Des Moines Conference: 1980
Table of Contents
Three Companies Brought to Jesus
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Just like to look at a few scriptures, brethren, in connection with the Lord meeting with his own or his own. Let's turn to the Gospel of Luke, 2nd chapter, first verse. And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.
And all went to be taxed. Everyone.
Into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered, and she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a Manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them. The glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were so afraid. And the Angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you. He shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a Manger. And suddenly there was with the multitude, with the Angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God, in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another.
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem.
And see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a Manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all that heard it wondered that those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them. While I was just thinking of three instances, brethren. First of all, here we find these shepherds coming to be around the Lord, the babe lying in the Manger.
Later on, the wise men coming from the far country, and then we find after the Lord's resurrection, his own disciples coming to be around him in the place that He had appointed. And I trust it's precious to our hearts too, to be occupied with Him. But we see here first of all what God wrought and how He worked in their hearts. And then we see the result that was produced in their lives. And I think.
This is very lovely. I think there are quite a few details that we can notice here that surely speak to us. And that is, first of all, we see how God set the whole world in motion in order to accomplish His purposes. No, sometimes we get disturbed by things that happen. We say, why did this happen and why that? But if we could only see behind the scenes, we would see that God's hand is, in all the circumstances, absolutely nothing.
Happens by chance, even if it's a taxation, even if it's an enrollment, even if it's something that seems at the time very disturbing. And if we look at this in a practical way, it must have been exceedingly disturbing that this should take place right at the time when the Lord Jesus was about to be born and saw that Mary, instead of being able, as she had no doubt expected, to have the child at home. It was all planned so that.
At the very time when it was hardest for her to travel, why it was necessary for them to make this trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. But we can easily see those of us who can look at this circumstance by faith that God's hand was in this. Had not the scriptures said that the Lord Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem? Could the scripture be broken?
If Mary and Joseph were down in Nazareth, was it not a simple?
Thing for God to set everything in motion in order to bring them to Bethlehem. So perhaps we have plans. We don't realize that there are plans, they're not his. And God sets about in a very strange way, perhaps to disrupt our plans, but his hand is in it. Let us learn, brethren, to see his hand in our circumstances, to see that he moves behind the scenes and that absolutely nothing.
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Happens in our lives.
By chance. And so here they have to make this journey up to Bethlehem to be enrolled. There could have been, as I say, a lot of complaining as to why this particular thing should have taken place just at that time. But there seems to have been submission in their hearts and they come up there perhaps expecting, well, at least the Lord will help us and find a comfort.
A comfortable spot for us when we get there. Some of us were.
Traveling and you know very well how perhaps you come to a place and you think, well, I hope we can find a room and here they came to Jerusalem and.
And they arrived there and there was no room for them in the end, no place for Mary and Joseph, no place for the Lord Jesus to be born as some circumstance happened like that in your life, you said I thought it was pleasing the Lord, but it just seemed that nothing seemed.
To work out God's hand was in this circumstance, this precious One who was to be born the Lord of glory, was to be and is despised and rejected of man, the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. What a wonderful thing, as someone has said, the only person who had the right and the power to choose where he would be born.
You and I had no choice about where we were born, but he did.
And he wasn't born in a palace, He wasn't born in comfort. He was born in a Manger. He came down in lowly grace to identify himself with us in all that we passed through here in this world. How wonderful to think of that blessed One, the Lord of glory, to be born in a Manger. So the Lord Jesus was born and it says wrapped in swaddling clothes. I believe it's just another little instant.
To set before us the poverty, the great poverty. For the Lord Jesus had not a place to lay His head. Usually when a baby is born, why everything is ready for the baby clothes and all are ready. But here the Lord of glory come into this world, no place for Him in the end, only a cattle shed, only a Manger, and then not even nice clothes. He was wrapped in swaddling.
Clothes and lying in a Manger.
Well, who is it that God makes known to about this wonderful event? Was it the great and mighty of earth? Oh no, it was those, shall I say, if I can speak in this way, who had time to listen to the voice from heaven. You know, we're living in a busy world. It's very easy for us just to keep so busy all the time that we have no time for God's word, no time like.
Sit at Jesus feet. But it's nice here to see that these shepherds watching over their flock by night, there's a message comes to them. And so as it was remarked before, it's very important for us not to allow our occupation to make us so busy that we have no time for the word of God, no time to listen to what the Lord has to say to us because.
The most important thing in our whole life here.
Here in this world is to hear his voice, to have his direction because it's a trackless wild. We don't know the way as we sang in the song. We need his guidance for every step.
Well, these shepherds, as I say.
They were keeping watch over their flock, but they had time to listen to this message, says The glory of the Lord shone round about them.
And the Angel said, fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Oh what a message reached them. And so it is in all a busy world, and we have to earn our livelihood as our brother said, perhaps some losing their jobs, the anxieties of life and all.
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But isn't it wonderful that God can bring to our hearts that which comforts us and encourages US1 Thinks of that verse in the 16th Psalm, speaking prophetically of the Lord Jesus. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places. Yeah, I have a goodly heritage. Was the Lord's pathway a pleasant? 10 He was the man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, but all he was always in constant communion with.
His Father, And no matter what happened, even when he was rejected by the great and mighty, he could look up and say, I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight. I think one of the hardest things for most of us, at least I can say for myself, is submission.
To take things from God, to bow to His hand in things that perhaps are not easy or pleasant.
But did you ever notice that in that passage in first Peter 5, where it speaks about casting all your care upon him, 40 careth for you, the verse before says, Humble yourselves unto the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, And that other is part of the same sentence, casting all your care upon him.
Did you ever find out? I found out.
That very often the reason I couldn't leave my cares with the Lord was because I hadn't first submitted to his hand in the trial. I first of all was really saying, Lord, things must be changed the way I'd like them. And I pray to him and I try to leave the burden, but I'm really actually telling the Lord how I'd like things to turn out about. The Lord says, first of all, you just bow to my hand and then.
I'll take the care. I care about you. I'm concerned. And so here we find that these shepherds, they heard this voice and they heard this wonderful message, a Savior, Christ the Lord. Oh, what a message. It's our only hope. We have no hope apart from him, apart from Christ. It's a hopeless thing as we read in our chapter in Ephesians, having no hope and without God in the world. But what has brought hope into our.
Lives. It's because we know Christ, because we know the man of God's counsels, the one who is head over all things to the church, which is his body.
And then it tells us in this 12TH verse, And this shall be a sign unto you. He shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a Manger. Perhaps you have wondered just why that is given as a sign. Well, naturally enough, these shepherds would have expected that if Christ the Lord came into this world, if the true Messiah of Israel came.
Surely he would come.
In a way that would be accepted. Surely he wouldn't have to be born in a Manger. Why, if an important person visits Ottawa, where I live, he's given the best room in the city, and you'd never expect to find him down in a barn somewhere on a pile of hay. Oh no, you'd expect to see him in a nice place, but here?
They were to expect to find the Lord in this world as the rejected 1.
And now this comes a point, brethren, and I believe it's an important point. Is there someone here? And you say, well, I'm really seeking where the Lord would have me to be gathered and I'd like to find company with whom He would have me to be gathered.
And you may be very surprised when you find just a small company in a despised place. But this was assigned to them. The Lord is not yet in His place of power and glory. He is the rejected 1.
And if you and I must expect to find him, we must expect him to be still the rejected one. Our brother just read to us of a glorious time when all his own will be gathered to him. If you had been looking for David in the time of his rejection, you would expect to find him in a cave later on. If you had been looking for him, you would have found him crowned king.
All the 12 tribes. But there was a time when to find him you had to be willing to share his rejection. Onusiphorus was looking for Paul in the city of Rome, and he didn't find him a fine large building that was glorious. No, he found him a prisoner in chains. So this was the sign given to them.
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But what is so beautiful here is these multitude of the heavenly hosts crying glory to God in the highest. If man didn't recognize him, God would see that he was acclaimed and all that. Blessed One is yet going to have His rightful place. And if you and I are in communion with the thoughts of God, we're honoring Him now.
We're honoring him now, I say. And so these angels hear.
Crying glory to God in the highest. You know, today people like to use this and use this 14th verse. Glory to God on the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward man. But if you carefully notice in the 19th chapter of Luke, when the Lord Jesus was going up to Jerusalem there to be crucified.
When he was acclaimed then they didn't say peace on Earth.
The cry was Hosanna, peace in heaven. Why the change? Oh, the Prince of Peace has been rejected. Are you expecting peace? The Prince of Peace has been rejected. But he's going to. He's going to set things right another day. But there's peace in heaven. He is our peace, who hath made both 1 and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. We look up and we say He is our peace. So we don't expect to find.
Here, but we see it in Him, the one who is now crowned with glory and honor.
Now to me what is very beautiful to notice too, is that as soon as this has taken place, why, it tells us, the Shepherd said one to another.
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
What I wish to call attention to is that when they had received this message.
Immediately they say we must go. We must go and we can ask ourselves, brethren, does the truth that we know produce action in our lives? Doesn't do us much good to know the truth unless it has an effect on our lives in a practical way. And knowing this had an effect upon the lives of these shepherds, and it wasn't tomorrow, they said, let us go now.
Delay in the things of God is always dangerous.
When the Lord asked called upon Abraham to OfferUp his son.
He rose early in the morning.
And I would suggest that the reason he did it was if he had delayed, he could have thought of a great many reasons why he shouldn't do this. Here was the Son whom God had given the Son of promise. Should he really do this? And then we think of Gideon later on. He was called to throw down his father's altar. He knew there would be opposition. He could have weighed that and said, I just can't face that kind of opposition from my family.
But it said.
The same hour, the same night, he took ten men of the city and threw down the altar of Baal. And let me say, if the Lord has made something known to you or to me, let us act on it. Let us not delay, because obedience is the path of blessing. So they, they came. I, I don't know what they did about their flocks. You say, well, I don't think I could do it right now. I can see things that I have to.
Sort of straighten out a little bit.
First, Well, how did they manage to get away from their flocks? They were watching their flocks by night. Well, I don't know what they did, but I say this. They put First things first. They put First things first, and whatever arrangement they made.
They saw to it that they went to Bethlehem to see this and they weren't disappointed. They weren't disappointed. What did they go for? Did they go to see a nice building? Did they go to see?
Some grand place and all. They went to see the one who was as it says.
Christ the Lord, a Savior, that's who they went to see and they weren't disappointed. And if you and I follow the direction of God's precious word in obedience, we won't be disappointed because the most blessed thing in our lives is that we should, as it was brought before us in the young peoples, that we should be in the company of the Lord Jesus. That's the most wonderful thing. That's what's going to make heaven, heaven to us not.
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Gates of Pearl and the streets of Gold. Not that now himself.
And so here we find that they they weren't disappointed. They didn't come away and say, oh I was so disappointed. 2 poor people and a baby on a pile of hay. You wonder whether it was worth the effort. Is that the way they talked? Oh no, they came back praising and glorifying God and telling everybody what they had seen and heard. They weren't disappointed because they didn't go to see anything but the Lord of glory.
And you know, this is something for us, brethren, and I believe it's something that we need for our own souls. We're living in days of weakness and breakdown. We're living in days when if we're looking for something in God's people or even in ourselves, we're going to be disappointed. But the Lord is not a disappointment. He's always the same. He's always the chiefest among 10,000 and the altogether lovely 1. And so when they had been there.
Why, it says in the 17th verse. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things that were told them, which were told them by the shepherds. I'd like to think that it wasn't just what they said, but it was the way they said it.
Now when somebody tells you something and they don't seem to be affected.
At all you wonder if they're really concerned or interested, but you know, there is such a thing as being so, shall I say, so, taken up with the person that everybody can see.
I always have thought about that woman in the 4th chapter of John when she came back and said come see a man that told me all things that ever I did. What made the people willing to go with her? Well, I think that it was just her shining face. I think that they they knew something had happened. She had been in the presence of one who so had affected her. That was reflected in her face. And you know, brethren, sometimes we can talk.
Talk about truth and we can talk about it in such a way that people wonder if we really believe the things that we say. But oh, I'm sure if these things lay hold of us, it'll have the effect like it had with these shepherds. They were, they were just overflowing and tells us in the 20th verse. And the shepherds return, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them, as I say.
What had they heard? What had they seen?
And nothing that would attract a natural man, but everything that would fill their hearts with rejoicing when they were seeking the Lord of glory there to be where he was, their hearts were satisfied. And so it produced in them a desire to talk about it. Now let's turn to this other passage in Matthew chapter 2, verse one. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod.
Beholder came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews, For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him. When Herod the King had heard these things, he was troubled in all Jerusalem with him.
Then when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet. And thou, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, art not the least among the Princess of Judah. For out of these shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men.
Inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child, and when ye have found him, bring me word again that I may come and worship him also.
When they had departed, when they had heard the King, they departed, and lo, the star which they saw in the East went before them till it came, and stood over where the young child was.
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Star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were coming to the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country.
Another way.
Just notice the 16th verse just.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise man, was exceeding wrath, and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coast thereof, from 2 years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
I just call attention to this because.
According to popular ideas, this event is simultaneous with the one in the second of Luke, but you can see here that it was two years later and the Lord was not in the Manger at this time. They found him in the house. I I call attention to it just to show that.
This is a further event that took place.
But I think there are things that we can learn from this too, which have a practical bearing.
Had seen the star in the East and it was a very long journey from where they were. Now, just what place they were in, I don't know. But apparently it took them close to two years to get there, to find this babe that had been born as the king of the Jews. Isn't this an amazing thing? Because I've heard people say, well, you know, I'd like to go, but it's too far to get to the meeting. It's, it's such a long distance.
But here were people that considered that even 2 years wasn't too long to make the journey. What for? Because they wanted to see this one who was born king of the Jews. I believe that they realized that Israel were God's people and that the true God was in Israel. But perhaps we can see that if we really have the thought, brethren, of meeting the Lord, of being where?
Is then the question of distance or time is not so important? If there's someone that we love, we know we'd cross the continent to see them because we love them. And if someone said, why would you call that far? Oh, we immediately answer without hesitation. I wanted to see so and so that person was dear to us. And so these May or May saw that star in the East. Just a little thought here. People say, well, what about the heathen?
Well, friends, never limit the power of God. God can reveal himself. He called Abraham when he was a heathen in ur of the Chaldees, and he left his country and his kindred and came out at the call of God. I never limpeth God's power to make himself known. I find a lot of coldness in my own heart, but I don't limit God's power. He can reveal himself.
It's quite striking here that these from the far.
Country from the east, they saw the star. Those who had further light, who lived at Jerusalem, which was only a very short distance away, they had the oracles of God and it didn't move them one bit. But those who had that message from God in the far country, they traveled all this distance. And so it tells us when they got to Jerusalem.
Herod was troubled.
And all Jerusalem, because, you know, Jerusalem was just going on with its solemnities, going on with formalities, not interested in Christ himself. This is a religious world. Many people go on with the forms and ceremonies of religion, but it's a person that God sets before us for salvation. It's a person who is our gathering center.
And so they come there and they.
Enquire where Christ would be born and now. Isn't this an amazing thing?
These scribes, chief priests and scribes of the people, they had the oracles of God. They knew where Christ was to be born, and he had been born 2 years before.
And he had been brought up when he was eight days old to the temple, and Simeon and Anna had been there, and they hadn't recognized who he was. But these people with all their religion were unmoved for two whole years. Oh, what an empty thing. Well, there might be somebody here. There might even be someone brought up in a Christian home. Knowledge will not keep you.
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Knowledge will not be enough, dear friends. It's a person whom you need.
The Lord Jesus is the Savior, and the Lord Jesus is the gathering center. Well after they had received further light. And I think there's something instructive here, that when God begins a work, He finishes it. If he revealed himself to Abraham and UR of the Chaldees, he got further light when he came into the land of Canaan and when these came into the land where God's word was.
Why then they received further light?
And God will always give more light, it says.
If we it says, you know in the word of God, to whom much is given, of the same shall much be required.
So here we find that.
In the ninth verse, when they heard the king, they departed, and lo, the star which went they saw in the east, went before them till it came, and stood over where the young child was. Oh, the Lord was still guiding them. He guides us by His word. He guides us in particular ways at times, and here we find that He directed them. And it says in the 11TH verse, when they were coming to the house, they saw.
Young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshiped him. Pausing this lovely first of all, notice it doesn't say the mother and child. There are quite a few mothers with children here and we talk about the mother and her child. Why does it say the child and his mother? This was the Lord of glory. The Spirit of God takes care.
To bring before us something of the glory of this person.
Here and then too. Who did they give the gifts to? Sometimes you and I might give a gift when a child has arrived, but we give it to the parents, don't we? But they presented the gifts to the child. And who did they worship? Did they worship Mary? No, they fell down and worshiped him. Oh, how beautiful this is we find them.
That these wise men from the East in the case of the shepherds.
They had to leave their flocks in some way, perhaps in the care of others, so that they could get to where the Lord was. And they acted at once. These people didn't mind how great the distance was. They came just the same, and they weren't disappointed. Why weren't they disappointed? Because they had come to see Jesus.
They were like the Greeks who said, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Us, we could ask ourselves, brethren, why do we come to meeting? Do we come to meet our brethren? Perhaps your friends say they're going to church and you say, well, I'm going to meeting. But have we stopped to think who we're coming to meet and not just coming to meet the brethren, We come to meet the Lord. What a privilege to meet Him, the one who is in our midst. And so it tells us here.
They opened their treasures and presented unto Him gifts. And I am sure too, that if we realize more of the Person who is in the midst of His own, gathered according to His Word around Himself, why we would have more worship in our hearts. Perhaps the gold brings before us the glory of His Person, and frankincense what his whole pathway was to God as.
Sweet incense, and then the myrrh brings before us, I believe, His sufferings, all that He was to endure. And those are things that occupy us in our worship too, as we gather around the Lord. We love to sing, Lord of glory, we adore Thee. We love to, as we often sing, O Lord, when we the path retrace which Thou on earth has trod. And then we think of His sufferings and all that He went through.
Well, I may have done all this. In the case of the shepherds, it tells us that they were telling everybody what they had seen. But here it doesn't say that they said anything at all. It says in the 12TH verse, and being warned of God, that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
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It had an effect on their lives in the 2nd chapter of Luke. It gave them a subject to talk about. And we love to talk about the Lord Jesus too. We sing Let's talk about Jesus more and more. We like to talk about Him.
But does it affect our lives in this way that they went into their own country another way? They didn't go the same way that they had come. And I believe that if we realize.
What it is to be in the presence of the Lord when we go back to our homes, it would have an effect upon us. There would be another way, so to speak, not in company with this world that has crucified and cast out our Savior. But there would be that separation from this world which is under judgment. They went into their own country.
Another way, I hope, brethren, that when we return from these meetings, that.
Even those who know us at home will.
We'll see the difference. I was thinking of Ruth after she had been in the presence of Boaz. It tells us that when she came to, when she came back to her mother-in-law, her mother-in-law, Naomi said, Who art thou, my daughter? Who art thou? My daughter? Didn't she know her?
But she saw something different, something that saw. It filled her heart that she couldn't hear. She had this, this six measures that he had given to her. She had the prospect that he really was interested and cared about her and her mother. Even mother-in-law even wondered who she was. Oh, it makes a difference. We're different people. Perhaps when you got saved.
Your your loved one said you're a different person. Well, we are different people.
Where new creatures in Christ Jesus Now just one more passage in Matthew 28. This at the just before the Lord was taken away to go to the glory.
Matthew, Chapter 28.
Verse 16.
Then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him. But some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded.
The Jew, and lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Well, here's another occasion where they met around the Lord. The Lord Jesus had risen, and now he appointed a place where they would meet him.
It apparently wasn't anything that would attract a natural person, It just says.
A mountain where Jesus had appointed them. You and I desire to be directed by him. Well, they had to listen quite carefully, I'm sure, as the Lord gave them directions and told them it required spiritual energy on their part to seek out this spot where the Lord had appointed. And then it says.
The 11 disciples went away and came there. Well, we know that when the Lord Jesus comes, as we mentioned before, all His own will be gathered to him. But we can say that if it is a God-given center, if it is according to His word, why it will be on the ground of the whole Church of God. It will include every member of the body of Christ, whether they're there or not.
So we find here that the 11 disciples.
Went away. And I say again, if it's a scriptural ground, it will be a ground large enough to include every child of God, although there will have to be separation from evil.
Well, they came and they weren't disappointed either when they saw Him. They worshipped Him. Well, that's the effect of being in His presence, of really seeing Him in the midst. There is worship produced in our hearts.
But there's also something else that comes out here. It says, but some doubted. You know, I'm sort of glad that comes in there, brethren. I say I'm glad because many times we might come into the Lord's presence, perhaps to remember Him or on other occasions. And we say, well, I don't find the response in my heart that there should be.
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Well, here when we find the disciples all together.
There were some who were lacking in faith.
And I've often said that Thomas, he outspoken, he was outspoken and he, he said he expressed his doubts. But there's a lot of us that have many things hidden up in our hearts. We, we don't tell everybody, but those things are there and we feel kind of ashamed. Sometimes I do, at least when I sit in the Lord's presence, I feel kind of ashamed because I see just those kind of things in my heart. Is this a reason to stay away?
No, they were all there but the.
Lord looked into their hearts and he saw now you may not have doubts about salvation, but you may have doubts about a lot of other things. We we can have doubts about why did this happen and why did so and so do that or say that we can have all kinds of things crowd into our minds all kinds of reasonings and questions that come up. But isn't this beautiful what the Lord did on this occasion and Jesus.
First came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
He didn't answer every individual problem. I suppose every one of them had a different problem. Every one of them had something else that was perplexing them, but this was the answer to every one of them. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Brethren, there isn't a problem we can be in that the Lord couldn't take us out of it if He saw best. If He saw it was best, He could take us out of it. I say again, there isn't.
Problem and so this is the answer to all those doubts. All power is given unto me and oh, you say, I know he has all power up there, but in earth, yes, in earth too. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Is there anything that's bothering you today? And you say I don't know why the Lord doesn't come in will rest in this verse.
To me, it's just as if the Lord who was in their midst came to each one of them into individuals.
Usually because it's rather a strange expression, isn't it? They saw him, but Jesus came and spoke to them just as if he came to each one individually and says I have all power.
And oh, I just want this to sink down into my own heart. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Oh, if we just rested in that, if we just realized that, oh what happy Christians, we would be what? Rejoice.
Christians, to know that we have found Christ, the Lord our Savior, that we have found that He has a way that we can gather around himself according to His Word, and that He cares about everything that perplexes us. All the doubts that concern us, that He actually would come and say, I have all power, just leave that with me, casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. And then he said something else too.
That must have been very comforting to them, and that is that He was going to use them. Don't you often wonder how the Lord could ever use such poor, failing things as we are? Don't you often say, how could He ever use me? I'm so ashamed at the doubts I see in my mind, and even when I sit in His presence, I have so many wandering thoughts. He has to tell me that He's going to use me. I never could believe it, but he says, Go ye and teach all nations.
Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, bringing them, perhaps we could suggest, into that blessing of Christianity.
Of course we know baptism is not salvation, but it is that which introduces us into the place where God is fully revealed and made known. What a wonderful thing this is. And so here we find that they were given the privilege of serving the Lord and then teaching them to observe all things. Whatsoever I have commanded you, in other words.
We are, as Paul said, to declare the whole council of God.
Paul not only told the way of salvation, but he was burdened that the Saints might know all the precious truth of God.
And then this lovely expression at the end. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
1 is often commented that we need the enjoyment of the Lord's presence collectively, and we need the enjoyment of His presence individually to sustain us along the path.
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In these scriptures we've looked at, we had the Lord's presence. Collectively, the shepherds gathered around him. Then in the next instance, the wise men gathered around him.
And here in the first part of this chapter of this instance where we read, the 11 disciples were around him, but they had to disperse. They were going to leave that happy meeting place. But now he gives them a word of assurance. And he says, lo, I am with you always. And so, brethren, may we value the Lord's presence collectively. May we really desire to be.
Gathered according to His word, Himself in our midst.
And then till when we leave such happy occasions, may it be our desire to enjoy His presence individually.
As we drive our cars, as we sit in our homes, as we go to our business, we can be like Nehemiah, who was the King's cup bearer. And there he stood in the presence of the great king. And the king asked him a question and he prayed to the God of heaven just as if the Lord was standing right by him. And he said, oh, I have a need, I'll just ask the Lord right now. And there he did. And so how lovely it is.
We do have to leave these happy occasions when we're together, but we can enjoy His presence individually. Oh, may the Lord grant it may be so. It's everything to us, brethren, as it was brought before us in the previous meeting. What a wonderful thing. The Lord desires to have our company, and He delights to have that response in our hearts that we want to be in His company.
It may be as I say.
That it's a difficult, rejected place. It may be we have a distance to travel, it may be that we find doubts and things in our minds, but it's himself we need. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore.
Ephesians 2:8-12
Ephesians 2:13
Ephesians 2:1-7
Ephesians 3:13
Prayer
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Like the turn first of all to Colossians chapter 4.
Colossians chapter 4 and verse 2.
Continue in prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving.
Was on my heart this afternoon to speak a little bit about prayer and particularly as we see it brought before us in the life of the Lord Jesus.
In the Gospel of Luke, the Lord Jesus is presented to us seven times in prayer, and in each one of these times I believe there is a different particular context. And in applying it to ourselves, I believe there can be some needed lesson for each one of us.
Well, how important prayer is in our lives because it's so easy for us just to go on our own way. Then when we get into a difficulty to turn to the Lord and want His answer. But I believe it ought to be the habitual thing in our lives.
But I want to say first of all, that there are some things, if I can use the expression, that we should not pray about. Or you say, just what do you mean by saying that? Well, when God speaks in His Word, we don't ask Him whether we should do the thing or not. If His Word speaks, the path is clear. We should be obedient. For instance, supposing there is a young person here, perhaps you have found a boy or a girlfriend who's not saved.
And you say, well, I'm praying about it. Well, you better stop praying because the word of God says be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And I can remember when I was a boy that those who were walking to meeting my father said one time he said there are things that I don't pray about. He said, I didn't ask the Lord this morning whether I should remember him in his death.
He said I have his word which clearly says this do in remembrance of me. I should be exercised about where he would have me to be gathered, whether it's according to the truth of his word. But as to whether he would have me remember him, I have his word that speaks simply. And so I want to say before I start to speak about this, that prayer is never with the thought of omitting the authority of God's precious word, God's.
Precious word is the direction for our pathway, but there are many things in life now that perhaps we don't have a direct word from the Lord, decisions that we have to make and so on. And so you can't turn to an actual chapter and verse that says you better go to the conference of Des Moines. No, you'll have to look to the Lord about something like that. And so there are many things in our lives just like that where we have to turn to the Lord. And I believe those.
Two things ought to characterize our Christian life, reading of the Word and prayer, letting God's words speak to us. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. And then when we have decisions, and when we find something, perhaps even the word, that we don't fully understand, then we can turn to the Lord and ask Him by His Spirit to help us to understand as our brother. Read to us this morning, if any.
Man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself.
Another comment that was made by Mr. Darby has been a help to me and that is that.
Prayer is based on the privilege of having common interests with God. No, I think that's a very blessed thing. And I say to you, dear young people, isn't a very blessed thing that you can have common interests with God? Is he interested in your life and mine? Does he care about those decisions and how they affect our lives? Why, of course he does. He has planned. He careth for you.
And so he brings our souls into fellowship with himself, it tells.
Because us your father knows what things ye have need of before ye ask him whether you say if that is so, why should I ask? Well, I've used a little illustration like this. Supposing that you wanted to give a gift to someone and you decide on a certain thing that you would like to give to that friend. And then one day before you have given the gift, your friend says, you know there's something I'd really like very much and it names the very.
Saying that you had already planned to give all you say. It's just exactly what I wanted to give them. Isn't there a common mutual joy? Well, you know, in prayer we have the privilege of that common mutual joy. God bringing our souls into communion with himself to look to Him for those very things that he knows are for our good and for our blessing. And so it's a very wonderful privilege that we have to be brought into this fellowship.
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With God in prayer.
I might also mention, too, that prayer is brought before us in the Scripture in three particular ways, and these three ways also ought to characterize our Christian life.
Yesterday about 1. And that was the case of Nehemiah. And Nehemiah was the King's cup bearer, standing in the presence of the king. And the king asked him a question, and before he answered, it says, So I prayed to the God of heaven, and I said unto the king. In other words, Nehemiah's soul was in the attitude of prayer. And I believe that's the force of that verse in First Thessalonians 5 that says.
Because pray without ceasing. That is, we should, we should always be in the attitude of prayer so that at any moment when any given situation arises, we don't feel that there's something between US and the Lord, but that we can just turn to Him and talk to Him as our dearest friend. That's praying without ceasing. And I believe that's a very important aspect of our lives. Keep short accounts with God. So there's nothing.
Between your soul and God, so that at any moment you can just turn and talk to Him and make known your request to Him.
And then there is also private prayer. We remember how the Lord Jesus said in Matthew to go into your room and shut your door and talk to your Father who is in secret. Well, we ought to have such times. We find that with Daniel it was three times in a day he went to his room. I don't by any means suppose that there weren't many times that Daniel talked to the Lord when situation arose in his.
In his work, and he asked the Lord about certain matters. I'm sure that was true of him. But there was also this time that he went to his room and prayed. And so, you know, dear young people, I speak especially to you. You have the privilege of doing this and I hope you value it. I hope that there is a little time set apart in your life when you get with the Lord.
Away from the family, away from others, just to talk to the Lord.
And I think this is a very blessed privilege that we have that we can do just like Daniel. He wouldn't allow anything to rob him of that privilege. 3 times in the day. In his case, he went to his room.
And then the next instance is assembly prayer. We find that in the 12TH of Acts tells us about the Saints and how when Peter was in prison, it says they were gathered together and praying for Peter's release. And so this represents what I believe is a very important thing. We have it brought before us in the second of Acts. They continued steadfastly in the apostles.
And fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers. I believe that is assembly prayer. And so we shouldn't allow our private prayer to ever interfere with the fact that we desire to be present at the assembly prayer meeting. Well, you say the assembly prayer meeting there long pauses and sometimes I wonder how much faith there was. Well, isn't it interesting that the instance that God brings before us.
In the 12TH chapter of.
Acts where the assembly was gathered together for prayer. There wasn't much faith there either because when Peter got released, they wouldn't believe it. And when he actually knocked on the door, they denied that he was really there. They said it's his spirit and he had to continue knocking until finally they let him in. So if the assembly prayer meeting isn't all that you feel it should be, and perhaps we could be.
Exercised about our own part in this too. If it isn't still, this brings out another thing that I wanted to speak of before I look at the passages in Luke and that is the wonderful fact that God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things. This to me is very, very encouraging in connection with prayer. I might say that confidence is in prayer is the result of obedience and communion. But.
God answers prayer according to his own heart, and how many of us have proved this? We prayed for something and we had to confess what a lack of faith there was in our prayers. And yet God was greater than our poor doubting hearts, and he came in and answered. He's greater than our hearts. We miss something by not having confidence, but we didn't miss the answer because he answered according to his own heart. And I think this is a great.
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Great encouragement for us if you find, and I often have to say I find a lack of confidence in my heart. I'm encouraged by the fact that God is greater than my heart and knoweth all things. Now just one other thing and that is there is a solemn fact of allowing anything in our hearts that is anything in our lives that is unjudged. This is a positive hindrance. And so it does say if I regard iniquity in my heart.
The Lord will not hear me.
And it's a solemn thing to allow something in our hearts that we should be judging, while at the same time asking the Lord for something while we're not desirous to conform our ways into what is pleasing to Him. And so I just mentioned briefly these few thoughts in connection with prayer. I say it is a wonderful privilege that God has given. There's a lovely verse, I believe it's in the Psalms that says.
O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall.
All flesh come. What a marvelous thing God does here. Prayer. And this ought to encourage us now to turn to some of these passages in connection with the Lord. The gospel of Luke in the third chapter.
Luke's Gospel, Chapter 3.
And verse 21.
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized.
And praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him. And a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art, my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.
I think this is brought before us. This is the first instance in the Gospel of Luke where we find the Lord Jesus praying. And I believe it's in connection with the commencement of his pathway of service tells us in the book of the Acts that he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power and went about doing good. And now I think this is something that we can apply to ourselves.
In the Gospel of Luke, the Lord Jesus is brought.
Before us as the dependent man. I think each of us know that the Gospels have different characters, and so the Gospel of Luke has a character all of its own. It presents the Lord Jesus to us as the dependent man here in this world. Although he was and is Lord of all, although he is in control of everything, He took his place here among men. He became a perfect pattern for us.
He could have accomplished that work.
Upon the cross of Calvary and gone straight back to Heaven. That was what was necessary to put away our sins. Why those 33 1/2 years of His blessed pathway? All He was marking out a path for us. He's an example for us. And more than that, He's fitted now as it tells us, to be a merciful and faithful High Priest.
So that in every circumstance that we meet in our life, the Lord has trodden the past before.
For us, he was a child, He was a young person, He was an adult, and he walked through this world sent apart. He marked out the pathway for us. And so here, this very first time that we have prayer, it's in connection with the Lord at the commencement of his pathway of service. Was it an easy path? Oh, you know as well as I do, it was not an easy path. It was a difficult path. It was a path.
Was so trying to him, he said, reproach hath broken my heart. I am full of heaviness. I look for some to take pity, and there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. Yet we find the Lord Jesus here at the commencement of his pathway in prayer, and I believe if you turn with me to a verse in Galatians.
Galatians, chapter 6.
Galatians, chapter 6.
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And.
The fourth verse. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another, For every man shall bear his own burden.
I believe that this these verses have a reference to what took place when the Levites were taken and given to Aaron for service in the House of the Lord. It tells us that the tribe of Levi was presented to Aaron and his sons and each one was appointed to a service and a burden in the House of the Lord. If you asked any Levite what is your service for the Lord, he could.
Tell you because he could say, Aaron told me that this was the service that I was to perform and what is your burden? Well, he appointed me to this burden. He couldn't, so to speak, do somebody else's work that was given to him. Well, we haven't got some human that we can go to and say now you please tell me what my life work is to be.
Now we have to go to the Lord. He is the Lord of the harvest, but.
Dear young people, I speak especially to you because you're starting out in life. I believe that the Lord has something for each one of you to do, and I believe that you're going to miss something in your life if you spend your life without finding out what it is. I believe that the service that He has for you to do, that you can do better than any other person, because if the Lord has called you to it, He has certainly fitted you for it and He will enable you to do that little service.
And he often.
One tests us, but if he calls us to a work, I've sometimes said to my wife, when we try to undertake something to the Lord, I said we don't need to ask ourselves can we do this? All we need to ask is does the Lord want us to do it? Because if he wants us to do it, then we become his charge. It says no man goes to work to warfare at his own charges. When a man joins the army, he becomes the charge of the government they look after.
Clothes say look after his health, they give him the ammunition needed or whatever he is. He's their charge. And isn't it a lovely thing? The Lord has a place for you to fulfill. Just as in the body of Christ, each member has a part to fill, and the hand doesn't try to do what the foot is supposed to do unless it's an emergency. Each member has a particular place to fulfill.
And then each one if those Levites had a burden to bear.
All, dear young people, that you and I want to know what the Lord wants us to do. Here we find the Lord Jesus at the commencement of His pathway in prayer. Have you really asked the Lord to show you what He has for you to do? I believe that He can, and that He will make it known to you. It tells us. I quote again that verse. If any man will do his will, he shall know.
And I believe he will show you.
He may also give you a burden, and maybe you may feel that it's an unusual one because some of the Levites must have had to carry the boards of the Tabernacle, and some of them seem to have it a lot easier, carrying perhaps the pins and other lighter things. Some seem to be occupying a very prominent and important place and carrying the ark on their shoulders, and others may have felt, well, why can't we have the honors that that person is having?
They're right out in the front, Everybody notices them, but the important thing was not whether the service put them in the public eye. Indeed, that could be dangerous, but the important thing was.
Had they received that little work to do? Had they been appointed to that burden? Every man according to his service and according to his burden, and it tells us that this service was from 25 or 30 years old up to 50. I believe it's simply the fact that it's a good thing for us to learn this before our best years are gone.
Before our best years and say oh I wasted my life, I'd like to start now.
Oh, how much better to start in the time of in the time of King David. It speaks about them even being in service in the temple at 20 years of age. And I think it shows us that if we're willing, the Lord then will show us. So isn't this a little pattern? The Lord Jesus had been baptized. He comes up out of the water and he is praying. He is praying Now. I just suggest that in baptism, the name of Christ.
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Is placed upon us. There's a position in this world of bearing the name of Christ. And So what a what a responsibility. You see a man with a name on his on his shoulder, then you expect to see that he is worthy of that name that he bears. And so it's a responsibility to bear the name of Christ in this world. So here we find the Lord Jesus in prayer at the commencement of his.
Pathway of service. And again, I just want to impress upon each one and upon myself that you can discover this. And then isn't this lovely? And then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another? You say that sounds a little bit selfish. No, it just means this. It just means this, that instead of saying, oh, I wish I was doing what that other brother or sister is doing.
You say, oh, I'm.
I'm happy because I feel that I'm fulfilling the little service the Lord gave me to do. That's what counts. That's what counts. And you can really be happy in it. Oh, you say it's kind of difficult when you see somebody else have it a lot easier. Oh, but it's the Master whom we serve that counts. It's the Master who is the Lord of the harvest who died for us, who has those nail prints in His hands to remind us of what it cost him.
To make us his very own. And ye are not your own. Ye are bought with a price. Have you prayed about it? Have you asked the Lord to really show you that what he has for you? And if you said, Lord, help me to accept the burden, even if it seems to be a heavy one, even if someone else seems to have better health and better surroundings and a better meeting to serve in, just help me Lord, to be a light for thee, just where you've placed me. I believe that's what the Lord would have us to do.
Now let's turn to the next one. I believe it's in the 5th chapter of Luke.
And the 15th verse.
But so much the more went there of fame abroad of him, and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities, and he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed Well. Here's another instance that we find the Lord Jesus in prayer here. It tells us in the verse before.
A fame had spread abroad of him. Great multitudes came out.
Oh, you said that was a fine opportunity. Why did the Lord withdraw himself? Oh, I think this is very lovely. The Lord Jesus never, never sought popularity. All that he sought to do was his Father's will. Sometimes when people pat us on the back and make a great deal out of us, we can sort of go ahead sort of on the Crest of all the public acclaim and all that people say to.
Flatterers or encourage us? Encourage us or something?
And you know, we can go along like that. There is no more dangerous time in our Christian life than after the Lord has used us in some way. You know, when the children of Israel had one of the most remarkable victories at Jericho, and they saw the walls of the city fall down flat, they went up and took the city, and they didn't lose a single man.
They just got a little bit puffed up. They just thought.
That shows that we can handle any other place. Let's go down to the city of AI. It's only a little place and we don't need to even all go there because it's going to be easy. Has that ever happened in your life?
The Lord has used you and you've done something for him, and you say, oh, I can do the next thing. All right, because I did that all. Be careful. They were to get back to Gilgal. And what was Gilgal? Well, Gilgal was the place where the knife was lifted on self. It was the place where it wasn't using a sword on the inhabitant of the land. It was taking and lifting the sword on themselves. And it hurt too.
And self judgment is very important and let.
Say that if the Lord has ever used you and made you a blessing to somebody else, don't forget to pray, don't forget to get down before the Lord and say, Lord, I'm nothing. I couldn't have done this alone, and I can't do the next thing unless I get help from above. And so in this lovely when the Lord Jesus, there was a fame of him spread abroad and great multitudes came out, He withdraws into the wilderness.
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US and there prayed. He's the perfect man. He's the example for us in the Gospel of Luke we have a somewhat similar situation and they came to the Lord that he said and said all men seek for thee. Oh, you say I'm pretty popular. Everybody's after me. What did the Lord say? He said let us go into the next.
Towns also for therefore am I sent he didn't seek public acclaim.
1000 Philippians chapter 2 He made himself of no reputation. Oh, it's dangerous for us to seek a reputation of any kind when the Lord of glory in this world, the only one who had a right to a reputation, took the lowest place and made himself of no reputation. So I believe we could say that in this second instance in the Lord's life, we see an example for us set before us that the Lord.
Jesus as the dependent man here in this world, he didn't seek the acclaim of the world. He sought his Father's approval. That's what's counted. And so he goes into his Father's presence. We know with the Lord Jesus, his communion with his Father was always perfect. It was absolute. With us. It's not always so, but I say this is a pattern for us and I believe a very needful pattern. So if there's anything that has taken.
Place in your life where you feel the Lord has used you, or perhaps given you a measure of popularity and people are beginning to patch you on the back. Be sure to get on your knees. You need it. If the Lord is going to continue to use you and bless you, be dependent upon Him. The Lord Jesus said without me He can do nothing.
And so we have another case now if we turn on in the 6th chapter of Luke.
The 6th chapter of Luke and the.
12TH verse.
And it came to pass in those days that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples, and of them he chose 12 whom also he named apostles.
Well, we know that this was at the time when the Lord Jesus chose the 12 apostles who were to accompany him and his pathway of service. And we find those 12 apostles with the Lord all through right up to the very night of his betrayal, those 12 apostles were with him. And now I'd like to apply this in a practical way to ourselves.
Dear young people, there's no more important decision in your life than who is going to be your partner.
Who is going to be the one who is going to share a life with you? That is the most important thing. Don't treat it lightly. Don't allow yourself just to get carried away with some observation that you've made that you haven't been before the Lord about it. Isn't it remarkable that in this instance we find the Lord Jesus?
All night in prayer to God. All night in prayer to God.
And if you only realize that the partner whom you have in your life is going to make you or break you in every way, naturally and spiritually, you will never really fulfill as you should what the Lord would have you to fulfill unless you have the right partner in life. And the Lord Jesus here before He chose those.
12 disciples. Oh, you save it. The Lord knew everything. Why did he do that?
To be an example for us, to show us what an important thing a decision like this is in our lives. And then perhaps I could apply it in another way too. Perhaps you're going to do something in the Lord's service and there's someone who you'd like to have to be a helper with you. Perhaps some of the ones who have tried to do something for the Lord.
Can follow what I'm saying. You ask somebody to help you but you didn't pray enough about it.
And that person wasn't really a helper at all. That person actually hindered you, wasn't really A1 mind with you in what you wanted to do for the Lord. Oh how very important it is of those who are are associates in life. The psalmist felt something of this and in the 119th Psalm, I think it's the 63rd verse, he says.
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I am a companion of all them that fear thee.
And of them that keep thy precepts. And so I wish to say to you that it's the matter of a partner. Be sure to pray a lot about it. Look into God's Word and be sure that this one whom you would like to have to share life with you is one who fears the Lord, who wants to please him that you have common interests in life. Oh, it's so important.
And here, as I say, we find the Lord Jesus spending the whole night.
In prayer to God. So I want to just impress upon you in those momentous decisions of your life to be much before the Lord and to be sure that you have sought his mind because it surely is so important. And the Bible says too, you know, a prudent wife is from the Lord. It isn't just that he had the wisdom to choose yourself.
Or the girl had the wisdom the brother read to us this morning.
Hearing that Rebecca was asked wilt thou go and she answered I will go. So whether it's the boy in making the choice of the girl responding to the choice all be much before the Lord that you would have the one whom the Lord would have you to do and if have for a partner and then too, if it's a service to the Lord, pray much about who should help you.
You'll find that whatever you undertake for the Lord, it's going to be so.
Much happier if you have the right one with you.
You remember how Paul had Barnabas with him, and Barnabas wasn't of one mind. And so there was a little bit of bad feeling when that kind of broke up. And Barnabas went back and took his, took his nephew Mark, and they went off and sailed to Cyprus. And there was a little bit of bad feeling that came from that. And then the next time it tells us that when Paul chose Silas, he was commended by the brethren.
Commanded. In other words, others recognized that he had made a happy choice. We don't read in one single clash between between Paul and Silas. Lovely to see Lord can help you even in those kind of decisions in your Christian life. And now let's turn to another one in the 9th chapter of Luke.
The 18th verse.
And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him. And he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? The answering said John the Baptist. And some Elias and others say that one of the old prophets is risen again.
He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering, said the Christ of God. And he straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing, saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Well, here we find the Lord Jesus with the shadow of the cross.
Before him.
He knew just exactly what he was going to have to bear in the rejection of the nation.
He was in the pathway that his father had marked out for him because it tells us that he said I do always those things that please him. But were there difficulties in the path? Yes, and there will be in yours too, if you decide to follow the Lord. There is no promise that it's going to be an easy path. In fact, it tells us in the world ye shall have tribulations. Another verse says all day that will live godly in Christ.
Jesus shall suffer persecution and perhaps there are times when, in following the Lord, the difficulties and trials could be totally overwhelming.
Got so overwhelmed by the difficulties that they have thrown up their hands and say, well, I did want to follow the Lord, but oh, it's just too hard to pass. And we have seen many dear young people who've started out well, and we don't question their zeal and we don't question their desire. But the difficulties were insurmountable and they are to me. They are to you too, if you're trying to follow the Lord.
00:35:04
How did the Lord Jesus meet all?
Rejection and shame that he bore along his pathway and finally to be taken and crucified the very people that he had come to bless shouting away with him, crucify him, and handing him over to the Gentiles to be nailed to that cross. How could the Lord Jesus endure all this? Oh, it says he was alone.
Praying. He was alone praying. And you know, I want to say this too.
So perhaps you have sought to do what we've just been talking about. You said I've tried to do a little service the Lord has for me. I am trying to walk in the path that He has marked out for me and with the partner that He has for me. But all the problems and difficulties are just overwhelming. Are you praying? Are you praying? The Lord knows all about those problems. He knows.
He knows every one of them and.
As we sing in the little hymn, sometimes the young people, the Savior, can solve every problem.
There is nothing too hard for Jesus. There is nothing that he cannot do. There is no problem. There is no difficulty That is so great that the Lord would have to say you just that's too much. You better turn back. Oh no, he is able. And so if you are facing and I as I look into faces here, I know that there are young people who just said, oh, I've enjoyed these two or three days. But when I go back, when I go back.
I can just see mountains. I can just see all kinds of things turning up. Isn't this lovely? The Lord Jesus was alone praying. It's grand to be in company. You really get a boost for your Christian life when you're with other Christians and they sort of help you along. But you do have to meet some difficulties alone. Every man shall bear his own burden. And some things you just have to meet alone. And you just have to get before the Lord as our perfect.
Example.
The Lord Jesus did. He's alone praying, and then he tells the disciples this is the kind of a pathway it is. It's not an easy one. Paul was careful to tell the early believers about this, too. He didn't paint out an easy, pleasant pathway for them. He didn't say it's all fun. No, he said we must, through much tribulation, enter into the Kingdom of God.
And so isn't this very beautiful to see?
The Lord Jesus alone, praying and talking to his disciples and saying, I know how difficult the pathway is. I know just exactly what's ahead. We don't always know what's ahead, but the Lord does. The Lord does. Maybe it's good for us at times that we don't know what's ahead. We just would cringe before some of the things that might come. But he knows. And the Lord knew it all, but he pressed on. Nothing would turn him back.
Now in this same chapter we have it again in the 28th verse of this 9th of Luke.
Says here.
28th Verse. And it came to pass, about an 8 days after these sayings, he took Peter, and John, and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And behold, there appeared with him two men, which were Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish.
At Jerusalem.
Well, here we have again, the Lord Jesus went up into a mountain to pray, and I believe the reason this comes in here is what is it that will sustain us when we have to meet these difficulties. The Lord had just acquainted the disciples with the fact that He was going to be rejected. If I had read the intervening verses, you would see that He was telling them that they were going to have to take up their cross and follow.
Him and the 26th verse. Maybe I could read it.
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of Him, shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in His own glory, and in His fathers, and in the holy angels. He had acquainted them with the fact that it was difficult, but He warned them not to be ashamed.
And says, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his minister, Will you say, what will sustain you at a time like that? Well, here we find the Lord Jesus.
00:40:01
Went up into the mountain to pray. What will sustain you when it seems that the difficulties of the way are overwhelming? Well, we can pray and ask the Lord for grace, but God does more than that. What happened here? Oh, there was a whole Vista of the coming glory that was opened up and the Lord Jesus, the fashion of his countenance was changed. Doesn't it remind you something about?
Stephen there he was before the council.
And they were all against him.
What made his face like the face of an Angel? He said, I see the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And so instead of just looking at the difficulties, they're real. We can't meet them in our own strength. Oh, what's ahead of us, brethren? What's ahead of us? Well, here was a little preview. And Peter speaks of this in his epistle when he's talking about what the Christians had to go through in his epistle.
He said.
He said, and this voice which came from heaven, we heard when we were with him in the excellent glory. In other words, Paul, Peter never lost sight of that vision. It remained in his soul. And as he found difficulties, he was in prison, as we said, and the Lord released him. Many difficulties came in his life, but he said, I've never lost sight of that, what I saw on the Mount of Transfiguration, he said.
That just still shines before me, and it sustains me. And according to history, He was crucified upside down. What? What was it that sustained him? All that glory shining before him? And I wish to say that this is the only thing that will sustain us in our difficulties. Do we pray and say, Lord, help me to have my eyes upon Thee. Help me to be looking so that I can say in the words a little.
Him the glory shines before me. I cannot linger here, though clouds may darken. Or me, my Father's house is near. So here we find the Lord Jesus in prayer.
Just after announcing all these difficulties and hardships to the disciples.
But he's there on that mountain, and he's transfigured. His face shines as the sun. His raiment is white and glistening. And what were they talking about? They spoke of his decease that he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Oh, we can always.
Shall I say we can always see God's love revealed at the cross. We may not always see his love in our circumstances, but we can always see his love revealed at Calvary. Sometimes there may be somebody here and you're going through deep waters and the devil whispers, does God love you that he lets all this happen? Oh, your answer is, I know he loves me. He sent his son to die for me He settled the question of my sins so that I.
Be an eternal glory. It's like casting the tree into the bitter waters. It makes them sweet. And so here in this occasion where we find the Lord praying not so much in facing the difficulties, but rather that which lifts us above the difficulties. And we need to ask the Lord. Perhaps you have. I've asked the Lord. Oh, help me to have before me the reality of all. It's mine in Christ.
It sustains you, it helps you to go through some of the things.
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