord, and it may not have looked as if he was going to be made a sure house. But the faith of Abigail.
Looked beyond the present time of David's rejection and being out there in the wilderness.
Look beyond that to the time when he would reign, when he would have his proper in due place. She knew that God would make him a sure house. You know we read in Second Timothy of a crown of righteousness that will be given to those who love his appearing love the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that's not the rapture. The rapture of the Church of God takes place before his appearing.
We know that his coming far his Saints.
Precedes it coming with His Saints beloving. His appearing there, I believe, looks forward to that day when He will have that which is rightly His, when He will be in the place that belongs to Him publicly, manifestly, visibly, here in this world, when all men are drawn unto Him, and those who love His appearing are those.
Saints of God, who long for that day, that he might have his proper place.
You know, we hear many comments in the world today about even among those I might say, who do not know the Lord as to how bad conditions are.
We hear them speak as if things are getting very bad, and yet they really are not those who know the Lord, but they recognize that the world is in an upheaval and things are in confusion and turmoil. Do you know the child of God as he thinks of the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ? Though we know that all of this confusion and turmoil will be turmoil will be terminated.
We know that there will be conditions of plenty. There will be conditions of blessing such as man has never known. What really makes us long for that day is not merely a wonderful condition in that respect, but it is because the Lord Jesus Christ will have His duplex, the one who was rejected and passed out.
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The one that they said, not this man, but Barabbas. And to think that the world's estimate of the Lord Jesus Christ that he was not.
He was not equal to a man like Barabbas. Not this man, but Barabbas. To think that in that coming day of his appearing he will have that rightful place. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Well, those who love his appearing during the time of his rejection are those I believe, like Abigail, who will, who will minister to him, and who will own his rights and own that he is God's.
One own that even the place he now has in the glory is his rightful place.
Is his rightful place and as we know that God will make him a sure house because he fights the battles of the Lord. Verse 29 yet a man is risen to pursue thee. Notice here she says as to Saul just a man all she didn't look upon him as the king at all and yet he was still there on the throne. He had not been removed, but she knew that he was not God's king he.
Man has reason to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul with the soul of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God.
He recognized that David and David's, you might say David's destiny was all bound up with the Lord thy God, God himself. Everything is all in everything that is to be for the glory of God in this scene is all found in connection with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's all bound up with himself, the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though he is rejected, though he is cast out, we do love his appearing.
We look forward to that time when He shall have His rightful place and will everything will be according to the mind of God.
Everything will be administered in this scene according to the mind of God. God will be glorified, the Lord Jesus Christ glorified, and as we were reminded too, there will be those glorified with Him by His grace. But now is the time, as we were reminded to, of discipleship, following Him in His rejection, but owning Him in all of His right, in all of His title, all that is due Him, that which belongs to Him.
Even as we see here in this one, Abigail being attracted to him, and disassociating yourself entirely from that wicked and foolish spirit of naval that would not own his title and give him his rightful place. May we be those who of whom it is said that they love his appearance.
#110.
Matter is good by outlook controller on that problem or laminator.
Owning Christ's Glory
They love His Appearing
Beware - This Night Thy Soul May Be Required of This
The Hour is Come
John 15:1
First Fruits and Separation
Phinehas
The Truth of God