Des Moines Conference: 1990
Table of Contents
Position & Condition
Revelation 3:1-3
Reading
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Revelation Chapter 3.
Was your thought, Brother Chuck to begin with verse one, Chapter 3. Read through the whole chapter on our first reading.
Revelation Chapter 3, verse One.
And unto the Angel of the church in Sardis right.
These things said he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. I know thy works, that thou hast the name, that thou livest and art dead.
Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard.
And hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt not watch.
I will come on thee as a thief. Thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
A few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me.
In white, for they are worthy.
He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment. And I will not plot out his name. I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches.
And through the Angel of the church in Philadelphia, right these things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, And no man shut it and shut us, and no man openeth I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it, For thou hast a little strength, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not.
But to lie, Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Because I was kept the word of my patients, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come.
Upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Behold, I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will ride upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name, He that hath been here. Let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches.
And unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans rite.
These things set the Amen, the faithful, and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.
I would thou Wert cold or hot.
So then, because our lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew the out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knoweth not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked.
I counsel thee to buy of Maine gold tried in the fire that thou mayst be rich.
And white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.
And anoint thine eyes with I shall that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will Sup with him and he with me.
For him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with my Father.
In his throne he that happened here, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches.
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In chapter one.
The Book of Revelation in verse 19 is divided.
Well, let's read the verse, write the things which thou hast seen referring to the vision.
Of the Son of Man in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks that John had just seen.
And the things which are.
That has to do with the 2nd and the 3rd chapters.
The things which are the present church period, And then the things which shall be hereafter after these things. And that's what you get in the rest of the Book of Revelation.
The whole Book of Revelation is.
Prophetical, and it's highly figurative, and it uses symbolical language quite often.
So God teaches by symbols. It's very powerful way of teaching the truth.
Well, in these seven churches, Ephesus represents the.
Post Apostolic period, right after the apostles had passed off the scene and then Smyrna, a time of great persecution which broke out on the early church. Pergamos is the conversion apparently. At least we don't know if it was real or not, of Constantine, the Emperor of Rome who embraced Christianity as the national religion up till then and right before that.
Christians were greatly persecuted, which was the Smyrna period. And then comes Pergamus, which means marriage. And really the Christians who did not fully grasp what was happening hailed that as the the real blessing of God and that God was bringing about a conversion of the world. The world was being converted to Christianity.
And so we have the marriage of the world and the Church.
It was an unholy union. It was really the downfall of the Church ever since then.
The Church has been worldly and the world has been churchy, but and we even have fallen into the thought of calling this nation a Christian nation.
It's true that this nation has been favorable to Christianity, but it's also favorable to Hinduism. It's also favorable to Mohammedanism. It's also favorable to Buddhism. In other words, any religion.
Is all right. That's the attitude of the government today. Freedom of religion means not only freedom of the true religion, but also of the false ones. So that's anything but Christian. That's not a Christian attitude at all. Well, there's no such thing as a Christian nation. There are those that have been favorable and have allowed Christianity.
And the very fact that we have a conference today.
This weekend is a proof of that, that this country under which we live has allowed freedom of religion. While that was Pergamus. And then came Thyatira.
Really. Romanism in the Dark Ages and the last four. The first three we might comment were successional 1 succeeded after the other and the previous one passed away.
But when you come to Thyatira and the last three that we've read of this morning, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, the last four all go on to the coming of the Lord, so they are.
They are states. They're conditions of the assembly that go on to the end. The Roman Church will go on to the end. Sardis, which represents Protestantism, that will go on to the end.
Philadelphia, which represents the recovery of truth of the last century especially.
That will go on to the end and Laodicea the.
Latitudinarian, indifferent state of things that seems to permeate.
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The mass of Christendom today, there's not a company.
That is not affected by the Laodicean spirit of things, lukewarmness. And they all go on to the end. The last four, the last two. I just suggest some general comments. The last two are more states than positions. The Philadelphia is a spiritual condition.
Which results in a scriptural position.
But it's more a state of things, and the same is true of Laodicea. It's especially a spiritual condition. The one is Philadelphia is being fervent for the Lord, and Laodicea is a wishy, washy, indifferent, lukewarm state of things.
Sardis and Thyatira are ecclesiastical positions. One is Rome.
And then we have in Sardis we have all the state churches.
The various Protestant bodies which are recognized by the governments as being religious institutions. Philadelphia is not so recognized by the governments.
In in the same way it is not.
A something that is as tangible and you can point to it and say that's Philadelphia, you can point to that which is Thyatira and Sardis and say that's that.
But Philadelphia is more a condition of heart and devotedness to the Lord, going on for Him and adhering to biblical principles of truth.
Well, that's just some introductory comments that might help us to better understand as we look at these last three churches, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea, just to add a few more introductory remarks.
I think it's very timely that we are considering this portion of the scripture and we'll notice the first verse of the book.
Revelation 11 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him.
To show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass so that it is prophetic. It was prophetic at the time John received it. Let's look in the last chapter and we'll see that the same statement comes in chapter 22. We're looking at a book of prophecy.
And who can foretell and foretell accurately, but gone?
With God, if we can think of it, there is no past, There is no future. It's an eternal present. I can't comprehend that. But known unto God are all his works from the foundation of the world. And now he is telling us so that we can get a hold of these things and see that the word of God is divine in the 22nd chapter in the sixth verse.
And he said unto me, These things are faithful and true.
And the Lord.
God of the holy prophets sent his Angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Now let's go back to Jeremiah and get a verse which tells us what a true prophet is.
We've got a book of prophecy given to John by the Lord himself to tell us what was going to take place.
From that point where John got it on the Isle of Patmos.
And it's very applicable in 1990 and when we see this confirmed.
And much of it fulfilled, we cannot doubt God's word in the 28th chapter of Jeremiah.
The 28th chapter, Jeremiah. You can read the whole chapter for yourself.
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But there's a comment in the ninth verse that we want to get.
The Prophet which prophesied the peace.
Now that was Hananiah, but this last part was to be the judgment upon Hananiah's prophecy as well as upon Jeremiah's prophecy. And it's always true when the word of the prophet shall come to pass.
Then shall the prophet be known that the Lord hath truly sent him.
Ananiah wasn't sent. Jeremiah wants his word was confirmed. Now let's go to John chapter 16 to see.
How the future was going to be made known in this age. It's by the Holy Spirit sat down and the Holy Spirit who wrote the whole of the book, including the Revelation, and it's for our interest and when we see what he is doing in the 13th verse for those who are gods, those who belong to him.
Those who are believers.
It's very precious John 16 verse 13 Howbeit when he the spirit of truth is come.
And he is come, brother. He came and he stays here. He is not leaving till we do. So we get in the end of revelation. The spirit of the bride say, come, he's going to stay here until we go up. We were singing, come, Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit's going to stay here till that time. And then he's going to leave this scene too. That will open the door for all the judgments. And it says here Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of Truth is come.
What's he going to do? He will guide you into all truth. Don't we want that truth? We get it out of God's book. For he shall not speak of himself or independently, but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak now this last phrase, and he will show you things to come.
Now that's very definitely in the Book of Revelation. My brother has given a little resume of the things which were to come as to the forming of the church down here below by the Spirit of God and the first three phases, the 1St 3 stages of the Church's history.
Prophetically given to us in Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos.
Are over with.
We can look back in history and it confirms that. It confirms what the Prophet said. They're over with. The last four are here, as he said. Now, I think the point for me perhaps for you is in which one of these does God see me to be? I'm going to be in one of these four, either in Thyatira as a witness or in Sardis as a witness or in Philadelphia as a witness.
Were in Laodicea as a witness. Very exercising, isn't it? Now we should probably comment yet that while the primary application is prophetic and gives us a historical view, I believe we can at any time.
Apply these messages to any local assembly, and especially when we think for instance of emphasis.
Leaving the first loss or even the.
Pergamus condition. The people of God today might fall into that kind of a spirit, or in our assemblies we might allow that kind of spirit to enter. If, for instance, we would involve ourselves in political matters. That's the Pergamus spirit and trying to set the world right.
That's the program of spirit, so we can apply it morally to any assembly at any time. But also another interesting point is that in the last four we find that the overcomer is addressed before.
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The words are utterly that has an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit say unto the churches. In the first three it is reversed.
That seems to indicate, does it not, that the Lord realizes that in the conditions described in the last four churches, that he does not really expect that everyone in that church will hear, but at the overcomer will hear, will listen, and May God give us grace, that we will listen to what the Spirit has to say.
To the churches now, another interesting point that we find in Sardis, for instance.
It seems that.
There is an indication that Sardis, at least part of Sardis might continue beyond the rest of Christendom, because the Lord speaks of himself coming as a thief in the night. We know that the mass of Christendom is judged not by the Lord himself, he is judged.
Using the beast, you know, it's so obnoxious to him that he does not himself judge it. He uses the revived Roman Empire to judge that horror that rides the beasts at first, but there seems to be an indication that part of Sardis might continue and might be judged by the Lord himself.
One here sometimes I feel been misused.
The entire Tyra and Sardis is that people are encouraged to continue in Sardis and continue in Taya Tyra because of the encouragement given to them. Entire Tyra who have not known the depths of Satan as they say and so on.
But I believe that is not using the word of God rightly. We have to remember that prophetically.
There was a time when there was nothing but Thyatira, and at such a time that has especially meaning to Saints who find themselves in that situation the same.
In Sardis, there was a time when God, in a definite way, let his people out of Thyatira when the Reformation began, but it fell short.
You know it did not really. As the word is used. The works are not perfect. They were not really let into all that God had for them because of their political involvement, allowing the Princess to take advantage of the Reformation. But again, there was a situation where there wasn't anything beyond Sardis and Saints living at that time can find encouragement in the.
Verses that encouraged them in that condition.
Today I believe that the Spirit of God would in a definite way seek to exercise souls to come out of these unscriptural positions. We should not use these verses to encourage people at this present time after the Spirit has worked in a definite way to lead souls out of the darkness of Catholicism and out of the debt formality of Protestantism.
To encourage them with these verses to continue in it, to come out from among them and be separate sayeth the law, and mention that the last four go on to the end, which is true, but we find them commencing at different periods. They don't all start at the same time, but they do, after they've started, continue on to the end.
I would just like to notice.
In Revelation 2 and the end of verse 24.
The encouragement given to those entire attire, I will put upon you none other burden but that which you have already. Hold fast till I come, and that indicates that they will go on down to the end. It brings in the truth of the Lord's coming. Now if we go to the chapter we read and verse 11.
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Behold, I come quickly.
Hold our path which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
All entire tire. They were to look for the coming of the Lord. But now?
We're going to behold. I come quickly, we've come right down to the end. His coming is evident, and I think we need to keep that before us at any moment. We may now hear that call to meet the Lord in the air.
There's another thought with regards to.
Cyrus Thyroid If a person in Romanism learns of the depths of Satan, my brother quoted part of a person Second Corinthians chapter 6 that I thought we might look at. If a person comes across these verses reading the word of God, comes across evil and wicked doctrine in a system, then there's responsibility for believer, a person that has faith. And 2nd Corinthians chapter 6.
In verse 14.
Handsome thoughts be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion has liked in darkness? And what concord hath Christ Belial? Or what part have you to believe it without infidel? And what agreement has the temple of God the idol? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Work, work, come out from among them in these separate states the Lord, and touch not the unclean things, and I will receive you. I will be a father, as you, and you shall be my sons and daughters. Say it, the Lord Almighty, the call to come out.
Responsibility and those that are in Romanism. I was in Romanism. There's a lot of brethren that have been gathered to the Lords name as well as those who and their buddies artists today that the Lord has shown these truths to. So in responsibility they came out from a month that they recognized as evil and wicked.
We have here in verse three of the first chapter what tells us that these things are for us and are good? Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep the things which are written there is. Now we've been mentioning the three assemblies or churches as they're called here in the third chapter, but notice what it says.
To Philadelphia, the two things that are exhorted in verse 8 At the end thou hast kept my word and not denied my name. And you know it's precious, for we should be exercised when it says and keep those things written therein. It's come down to that. But that is everything to the Lord, and it's everything to our Father just to be in obedience to His words.
Simplicity of that, and not to deny his name and along that thought, you'll find this expression in the second chapter.
That the first verse, the one that walketh in the midst.
That's the one his name gives us the place where he is, where his word is obeyed. And the other thought I have is the 7 golden candlesticks, the light here in this Dark World. And you know, in prophecy God is able to take anything like that and to choose what he will, to bring out the whole that he's trying to tell. And so when you have seven, you have that number.
The heavenly number of completeness and fulfillment. And so we have the complete story of the Church in the seven assemblies, and it's lovely to see how that can speak to our hearts as we see them. We're only going to take the three. But one last thought is you have this expression several times mentioned at verse seven in the second chapter. He that hath an ear to ear or he that hath an ear, let him hear.
What the Spirit says to the churches, and you have that again and again and again.
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In the Gospels it's this way He's that hath the near, let him hear.
For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. But here we have those that are already his. They've heard and they have faith He's writing to his own. And so it's the spirit capital F that teaches the assemblies the Church never teaches, contrary to Christmas today.
The Church never teaches. The Church is taught. So we have that wonderful principle brought out that we can be taught and how precious that is. We ask for it and our prayers that the Spirit have liberty, and I believe we get that right from this portion.
God has avenues so old you've called attention to them. Blessed is he that readeth we have eyes and he that hath ear an ear to hear, let him hear. We noticed in revelation it's singular. In the gospel it's ears to hear and God is when he comes down to the last book, as he said to me, if you if you just got one ear you better listen and.
So he is writing to us now suppose.
A person gets the book I'm thinking perhaps of many I've seen in Bolivia, Peru. They get this Bible and they start reading it for the first time. I've seen it over and over again. And they come to the Book of Revelation. They read through it.
All this symbolic teaching and the Spirit of God opens up slowly.
To them. And they're identified with this great church called Thyatira, nearly 100% of them down there. But what are they going to do about separation? They come down to the 18th chapter. Let's look in the 18th chapter, which is in the scale, in the plan, yet prophetic.
But when a person reads today, he can make it use of it.
We've read in Corinthians what to do now. In this book it tells what to do too.
In order not to get caught in the judgment that are coming. For this is a book of judgment. This this is the Lord taking up the title deed to this herb and cleansing the earth, and taking possession of it and the company to reign with him above.
But here's a man reading the book he reads in Revelation. He comes down.
And he reads about Babylon, the greats fallen, and all this judgment which is yet future. And then he comes to the fourth verse. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Then right now there is an application to be made to separate from that which is dishonouring to the Lord.
And Thyatira.
A couple of things that have been said Pergamus.
Letting the church, letting the world come in and rule in the church. That was the Paul and Constantine's time. He gained control and he thought, well, I'm going to get a hold of the church. So he opened the door for the church, and then he began to rule in the church. And he's the one that set up bishops. Well, the thing turned around on itself in Thyatira. And those bishops got so powerful, they turned around and ruled in the world.
And that's the character of Fire Trier to this day.
Now, as to start it, we must not say that Sardis is the Reformation.
The picture shown in Sardis is what the Reformation developed into.
Because of allowing the Princess to take advantage of the Reformation for political gain, they wanted to use the Reformation the German Princess to get out from under the Roman yoke.
So what actually happened because of that is that they were delivered from the idolatrous system of the Catholic Church, but they were continuing in the evil that was introduced in Pergamus. They were really not delivered from the Pergamus evil. And so you have these German Lutheran Church and and and all of these it. It is obviously living proof that they were not delivered from.
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The program is evil, and there is some similarity there with.
Matthew 13.
The tree that grew, the mustard seed that grew into a tree, and the birds found a nesting place in it. You know, the church, the followers of the Lord Jesus were never to be in the place of prominence and political power.
Any influence they were to be their treasure hid in the fields. That's the true character of the church, to be nobody. But we see that in the Pergamus Church coming in and continuing in sardines. Now we are very thankful for the Reformation because that was definitely a work of God and the truth of justification by faith was clearly re established.
And brought back before God's people what their justification was. I don't believe the reformers understood, but they did understand that it was by faith and not by work, and neither did they understand in the Reformation the universal priesthood of all believers. They did not understand the heavenly calling and that our worship is within the veil. They didn't know the rapture. They didn't understand the Kingdom truth.
But all these other things could only be given back to us afterwards because of that wonderful truth of justification by faith being given back to God's people. So we're thankful for the Reformation, but we're sad to see the condition described in Sardis, which is really Protestantism, when the Princess and the Reformers.
Join hands and that really doomed that work.
Which was indeed the work of the Spirit of God.
To have and.
Verse one of our chapter something that might speak to the hearts of each one of us under the Angel of the church in Sardis. Now you find that each one of the letters is addressed to the Angel of the church. And I like to look at it as those that are in a position of responsibility, though it's addressed because those that are in a position of responsibility particularly. But then it goes on to say, as we've already noticed.
He that hath an ear to hear.
Let them hear so each one of us.
Is responsible to hear.
Spirit of God is saying now goes on to say these things that he that hath the seven spirits of God.
Complete knowledge of everything that is going on and the Seven Stars. Oh, you're still holding his own in his hands. I know thy works.
Said of each one of the churches. I know thy works.
He sees into our hearts. He knows exactly what we're doing.
That thou hast the name that thou liveth.
All I anticipate.
There's none in this room would say they were not a Christian. Thou hast the name that thou liveth and art death, O the love, are we truly the Lord? Think of it professing Christendom, making a profession of the name of Christ and our dead no life there.
All that each one of us may truly know the Lord as our Savior.
That the profession we make of knowing him may indeed be a living reality. We're spoken of as living stones, not dead ones.
In regard to the principle that our brother just enunciated.
It is consistent with God's dealings with man throughout his entire history that he addresses the responsible agent in the community.
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When Eli's sons failed miserably in their sin, it was to Eli that God addressed his remarks. When the prophet Micah addressed his remarks, it was to Samaria and to Jerusalem.
When Zephaniah addressed his remarks, he said, I will judge the Princess, the king.
Of the nation was to be addressed. And so it's consistent with all of God's dealings that the responsible element is always addressed. It does not relieve any of us of responsibility, but it is consistent with God and his ways with us that he addresses the responsible, responsible agent in the assembly and the family and the government. It's always the head, because if you control the head, you control the body, do you not?
That's sent to Sardis. It's his responsibility as sovereign, his sovereign responsibility of the Lord himself. He holds the seven Stars and so on the candlesticks, but down in Philadelphia notice he addresses them. He that is holy and he that is true over against what you get in Laodicea, the Amen and faithful witness.
So when it comes to Philadelphia.
Be thou holy as I am holy. It's something he could say to them. It's something he could exercise them in going on, whereas in in Laodicea it's it's come out from among them. They couldn't be continued and addressed that way in something he's going to spew out of his mouth, but it's a faithful witness, the ultimate word still coming.
To that condition in these last days that we have right now, well, it's much different than the holy and true Thou has kept my word. That's why he could say the truth and the holy did not denied by name. Lovely to see them. You can address them in those different ways according to their state and condition.
In Doctor we have the vision of the Lord and it says in verse 16 he had in his right hand seven stars and in verse 20 he says the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.
In every one of the addresses through Sardis, the way the Lord presents himself to the assembly.
Goes back and borrows from one of the things stated of the Lord Jesus in that vision.
Notice in chapter 2, verse one these things say if he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand and walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, that's from the vision in chapter one verse 8, unto the Angel of the church in Smyrna, right? These things saith the 1St and the last which was dead and is alive. That again goes back to the.
Statements from the first chapter and again in verse.
12 Unto the Angel of the church in Pergolas right these things say, if he which hath the sharp, sharp sword with two edges, again taken from the vision of chapter one, verse 18 Under the Angel of the church in Thyatira write these things, saith the Son of God. Now that's added.
This is addressed to Thyatira, which was a picture of Romanism. Who they make so much about him as the Son of Mary. I thought that the Lord presents himself as the Son of God. But then who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire? And his feet are like fine brass. Again taken from the vision of the first chapter.
And then Art verse, chapter 3, verse one, these things that saith he that hath the seven spirits of God. That's taken again from chapter one and the seven stars. It doesn't say that he's holding them in his right hand here it just says and the seven stars.
The seven spirits of God that might they puzzle someone. What does that mean? This is presented in the first chapter.
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Of verse 4 John, To the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto you, and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne.
This refers to the Spirit of God in a governmental aspect, the fullness of the power of the Spirit of God emanating from the throne. And it says in the 5th chapter they're sent forth into all the earth. I've heard it said that after the rapture of the Church, when the Spirit of God will go with the assembly as in dwelling it, that the Spirit of God won't won't be here anymore.
Well, that's not quite right. The Book of Revelation speaks of the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Let's look at that verse in the 5th chapter.
Verse 6 And I beheld And lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain, having 7 horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. The spirit of God will no longer be here in dwelling, the house inhabiting the house as the dwelling place of God by the spirit. That's what the assembly is when the assembly goes.
The spirit will go in that character and in that way.
But He will. He has always worked in this world, in the hearts of men, from the beginning, and he will continue to do so after the church is raptured. But he won't be dwelling on the earth as he is today in the assembly. That's the difference. But he will be here, connected with the throne, connected with the government of of God, reestablishing His rights down here in this scene.
So the spirit of God is mentioned as the seven spirits of God to Sardis.
Sardis was the church that imbibed the false principles of Pergamus to resort to governmental power.
To help them to get freed, as we've heard from the tyranny of Rome, Thyatira and the Lord presents himself as the one who has the seven spirits of God. He has all the power of government in and in his hand, as it were, and at his disposal.
They were making the mistake of going to an arm of the flesh to.
Support them and to shelter them from the persecution of Rome.
Instead of looking to him who has all the power to protect.
And also the one that has the seven spirits of God.
The one that holds that that has the seven stars, I should say, and I want to make a comment about the seven stars. We're told that they are the angels of the seven churches, and he addresses the Angel. What was the star for? You go back to the very first chapter of Genesis, the first book in the Bible.
He made the stars also the stars to rule the night. The sun and the moon. The sun to rule the day. The moon and the stars to rule the night. The moon's a picture of the church. The Sun's a picture of Christ. The stars. The Lord holds them. The light bearers, those who are set in the assembly to give light to the assembly. The assembly is set down here to give light to the world. Their lamp stands to radiate light to those roundabouts. But there are stars.
In the assembly, to bring the truth of God to the assembly, to be the teachers and the rulers in the assembly, the responsible element, as we've heard, they're the ones who are addressed, Hebrews 13 says. Obey your leaders, for they watch over your souls as those that must give account the principle of democracy entering into the church, which is everyone having a right to express his opinion.
That's really Laodicea is not of God. It's never been of God. God has established an order and authority in the assembly, and we're to observe that we're to to be subject to those who are our leaders and who lead us in the truth, who rule in the assembly, and who minister the truth of God. We don't have an official ordained leadership.
Such as they had in the early church elders, but we have those that would qualify.
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And the Lord addresses the Angel of the assembly, the responsible element. So the Angel is the figurative, symbolical representation of the responsibility of the Assembly, those who rule and give light, those who teach in the assembly, and they are responsible for the state of the Assembly. We older brethren, are held accountable for the state of the Assembly.
In these days, as always, a very solemn thing, and that must be owned by all 1 Brother said in these comments that we're all responsible. And that's true, but there are certainly those who are, especially in that place of responsibility. And here the Lord has the seven spirits about the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit.
And he presents himself in that character. He has the Seven Stars.
And yet there was there was the blatant failure in Sardis of going to earthly governments for protection instead of to him who had the full power that they could have gone to. But they didn't. They failed in that. I think that was the downfall of the Reformation, as the spirit of God was there, and leading them out and leading them on into the truth of justification by faith alone, the old sufficiency of the Word of God.
To guide us and leading them out. And then it stopped when they resorted to an arm of the flesh. Philadelphia is not limited by that. Philadelphia is the full recovery of the truth. And it's not just a part of the truth. There's a part of the truth recovered here, but Philadelphia is the full recovery of it. It's good to see these things we are reading when we read the seven churches.
History fulfilled. Fulfilled History the only inspired historical account propheticly given.
Of the history of the church marvelous to get a hold of it. And.
To see where we are and what these things are all about. The 1St in Isaiah.
A verse in Isaiah Chapter 11 That I'd like to call attention to.
Isaiah Chapter 11.
Our brother has been talking to us about the seven spirits of God.
Well, you and I know that there is only one Holy Spirit, so I'd like to just.
Share with you a verse that's been very helpful to me.
To understand what our brother Hendricks has been saying about the seven administrative governmental.
Aspects of the spirit of God and in Isaiah Chapter 11, I believe we have these seven.
Governmental aspects. And I'd like to ask you to look at verse 2 now. Count them on your fingers when I read them. There are seven of them. Count them on your fingers. The Spirit of the Lord, that's one, shall rest upon him. A spirit of wisdom. That's true.
The spirit of understanding, That's three. The spirit of counsel.
That's four, The Spirit of might. That's five, the Spirit of Knowledge. That's six the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. Well, it's been helpful to me. And according to what the way I understand it, these are the seven manifestations of the administration of the Spirit of God in government upon the earth. And so I have made a note in my Bible that Isaiah 11 verse two is is what explained what we have in Revelation.
When it talks about the seven spirits of God, it's not that there are 7 spirits, but there are 7 aspects of his administration in the world.
In verse two of our chapter again referring to it has been said as a state.
Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain.
Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain.
We need to watch, for the enemy would seek to rob us of the present enjoyment of our blessings.
We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
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And the enemy would seek to rob us of the present enjoyment of it.
We don't enter into I know I have to hold myself and don't enter into the wonderful blessings that are ours that we will enjoy in the coming day. But by faith we can enjoy them now. Satan would seek to rob us of that. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain. Well, how do we gain strength? Simply by feeding on the precious word of God.
That are ready to die.
Ready to be let go?
All these things that were recovered to us, do we value them? Do we hold them past Or are we letting them go. As of things of no account are ready to die. For I have not found thy works perfect before God. Now it takes us back. When he said I know thy works. Oh, He can look into our hearts. He sees our state.
In other words, brother.
Things that remain by Ralph speak to all of our hearts, the hearts of all those who tried to be a help to the people of God. Hopefully we are not in a Stardust position, but that verse can certainly speak to all of our hearts.
I use it as a state in our position.
But it certainly applies that Philadelphia position too. Our eight brother Walter Potter, I remember him saying that this is the time to strengthen the things that remain. We're not looking for a further recovery. There were two recoveries in the times of the Kings, one in Hezekiah.
Time and another in Josiah's time, he said there have been two times of recovery in the church's history, one in Sardis, the Reformation.
When the truth was fully brought to light, don't look for another revival, he says. Strengthen the things that remain.
You only find in Ephesus.
Uh, verse 5, the end of verse 5.
I might read it all. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent.
And do the 1St works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
We only found that find that mentioned with Sardis.
Is it?
They cease to be responsible as a life bearer and dear ones. How feeble really is the light we bear ourselves? Maybe someone can comment on that.
The situation we find, or the danger that exists amongst the gathered Saints, is that we forget.
The truth that has been recovered subsequent to the Reformation, and that we have a responsibility as those gathered to the name of the Lord to make these truths our own and to cling to them as the Lord in His grace enables us to do. What we do see is that people turn to those who have fallen short and have not embraced the truth that was rediscovered.
In the Philadelphia period.
And we turn to them for instruction and help. No wonder that there are those amongst the gathered Saints who are confused as to their ecclesiastical position. They are adrift like a ship without a rudder, because they have subjected themselves to those who have not embraced the truth to the influence and their teaching, those who have not embraced the truth.
Discovered at a later period.
From Revelation chapter one and verse three, I know Revelation sometimes seems to be a difficult book for us, but there's a promise there for us. They said blessed is he to read it.
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Then they hear the words of this prophecy. I think we get a promised blessing here.
Now, you know, if I would sit here and quote pleasure or get it to our brethren on what they thought of the revelation, I'd be going to my to the field and I'd be taking my bucket in there and I'd be bringing the bucket out full of full of things. The scripture says we can go into the field to partake of the great of the vineyard, and we're not to take a bucket.
I want to tell you where it's a vineyard.
A real a little simple buff, nice and thin on the revelation. My brother Hamilton Smith for young people might be very encouraging on their revelation and somebody else would rather directly in some of these vineyards to you if you could go new and green and that you can be in this book Revelation for blessing.
Brother Death's book on Daniel and then his book on Revelation are also very good too. Just a vineyard of those who were alive at that time. I'd rather dinner Kelly Darby. Who? Florence Frosty's brothers. And gave him the truth, just as some of them that are mentioned have been gathered to the Lord's name when the recovery of the truth's healing. We have this vineyard with us today. That's why there's a Bible too publicly.
And press the truth publisher so that that vineyard material could be available. It's not that we should go into the bucket and carry it out. Go in there and eat, and what I can eat and what you can eat can be brought forth in the assembly, which is the allocation of the spirit of God.
The Spirit of God bring us out for our edification.
It's wonderful to think of the truth recovered at Sardis, but it's been very well pointed out to us so far in these reading, this reading that we are living way beyond Sardis. We're living after the recovery of Philadelphia.
We're actually living in the very last moments and so to feed on ministry that comes from Sardis.
Protestantism, those who are in the recognized, established religious bodies, that's what Sardis is, to feed on that ministry. You are simply not going to get the recovered truth of Philadelphia. You're not going to get that which the spirit of God wanted to give to Sardis, but they fell short of it, wanted to give to the reformers.
But they fell short of it. Thank God for what was restored and recovered then.
But there was a second revival in the last century, and now all the truth that God intends for us to enjoy has been recovered, and we must recognize that. I think the mistake that has been made, and they're probably guilty of it, and that is that.
In seeking to stress the importance.
Of the recovered truth, we have promoted ourselves as a company, as though we are superior. That's wrong. That is wrong. We are no better than any of our brethren anywhere in Christendom. It's the truth that has been recovered that's important, Mr. Darby said. It is not brethren who are important, but the truth they have.
That's the important thing to get ahold of the truth. We are nothing and it's it's been stated here and we have to repeat it. We are nothing but sinners saved by grace. Not one bit better. I've even heard that some young people have asked the question after they say, is the loaf on the table Lord's Day Morning? Is that a picture of us as gathered to the Lord's name, or is that a picture of the whole Church of God?
It's a picture of the whole Church of God. It's a picture of every member of the body of Christ, whether he's gathered or scattered.
How important to recognize that? But I think the way we come across sometimes to our younger young people is that we are the people and wisdom will die with us. That's wrong. We are not anything but children of God by faith in Christ, and we have not one bit more than any of our other brethren. They may not be the in the enjoyment of it. Am I in the enjoyment of it? Are you in the enjoyment of it? And that's why we need to read the ministry that's been given us that brother ASA was referring to.
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You say is it better? Yes, it is better. Ministry, it is better it is. Read it, you'll see the difference.
Little thought in the book of Ruth.
Boys said to Ruth, Hearst thou not my daughter, go not to glean in another field, neither go from Hence wasn't there plenty of wheat and barley in other fields? Of course there was, and was the fields of Israel.
All around. But it was not the field of Boys. It was not where boys desired to see Bruce gleaning. And if she had gone to another field, read that precious little book and see how much.
That Ruth would have lost if she had gone to other fields. She had to stay in the field of Boaz. The person is everything, brethren. The person.
Revelation 3:4-10
Reading
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Revelation Chapter 3.
Will be done, the first one positive.
Unto the Angel of the church in Sardis, right.
These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
I know that I worked, but thou hast a name that thou rivers, and art dead.
Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die.
I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember, therefore, how thou has perceived and heard.
And hold fast and repent.
If, therefore, thou shalt not watch.
I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in fight.
For they are worthy.
He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white Raiment.
And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my father.
And before his angels he that happened here, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches, and unto the Angel of the church in Philadelphia. Right these things said, He that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth. And no man shut it, and shut it, and no man openeth. I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door.
And no man can shut it.
For thou hast a little strength, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not but to lie the whole. I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee, because thou has kept the word of my patience. I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Behold, I come quickly. Hold that flash which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Him that overcometh will I make a filler in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name. He that happened here, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches.
Brother.
Marked out with a special exercise of the Saints in Des Moines.
To have us listen to what the Lord was saying to us this morning in prayer, we asked the Lord too, that we might hear what He has to say concerning those various matters that we prayed about, particularly somewhere souls were in fraud and tribulation. I think those remarks relate very directly to Revelation chapter 3, because.
In Revelation 2 and three, seven times we have the Lord speaking, and there is a common way in all seven in which the Lord speaks, and just like to make a comment or two about it at first, in every single occasion He begins by saying something about himself.
Now we speak about having an exercise to listen to what the Lord has to say to us.
It's important for us to recognize, right at the beginning, the one who is going to speak. The way we receive a communication, the way we receive something that is spoken to us oftentimes depends very directly upon who it is that says it. Sometimes our ears are, you might say, turned off before the person even speaks, just because of who it is. And so we have here in Revelation 3.
On each occasion where the Lord speaks, he begins by saying something about himself.
His character as the one that is going to speak well, I believe brethren, the Lord has and intends for every single one of us that's here this afternoon at these meetings, something that he is going to want to say to you and to me individually. And so the first thing perhaps is for us to recognize that.
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And realize and accept who it is that wants to speak to us.
It's the Lord. He may use this brother, he may use that sister, he may use this circumstance, He may use that. But in every case it may be, and we should be listening, that it is actually the Lord himself that wishes to speak to us and recognizing who he is, certainly we want to listen, but the next thing he goes on in each case, he says, I know, I know, I know, Thy works.
And so it is with each one of us. Sometimes when someone wants to speak to us, we immediately in our minds we're listening to them. But at the same time in our hearts, we're saying, well, they don't understand. They really don't understand. And if they did, they wouldn't say that or they wouldn't present this to me. Well, isn't it nice for us, when the Lord is going to speak to us during these three days to recognize and to be able to say?
We know.
He knows everything about us. He knows exactly what he wants to say, and he knows how to say it as well. And then what follows? In each one of the seven times that he addresses, he tells them something about what he knows. Isn't it important for us to recognize that and accept it? Sometimes we can't listen to the message because we don't want.
To accept what is known and is being said, but we can't accept it from the Lord. And so he says He goes on to tell them what he sees. And so for each one of us, perhaps as as part of an assembly or individually, it's important to recognize that he knows what he says, and we want to listen to what he sees because he brings that out to his first.
And then in each case, he has something that he wants us to do in response to what he has to say. And so for us, brethren, as we listen in this reading meeting, perhaps for you it's one phrase, it may be one comment that is particularly suited to you, perhaps another to me. But let's be listening for that comment or that statement that we might say, yes, that's what the Lord is saying to me, and then to go on to see that there will be something.
Of a response that the Lord expects from us to that communication which He has given to us. I'd also like to notice too, that He always gives in every one of these seven cases some word of encouragement to us to do what He says, and then to recognize as well that the Lord has different ways of speaking and different needs to which He addresses, and so in some cases.
It's a word just to encourage us. In another, it's just to share his heart with us. In another, it's a word of rebuke. In another, it's a word of warning. It may be different for different ones of us here this afternoon, but for every one of us there is something he wants to say. And just to echo the last two, it says he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear. May the Lord give us hearing ears to actually be listening.
And then to respond to what he's going to say.
Explain.
You shouldn't read any Ministry.
It seems to me to indicate that we're the only ones.
That were supposed to interpret it.
I don't believe that that was quite good that way, that we should only read ministry that is put out by brethren. But the tendency is that the gathered things are turning more and more to the ministry of those who have not accepted the truth that has been brought out subsequently.
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And that has a adverse effect upon the Saints and will confuse their minds.
There was much truth revealed or given back to the Church, to those who walked the path of faith before brethren were raised up. But there are those who have refused and rejected truth that has come out, and we should consider that.
Lest we be influenced and confused, I don't think anybody said that nothing but veterans ministry should be read. But I believe it is a fact that minds of the Saints of God are confused as a result of exposing themselves to truth which does not meet the full revealed truth of God as it has come out.
I think we see today.
There's been a lot of industry and Christendom because the church one body, you know, the gift of the church isn't all here, is it?
The majority of the gift is with our scattered brethren, and they're ministering to the hurts of a hurting body.
I feel that in my own soul I can go and get some help sometimes on practical things. But when it comes to the truth of where the Lord Jesus is in the midst and on the ground of the gathering and then doctrinal issues, it's most important for me to recognize where that I would find that master it came from, where the Lord was in the midst. It's the Lord Jesus himself is the object amongst the truth discovered by our early brethren and were gathered to the Lord's name.
Well, the truth of the rapture that many believers and Christendom hold today as well as eternal security with liberty. And if you look at verse two, it says strengthen the things which remain. There are two truths that are being let go Christendom today. The one truth is eternal security of the believer.
The other truth is the rapture of the church. And those truths will be given up on hand in hand and side by side all through Christendom today. And I never thought that I would see the charismatic movement and the pretense and gifts of the Holy Spirit move into the Baptist. But it's not only there, it's all over today, and that is not the truth of the word of God.
Our third verse says remember therefore.
How thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent.
The greater the privilege, the greater the responsibility.
And in sovereign grace, God has given us these precious truths.
The truth of the Lord's coming, the truth of being gathered to his precious name.
The truth of the one body.
That every redeemed child of God is a member of all these precious things have been given to us. And it says hold fast and repent.
Let us not give them up, beloved brethren.
It has been said.
That we can only put forth the truth that we're walking in and I believe possibly that is why.
When it comes to the truth of the assembly and the ground of gathering, you don't get that among system.
We don't really come to that until we get to the address to the Philadelphians in the next the next assembly. We're still on Sardis, and I really don't think we should spend too much time on Sardis, which answers to the Protestant Reformation. And really, as it says in verse one, thou has to name that thou liveth and art dead.
As Brother Heinz pointed out this morning, the IT it Sardis really represents Protestantism. After that it had settled down not in the first energy of the power of the Spirit of God where the truth was recovered, but what it settled down into. And that's what we see today.
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A kind of a dead, lifeless formalism in the established churches.
Which originated in the Reformation, and that's what that's what Sardis represents. It represents Protestantism as we see it today, pretty much a dead, lifeless, formalistic thing. And it's it's solemn to think that when the Lord presents himself as coming to this assembly in verse three, he says, If therefore, thou shalt not watch.
I will come on thee as a thief.
And thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Well, we're not looking for the Lord as a thief.
That's the way he's going to come to the world. And what does that tell us? It tells us that Sardis has settled down to the level of the world. You can't really tell by the life of most of those who are in Sardis any difference between their way of life and a mere world life, because they're living on the level of the world, those who are inside us.
And yet there was reality there. He talks about that in verse 4. Thou hast a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their garments. They are they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. So there were those there that were maintaining a measure of purity, and keeping themselves from the defilements which characterized Sardis.
There were those there who were true and real, and the Lord recognizes that. And then he says.
He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white Raiment.
And I will not blot his name out of the book of life now, those that were.
In the Reformation.
Were stigmatized by Rome as being heretics and those that were true to the Lord in that movement. It's hard for us to relate to that because Philadelphia and Laodicea are here. But let's in our minds, let's go back to that point in time before Philadelphia, before the recovery of truth in the last century. Let's go back into the 1700s.
And there we are. That's Sardis, And there were those that whose names were blotted out of an earthly church register. Here the Lord says, I won't block your name out of the book of life. The only book that really counts is the book of Life, not whether you've got your name on some earthly church role. That name may be blotted out there by man, but the Lord assures.
The Faithful and Sardis I will not brought his name out of the book of life, and that's comfort to one who was not defiling his garments, who was maintaining a path of separation when the mass of the Sardis movement had settled down into complicity and fellowship with the world. So much so that the Lord's coming is presented just like he's going to come to the world as a thief.
As a thief in the night, well.
I even hear, I've even heard preachers today that talk about the Lord's coming for the church as a thief in the night.
They don't understand the force of the expression. That's not the way we're looking for them. We're looking for them as a bridegroom coming for his bride, Even so, come quickly, while you don't say that to a thief you're not looking for. You don't want him to come ever. And so the view from between Sardis of the Lord's coming and Philadelphia, where it's he says, behold, I come quickly, hold fast. What? Thou hast that. No man take thy crown. That's the whole fast that Brother Judd was really talking about.
The truth was recovered to us, but in our study we were still in Sardis. I think we should so we don't confuse the difference between Cyrus and Philadelphia. We should keep that clear until we get into Philadelphia. And that brings Philadelphia truth into Sardis, because you don't find it there. All I had in my brother is, does this not bring before us those that did sink to the level of the world.
And if there are those that have previously sunk to the level of the world?
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Is there not danger for us sinking in the same way if we give up the truth?
Let us hold fast.
That is what happened to Utica's when he went to seek the false doctrine as a warning about that. If we go to sleep to Paul's doctrine, we're going to drop down to the level of the world.
That for the clamor, that would be like falling from Philadelphia back into Sardis, wouldn't it? No, it would be. That's what's happened to many who have lived, who are living today with Philadelphian Truth available, and then to go back. That's what Heinz was warning against, and I think it's a very needed warning of going back and feeding in the pastures of of just Sardis Truth.
I think that's probably what you had in mind, Brother Judd at the end in your last comment.
There was someone that didn't understand that in the sense in which you gave it that to feel feed in the field of Boaz. And the thought there is, is what Boaz has been pleased to recover to us as the truth that is distinctively Christian see much that is given out inside us.
Is not distinctively Christian truth. It's given out by Christians. That doesn't make it Christian.
I can teach Judaism and be a Christian. The point is, what is taught in Philadelphia is the present truth of Christianity. That's what was recovered and defeated in that field, is to feed where all the truth of God has been brought out. To leave that field and feed in another field, like go back and feed in the Sardis field. You're going to do damage to your soul to do that you will.
You will only go so far. Let me give this illustration a Sister Garrett in Colorado Springs. Back in the days when Brother Chapter Brown was around, he used to visit them and heard that they were interested in the truth. And she had a Schofield reference Bible, and he kind of looked down upon that. He didn't want her to use that because of course he knew that she would only rise to the level of the notes. And there's more, there's more. And then he heard her. She heard him.
Make this comment when he was talking to another brother about someone else totally outside of the gathered Saints who had just gotten saved, didn't know anything about the Bible, and the brother said she's using a Schofield reference Bible brother, Brown said. Good.
That's good. And she looked at him. Sister Garrett did and said, now wait a minute, it's not good for me, but it's good for her. How come? Well, because that other soul needed the help from the notes of the Schofield Reference Bible. Excellent as far as they go. We're thankful for it, but they'll only bring you so high. And he felt Sister Garrett being amongst the gathered Saints.
That she would enter into more truth. So not to limit herself to those notes. You know when we have the notes like that.
We tend to rely upon the notes, so that's the sum total of all the truth there is there, and that limits us. And so for the one, he was thankful that she had that help. But for those, for the sister that was amongst us, he he he wanted her to go beyond that.
And I believe that there's a lot to that. It's not that we're any better, but there's more truth. There's more land to be possessed. And let's not limit it. It's all available to us. It's all there, open to us. How hungry are we and how far can we progress in these things? Let's go to Hebrews 6 and get a reference from the Bible that teaches the same principle very clearly, I believe.
Hebrews Chapter 6.
We know that Israel was God's chosen people. We know that they were told about the Messiah and many things about Him.
And we know that.
He came, he was presented to them, and he's brought in the better things. And so this Hebrew 6 begins.
Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, or the beginnings of the Christ, you get that in the Old Testament.
And we have in our hymn book. Hymns are written as early as in the nine hundreds and gone down in 15. Sixteen 1700s before brother never got the full name recovered truth. And truth is truth no matter when it came. But there's such a thing as progress in it now the spirit of God is writing to these Christians. Hebrews Christians said leave that, don't, don't say it's no good, but go on graduate, come up a little higher.
00:25:30
Let us go on into perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance. From dead works and a faith toward God of the doctrine of baptisms. You find baptism in the Old Testament.
And laying on her hands and of resurrection under eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit, and so on. We're now coming back and taking up perhaps in our chapter a little bit about Philadelphia. We've been exhorted to do that. And I think if we go to this seventh verse of our chapter.
To the Angel of the church in Philadelphia, right these things saith you, that is holy, he that is true.
He that hath the key of David.
He that openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth. Notice the large way the Lord describes himself as the one who is discerning amongst these 7 golden candlesticks.
And he that is holy is the way it begins. There were comments about that this morning. Let's go to.
First Peter chapter one and see how clearly.
The Spirit of God.
Rates through Peter.
To the scattered believers of the Jews. Then in that day, which applies to us too, in verse 16 of chapter one, Hebrews First, Peter 116, it is written.
Be ye holy, for I am holy.
And then it talks about people that call upon the name of the Father. Do you do that? Of course you do. What are you to be like? What am I to be like? If you call on the Father who without?
Respect a person, Judgeth according to every man's work. Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. Fear God. Honor the king. Be holy. The Lord says I am holy. So he presents himself to Philadelphia as he that is holy, he that is true.
He is the truth. He bears witness to it and he's given us now all truth. The Bible is complete. We even have John's prophecy or the revelation of Jesus Christ. We're reading. We don't have, we have all truth. There's nothing left to give. The next statement is very remarkable. He that has the key of David.
I want to connect that with what it says in.
The end of verse 8. Thou hast a little strength. I believe that's the Lord in the midst of this company.
Now it's kept my word and that's not denied my name.
Now I think it's very remarkable that we have this statement he that hath the key of David.
If we go back to what Stephen said in Acts Seven, I think we'll get the appreciation of the Lord expressed for what Philadelphia has done.
You remember back in the days of the kings that the Tabernacle and the ark.
And lost their place. And the Ark was carried by the Philistines from here to there. And David had a desire, and expressed in the 7th of Acts.
And the 45th verse of Act 7.
Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua should be. He's giving a history here into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God gave out before the face of our fathers unto the days of David. That carries us right on to the days of David. And then what does he say? Who found favor before it? Gone. David found favor before God and desire to find a Tabernacle.
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For a dwelling place for the God of Jacob Now brethren. In effect, that's what the Lord appreciates. In Philadelphia, they desired to have a clean place for the Lord in the midst of a company here on earth. That's the key of David.
It's most precious when we see that that the Lord does come into the place in the midst of those who keep His word and don't deny His name.
So I believe this key of David comes in in a remarkable way here in this first verse where Philadelphia is mentioned.
Philadelphia means rather.
Laodicea, the next one and the last means the people's rights.
The people's rights.
How do we best show brotherly love?
Which is the meaning of Philadelphia.
By keeping his word and not denying his name, those are the moral features. Verse 8 of Philadelphia. Here's a company that is characterized by little strength.
It's it's not a company that is registered.
Before the masses, it does not. This movement that's represented by Philadelphia let's.
Let's get out of our minds that we are Philadelphia. Let's get out that thought out of our minds, if anyones entertaining that because that's going to hinder your understanding of what we have here. Let's just see what the moral features are of what is called in Revelation 3, Philadelphia.
And when we see what the moral features are, then we would be less likely to say we are Philadelphia.
We might desire after it with all our hearts, but first of all, what are we desiring after?
What is it that we we desire? There's only two of the seven assemblies that the Lord doesn't find fault with, and that's the second one from the front. Smyrna time of great persecution. And this second one from the last, which is Philadelphia. He has nothing but commendation to give to those two assemblies. So Philadelphia represents something which the Lord commends, only He only commends it. He doesn't call upon it to repent.
There was that which he could command, that which answered to his mind and to his thought. So what are the moral features that are brought before us in Philadelphia that answers to his mind? The first thing is the way the Lord presents himself to Philadelphia.
We noticed this morning that the way presents himself to the first five churches all has to do with.
The vision of the Lord in the first chapter taken from that, and it has to do with the state of the Assembly.
And so he presents himself suitable to that. But here he presents himself as the holy and the true.
That's what he was morally as a man down here in this world. That's not taken from the vision in the first chapter. It's what he was himself, his moral glories. He was the holy and the true. And then it speaks of another feature he has the key of David.
And we can get into that. But then Philadelphia represents, in the history of the church, a movement.
A condition, a moral feature, the moral state that met with his approval, and it occurs towards the end, after Sardis. So it's something that would take place after the recovery of the partial recovery of the truth of the Protestant Reformation. Thyatira representing Romanism, Sardis, Protestantism, or at least it was sunk down to then Laodicea, is clearly represents the very last.
Final lukewarm state of things. So Philadelphia comes in between Sardis and Laodicea. Was there anything in the church that answered to that? I think there was, and I think it was the recovery by the spirit of God.
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Not by brethren.
But the recovery by the spirit of God, beginning in the last century, I believe, though there were Philadelphian movements in individuals all through, but there was an actual recovery of truth and a suitable spiritual state that was found in that which answers to Philadelphia Now this, this is very important to see.
Where this is, and what we have to ask ourselves, does my spiritual state answer more to Philadelphia or to Laodicea?
Do I care about the word of God? Is the truth of his word that which means more to my soul than anything else can? Can it be said of me? Each one of us has to ask ourselves that question. Thou hast kept my word and not denied my name. There's many ways that we can fail to keep His word and to deny his name. But these are features. These are moral features of Philadelphia.
How much so today, is that true of us?
An empirical thing here is that he says to this church I have set before the an open door. I think we ought to rejoice in that. He says that to her I have set before the an open door. There's no no shortage of opportunities for works. It reminds me what we read in Second Timothy 2, and I think we just ought to notice it because when sold individually, are coming to the truth of Paul's doctrine.
Personally as to a place of congregation today.
Often it's difficult to leave their former associations because they feel they'll lose opportunities for good works. But it's not so. It's not so. I have sat before thee an open door, and then Second Timothy 2 to the one who who purges himself from vessels to dishonor.
And we would have to say from what God says about Sardis, that there's plenty of vessels to dishonor in that system.
But the one who purges himself in Second Timothy, 2 verse 21. If any man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. There will be no shortage of opportunities to please God and do good works. There is an open door, and there's a field in the gospel. Big One, Isn't it him?
It's a big one.
It's all over.
We've been saying and I like to say that we should not claim Philadelphia, that's that's an Amen. But individually we're saying we should aspire to be on that ground in that state or so. But what about assembly? Should not an assembly at least aspire also for the same? I believe so, not calling ourselves that, but two things we've been mentioning.
Not deny my name, take none other name but that blessed name.
Not only not deny, but exalted magnify it. Doesn't that name give the place that he's chosen for us, where he is in the midst and that's aspiring as an assembly. I believe we should always be sure of that, that everything we do exalts that one, that name and none other ever. And then of course my word, everything should be according to his word.
Assembly. We should aspire for that. And he has a promise. Matthew 1820. I believe it all fits together. Not that we say in a boastful way where Philadelphia, my brethren, Let's never cease aspiring for that ground. As assemblies, I believe it's awfully important. And we've been mentioning the truth and how wonderful the spirit in the last century.
Worked with those men, I believe, chosen vessels to give us this ministry and we are now, in a way, if we go back in to that Sardis situation or the field as you have it, Chrysanthemum to get things because they sound good.
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We're taking time when we should be putting it to this precious ministry and I'll have to confess I haven't got 10% of it and can absorb it.
So wonderful. And so we can aspire for more and more of it. And when I little I've gotten that's being written today. Can't hold a candle to the true light. Well, I just say Amen to what's been said about that. But there's also the danger of poison. There's also the danger of things that are not true, and they'll lower all of us. So I think we should all keep in thought.
We don't claim to be this in a pretentious way, but we aspire.
There is an aspect ministry that is being written that really needs to be considered and that is that those who write.
In the professing Church today of things that are true and things that are real, they learn from the instruments that God raised up to open up the truth. So in one sense, beloved, if we go back to the ministry of those, or if we go for the ministry of those outside of those who are walking in the light of the truth to give expression to the one body who holds the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who understand the heavenly character of the assembly. When we talk about these things, that's what we're talking about. The distinctive Christian blessings that God opened up through special vessels in the last century. And what is written that's good. Our beloved brethren are writing them, have learned it from the brethren who got used to open it up. So when we come to any ministry, we must realize that it is only a guide to keep us going on with Christ.
And if Christ is not the one who keeps us an affection for him going on.
Even the precious things that have been recorded for us and preserved are not going to be much help. They are simply guideposts to point us in the direction of keeping our mind and the truth. And Christ before our souls is that for which even our brethren in the last century aspired for us.
That I just bring out two verses in John Seven that may help because I think some of this ministry we're speaking about.
That's being written today in criticism. You have to ask what's the goal and who does it exalt? But here in the 1St 17 of John 7, if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself. And now J&D in that translation has from myself I read the next verse he that speaketh from himself.
Seeketh his own glory. Now, there may be truth in a lot of it, but if it's exalting the writer, if it's speaking from himself, according to the Bible, we don't need that. We only need what glorifies Christ, and that's the ministry we need, and that, and that brings us right back to his word. And brethren, we have the word of God and we have the Spirit of God. We're not lacking.
We don't have to search.
Brother Hendrick mentioned that the meaning of Philadelphia was brotherly love. Is that right, brother? And here we have Thou has kept my word.
On first John 5 and verse 2. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments.
True love.
Well.
Seek to lead others into the truth cannot be palatable. True love will not Passover that which brings this honor on the name of the Lord, and it means separation very often.
But we would seek to honor the Lord and thereby see others brought into closer and proper relationship with Him. What a pop. I like to come back to previous state that you made in connection with Philadelphia as an assembly desiring to answer to Philadelphia. You know, I believe that there is a position that answers to Philadelphia.
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We have to be careful that we don't claim to be that, but I believe we cannot really individually.
Be a Philadelphian, without keeping also that aspect of the truth of God which speaks of the ground of gathering.
And the truth of the body of Christ, the edge of Christ, the Spirit of God, to be sovereign, to guiding the assembly to youthful so ever he will.
And so on. So really, if we want to be Philadelphians, which is a correct desire, we would also have to be exercised about these aspects of the truth. The careful to be at all times not to claim that we are. Because if we do, Mr. Darby, I believe, makes the statement that would be approved that we are laudicia, because that is what is characteristic of laudicia.
I am rich and increased with goods. Some of the popular teachers in Christendom make that materialism. I do not believe that that is the case. That is boasting of Philadelphian truth and as Mr. Grant has made the statement that.
Philadelphian truth becomes the intellectual knowledge of those in Laodicea. That's what they're boasting of, you know. And so I believe we have to be careful.
That we don't fall into that snare. But we could not possibly be a Philadelphian if we wouldn't be exercised about these aspects of the truth of God which have to do with the assembly. There is an analogy to this in the very use of the word Christian in the Bible. To take a name is a serious thing.
But Christians in the Bible doesn't come in that sense.
The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. That is, somebody else put that name on them.
In preaching to Agrippa.
He said almost. I'll persuade us me to be a Christian.
It was a group that was known, but they didn't call themselves that, Peter says. If any man suffer, as a Christian, have you?
Have I? That's the way to find out whether you're a Christian or not. You don't just come along and say I'm a Christian. I am a Christian. You're a Christian. I would confess that I belong to Christ, but it's not a title. It's not a that. And so with Philadelphia, we don't take that as a name. We cannot. And I like what it was said this morning. It's a state who knows my state. Who knows your state? God does. Let him decide who and where Philadelphia is, even if there are assemblies that I.
Earnestly believe do seek to keep his word and not deny his name, but God is the one that says.
I see Philadelphia. We don't have to say that.
I just want to back up a minute.
To verse seven we commented on the Lord presenting himself as the holy and the true. That's what he was personally, morally, himself as a man down here. And then he says he that had the key of David turn back to Isaiah 22 for a moment.
Verse 15.
Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, go get the unto this treasurer even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say.
I have a little note here. In my Bible, Shebda is the type of the Antichrist.
And then verse 20. It came to pass in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah. And I put a note down this Eliakim is a type of Christ.
And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle.
And I will commit thy government into his hand. Into whose hand Eliakims.
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Here is a type of the Messiah, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah.
Now the government is committed into his hand.
Remember that Sardis failure was resorting to earthly government for protection.
And now the Lord Jesus presents himself to Philadelphia. Whatever answer to that as the holy and the true, That's what he was himself morally and holding, having the key of David.
Verse 22 Says, And the key of the House of David will I lay upon his shoulder, and he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut, and none shall open. Now that's what John is quoting in Revelation 3.
Well, what is the force of it? Eliakim was a type of the Messiah. He would have the government placed upon his shoulder, and the Philadelphian is the one who does not make the mistake that those in Sardis made, resorting to protection from the earthly governments of the Protestant countries like Germany.
The Lord presents himself that I have the key of David.
And the key of David would speak of the treasure House of all that was in the House of David.
There came a time. The Protestants made the mistake. The leaders made the mistake of thinking that.
The truth had to be preserved by resorting to protection from earthly powers. The Lord Jesus was now in Philadelphia is about to bring out the full truth is just going to use the key of David. He's going to open and he's going to bring out.
Albany has the Treasure House of Truth for his assembly. There came a time in the history of the church.
When all the truth that had long laid dormant was in the word, but it had not been recovered, and he was going to bring that all out, and he wasn't going to use any earthly power to do it. He wasn't going to use any earthly means to suppress an earthly enemy, to keep that from coming out. He says I'm going to open and none will shut and I will shut and none will open. All completely under the control and power of him that has the key of David.
When that time came for him to bring out the precious truths from the word of God that we so enjoy that we are the spiritual heirs of all the power of demons, and Satan couldn't stop it.
Couldn't stop it, some would say. Well, Brother Darby was the head of that movement. He's the one the spirit of God used, yes, but wherever he went.
In Germany, on the continent, in America and the islands in Canada, he found groups of Christians meeting.
Simply with their Bibles open in their laps because they were being starved to death in the established churches around that lifeless, formalistic church, that system of things that had a name to live but was dead, they were starving, and they were, together with their Bibles, open. Now he couldn't have done that.
1000 JND's couldn't have done that. Only the Spirit of God did that.
Mr. Darby traveled around, and he found that they were ready for the word of God, and he presented it to them and they received it. And there was something that just began with a little strength, just an insignificant nothing, just a few meeting together out of their own consciences before God, based on the word of God said, we're going to act on the Scriptures if no one else will act on it, we're going to act in obedience. We're going to keep His word, not deny his name.
And God the God bless that.
You think Mr. Darby did it not a minute. Not for a minute. He was used of God, yes, but he was just an instrument. It was the Spirit of God that did that. Only he could do that. Only the Spirit of God. Charles Spurgeon couldn't save a soul. He can only preach the gospel in a marvelous way. But the Spirit of God could save his soul. We're powerless to do anything when it comes to the work of the Spirit of God. He has to do it.
He asked to bring souls to Christ. He has to lead souls to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
So it was the work of the Spirit of God, and I think we we we wrongly present it when we refer to names of men. They may have been instrumental and mightily used, yes, but it was the Spirit of God that did this. And if it wasn't he working, I'm sure if that was a Mr. Darby going around today, he wouldn't get the same results because of the deadness of things in this Laodicean state of things that exist.
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Verse eight it says I know thy works.
There's been quite a bit of empathy on the work of the Spirit of God, as our brother Rana showed us the spirit of God. In Isaiah we saw where the Spirit of God is at, which is the spirit of knowledge, and we might read our brethren's writings, but I think to my own soul I've had to find out that God has to take and open those writings up to me by his spirit and teach and present to me out of that field.
A risen glorified heavenly Christ. A man in the glory, a heavenly man, and that I might set my affections on him and have him alone for my soul. And I think as I wonder in my mind what a Philadelphian might be, I think as a man or a sister in Christ, to emulate Christ in their life. And who I see the work of a heavenly man and their affections are attached to that heavenly man, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I don't think they're aware of it. I don't think they're aware of it. The Philadelphia and I don't think is aware of it.
Their object is Christ.
What characterized Laodicea is self centeredness.
What characterizes the Philadelphia is Christ centeredness over Philadelphia's written Christ is everything over Laodicea is written. S is everything. It's a religion of humanism, a religion of self. Have you ever noticed that the so many hymns that are written nowadays are self-centered hymns? They have very little spiritual content to the message, Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.
How important then, that we sing spiritual hymns, those which have depth and meaning, those which unfold the truth, those which can teach us the very word of God. Oh, there are many hymns like that. There are some written today, no doubt, that have that character. But as compared with some that we're living in a Laodicean generation, you would not expect that there would be a great.
Spiritual.
Results from that kind of a state of things you'd you'd look for it to come from.
That which preceded us, where the Spirit of God was, was freer to a work in an ungrieved.
Ungrieved state. May God give us to to value what has been recovered and to hold it fast. One more comment.
That was kept my word.
It was commented that if you're true Philadelphian, what are the features of the Philadelphian keeping his word? Well, part of the word at a very, very significant part is that there's one body. So you can't be a true Philadelphian if you neglect the truth of the one body.
A true Philadelphia not only is an individual and values truth, that applies to him individually.
But he, as the loaf on the table speaks to us every Lord's Day morning there is one body.
And everyone who partakes of that loaf gives expression to that truth, that he is a member of that one body. Well, that's part of the truth. That's part of the word that we are to keep. And that's been recovered. Now to the to the church. The truth that we enjoy is not our truth. It's the church's truth. It belongs to the whole Church of God, and every believer can lay claim to it.
Every It's for every believer that he's a member of the body of Christ and so he's responsible to act upon that independency, whether it's individual or collective. And what do I mean by that? Collective independence as you go down the road and you see a sign that says another independent Bible church.
That's just adding to the confusion of division in the Church of God. The Bible says there is one body, not hundreds, not thousands of independent churches, but one body. Every local church being an expression of that one body in fellowship with every other assembly, that is an expression of that truth that eliminates independency, that eliminates.
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Independent.
Bible churches, I'm not saying that they they. I'm not saying that their existence.
Does not show that the spirit of God LED Christians to a certain point. I believe that many independent Bible churches exist because Christians were in some kind of a modernistic church or a church like I've just had some experience with up in Canada.
The United Church up there that that has sunk so far that they are considering ordaining to the ministry homosexuals and that's in the Church of God and those that can't tolerate that kind of abomination separate from it.
And they'll gather together and form a local church as far as the movement.
Away from the error towards the light is concerned. That's a Philadelphian movement. The sad thing is that they stopped short of the full expression of the truth of God that you and I hopefully understand and enjoy as gathered to the Lord's name on the ground of the one body. Protestantism was a movement of the Spirit of God from the darkness into the light, but they stopped short.
And what we have in Philadelphia is a full recovery. To what extent have we entered into that and others of our brethren elsewhere in system? How can we help them to impart some of the light that God has imparted to us, to them, to help them to move further into the Light and into the truth of God?
Ninth verse And behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but they lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Go back to the second chapter and the ninth verse. Speaking of Smyrna, I know thy works, and tribulation and poverty but our bridge.
And I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews that are not but are the synagogue of Satan.
The Jewish faith or belief originally given of God.
Christianity originally given of God, but they had sunk so low that now God has to say they are the synagogue of Satan.
Still professing that Jewish religion and yet turning out to be persecutors of those that were holding the truth and beloved. If we seek to hold fast to his word and not deny his name, we truly seek to do that. It's going to mean persecution, separation.
They won't have it. They'll separate from you if we hold past these precious truths.
But then it goes on to say, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. All the love he will in that coming day show that we are those that he has loved, go back to John 17.
John 17.
And verse 21. I know. And John, you don't get the church, you get the family, but I believe this applies Even so.
I will read from verse 20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word. The love will hear this afternoon, because we have believed His words.
That they all may be one, as thou father art in me, and I and thee, that they also may be one in US, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
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Or with his desire that there be that testimony of Oneness that the world might believe, and dear ones we have to own, that that testimony is in has been shattered, you might say, as far as the Oneness is concerned.
Divided up into their only knows how many groups. But it was the Lord's desire that the world might believe through the manifestation of that oneness. Then we go on. And the glory which thou gave us me I have given them.
That they may be one, even as we are one, I and them and thou and me, That they may be made perfect in one. And that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hath loved them as thou hast loved me. Oh there we have a coming day. In that day of his manifestation he will then display to the world.
That those who have kept his words and not denied his name, those of his redeemed, yes, all his redeemed They will know that he has loved them as the Father has loved him.
He not go for safety? Is that not making reference to those within the Christian profession?
Since it's the synagogue, I believe this is true.
And we sing #22.
Revelation 3:7-12
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Begin from verse 7 to get the continuity.
Of the address to the Church in Philadelphia.
And Revelation 3 verse seven, and to the Angel of the church.
In Philadelphia, right?
These things have he that is holy, he that is true.
He would have half the key of David. He that openness, and no man shutteth and shutteth, and no man openeth. I know thy works. Behold, I have shut before thee an open door, and no man can shut it, For thou hast a little strength, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie.
Behold, I will make them to come, and worship before thy feet, and to know.
That I have loved thee.
Because ours kept the word of my patience.
I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world.
To try them that dwell upon the earth.
Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Can that overcome us? Will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out?
And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name.
He that happened here, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches.
And unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans right.
These things set the Amen, the faithful, and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.
I would thou work over heart. So then, because I would lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth, because **** I am rich, and increase the goods, and have made of nothing, and Norris not to follow Richard, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked.
I conservate to buy of me gold pride in the fire that thou mayst be rich.
And white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.
And tonight thine eyes where I shall that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chase him.
Bezel is therefore and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will Sup with him and he with me.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and then set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches.
All of the plural features that we get in Philadelphia speak of Christ.
All of these traits are what he was, for instance, it says.
That a little strength, It's a picture of weakness.
That was his path.
It was a picture of weakness. He was crucified in weakness, but now he lives by the power of God.
He was born in a condition that speaks of weakness and poverty, Born in a stable, laid in a Manger. Nothing great and impressive to the natural man was his pathway.
A bruised Reed. He would not break smoking flax. He would not quench, He would not strive, nor cry, nor lift up his voice in the streets.
When they in John six came to make him a king, he having fed the 5000, or what a what a thing that would have been to have a king like that to provide for their every physical need. But he of course refused that.
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Their state was not right. So when we read of the moral features of Philadelphia, we are reading of what was true of him.
What was true of Him, a true Philadelphian, is Christ like making nothing of himself and and everything of Christ, even as the Lord Jesus made nothing of himself, and everything of the Father, He was here for the Father, as the living Father hath sent me, and I live on account of the Father, he said, So he that eateth me, even He shall live on account of me, his whole purpose was.
For the Father he was living here for his glory, and we are here for one purpose, and that is the glory of Christ the Son.
That's why he's left us here, to represent him, not to make a name for ourselves, not to be some great religious movement that the world can take note of an account of, but just a little strength, just a picture of weakness. But faithfulness. Thou has kept my word. Thou has not denied my name. Now that's not a little thing in the midst of the state of things. Where Philadelphia.
Exists because his name is being denied everywhere. His word is being spoken against. You don't believe that book. Why? That's been disproven by science long ago. That's out of date, full of fables, nice stories. But you don't really believe that, do you? The Philadelphians says. I believe every word of it.
Thou hast kept my word.
And not denied my name. Beloved, that's not a little thing when the masses are going the other way. It was easy to join the company of the disciples in the palmy days of the book of Acts, when there was a marvelous, wonderful working of the Spirit of God.
People wouldn't dare to join the Christian testimony if there wasn't reality.
That was the real fear upon them. Today anything goes.
And the greatest enormities and evils that are committed in the world are committed in the very bosom of Christianity and Christendom.
And to be a Christian nowadays doesn't mean much, but to be true to him?
In weakness, faithfulness, maintaining his glory, that means everything to him. That's Philadelphia.
And it's nothing to be ashamed of, is it, Brother Chuck? I know sometimes we think of that expression as a little strength, as perhaps being in comparison with the others. But if you notice with Thyatira and with Sardis and Laodicea, strength is not mentioned at all.
Someone made reference yesterday to the removing of the Candlestick in Ephesus. God threatens to remove the Candlestick if they don't repent. Well, what is the Candlestick? I would suggest that the Candlestick is the testimony in this world to a company which is not of this world. A company which God has called out of it. It's a testimony to the heavenly calling of the church.
Well, when the church started to slip in Ephesus, and it's significant that it is in Ephesus where it started, that was the church that had that high truth committed to them. Not that others didn't have it, but it's particularly given to us in the book of Ephesians. And so the church lost its heavenly calling and it went down, down, down, down. What characterizes Philadelphia? It is a remnant of the real thing, if I might use the expression very reverently, but we'll all understand it.
Philadelphia is not, as our brother has brought out, the power of Pentecost.
But it's a chip off the old block, if I might use that very reverently. It's a remnant testimony, but it's to the real thing. It's a testimony, on the one hand, to the ruin of the church. But why is it that? Oh, it is because by grace, Philadelphia holds to the whole truth of God, to the heavenly calling of the church as God gave it at the beginning. Not very popular, perhaps, but it's a little, but it's a little of the real thing, the others.
00:10:03
Strength is not mentioned there because they do not represent.
The true character of what God has before him in this dispensation, the Philadelphia does. Would you agree with that? Amen. Amen. That's it. I wonder if we don't have a little contrast here, too. Speak of a little strength. And in the ninth verse you have those that are holding that testimony, apparently downtrodden.
But we turn over to the.
12Th verse.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.
The contrast that was a little strength, a little strength down here, a pillar up there.
Downtrodden down here.
Oh, and he shall, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name now to me that is Christ declaring You are mine.
In olden days.
Peril gave Joseph her name. Nebuchadnezzar named those captive Hebrews. They belong to him, and he could do what he liked with them. We belong to Christ, and Christ is declaring downtrodden down here now, declaring that we belong to him, that we're his. In keeping the remnant testimony we are exhorted.
To go forth unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. But here we.
Will go no more out. Now we go out unto him, then we will be gathered to him. And I've enjoyed connecting that.
With the last of the revelation, where we find that neither the sun nor the moon is needed there.
As going on with God and the truth and The Walking and the light of the truth, enjoying Christianity, we are going to be brought beloved into circumstances where even the highest order of the day and night are no longer needed. The lamb himself is the later. So we're not only made pillars and we are no longer going out, but we're brought into circumstances where nothing of the original creation is needed.
Don't you think, Brother Lloyd, that in each church the reward to the overcomer corresponds to the test that they had been through? And it's very much so here. These who were downtrodden and despised are set in the forefront. Those who confessed his name didn't deny his name, have his name written on them Up there. Now we have 2.
Types of this.
I believe it's time to turn to them in the Old Testament in the days of Josiah, by which we said that Philadelphia corresponds in this way that.
In the days of the Kings, there were two revivals, one under.
Hezekiah, which corresponds, we believe, to the.
Light that was brought by the Spirit of God in the days of Reformation.
And then the recovery in Josiah's time turned to Second Chronicles 34, which corresponds to the revival where the Word of God was taken up and read and accepted. As our brother Chuck has so beautifully put before us, Philadelphia believes that this is the word of God.
Now disordered come in and times of the kings and Josiah is raised up, I'll say as a young man, he begins. This is for young brother. He was used of God when he was 8 years old. He got into the position like a child of God that's born as an 8 year old boy. He has new birth, he becomes a king and then he begins to.
Work in the eighth year of his reign. He was 16 years old.
And then when he's 20 years old, he began to clear out the temple. The disorder was in the land. And then when he was 26 years old, you might say a full grown man, a powerful king, he draws the people together and the book of the law was found.
00:15:07
And not only could the scribe read it, but the king was educated, and he read it. Think of that king standing up and reading in the book of the law. And he commanded that they stand to it.
He was a forceful king. He said, This is God's word, you better obey it. And that's what we have in our chapter.
That was kept my word. Josiah kept the word of God, and then he commands a Passover in chapter 35, just touching on these points and the moreover Josiah.
Kept a Passover unto the Lord. Now there's the name. He brings in the name he confessed the name. It's the Lord, not these idols.
And then notice that not all of them kept that Passover. I'm just touching on high points because we have much time but in the third in the 18th verse.
The second Chronicles 35 it says this And there was no Passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet. The one that Hezekiah had kept went back as far as Solomon.
But this went to Samuel, and then like it no Passover like that from the days of Samuel.
Neither did the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept.
And the priest noticed this. And the priest.
And the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present.
And the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the 18th year of the reign of Josiah was this Passover cap. There must have been a big crowd, but it still all were present. And so it is in the days of recovery of the truth. It's not the numbers that make the strength, it's the joy of the Lord. And we just touch on Nehemiah 8, which has a similar.
Recovery to our.
Light given and the time when Philadelphia was raised up.
They stood in the 8th chapter. Ezra stood the priest in the 8th chapter of Nehemiah and he read in the book of the law.
And it was before the Watergate.
And he taught them.
And verse 8, Ezra 8 And verse eight. Well, I should read.
Verse 5. Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people.
And when?
For he was above all the people, and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
Now here he read in the word of God. He had the word of God. Philadelphia keeps the Word.
And he blessed the great, the Lord the great God. Now there's the name. He brings in the name.
And they have a delightful time, and they learn verse eight They read in the book of the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading.
They had a teaching meeting that day from the word of God.
And the people were very happy. So we've gone down and read verse 10.
Then he said unto them, Go your way, Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions under them for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is wholly unto our Lord. Neither is there, neither be sorry. This is the point I wanted to get. For the joy of the Lord is your strength. Now that's the strength in Philadelphia, brother. It's the joy of the Lord.
In his people have these requirements.
To realize the strength, I like to say little strength instead of weakness. Because that's the way it is. It's a display. There's no shortage of strength. When you have the Lord there, it's the display. It's not a weak display. It's a little strength display. And then keep his word and not deny his name. Oh, it's a happy place to be. Brother, would you have anything to offer on the fact that?
00:20:06
Under Hezekiah recovery, there was an invitation going out to.
The 10 tribes. You don't find that in Josiah. What can we learn from that? I think you're going to tell us. Go ahead.
Well, maybe someone can correct it if it isn't right, but.
It seems to me that.
When it comes to the Reformation and to choose, recover.
It was a more public appeal to all of Christendom to accept the truth presented. But the work of Philadelphia did not have that character, and it is more.
You might say a quiet work of the Spirit of God in the hearts and lives of souls, and the truth of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus is one of the truths we covered during that period, and it is a work of the Spirit. It is not so much a public thing. In other words, the Lord is not calling on us to get.
On the radio and television and things like that and try to tell people come and be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
That's the work of the Spirit of God. Would you agree with that? Oh yes, of course.
Would we have a thought in that respect in Acts 28?
Verse 30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in under him, preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
All was in change. He couldn't go out, but he did receive all that came to him.
Is there a thought there that the testimony is, is here is that, But as you say, it doesn't go out in the same way as it did in the Reformation. I think that's a nice reference. Paul Stockton is rather restrained and squeezed in, but there is an open door old saying and it's wonderful to see how the book of Acts ends.
Stops. It really never ends. It just stops. And that preaching and teaching still goes on. God is saying to us in the book of Acts, there's no way, man, it's still going on. I've written this much and I'm going to stop writing. But the same work goes on preaching and preaching, and there's still false doctrine, and it's rather limited, but the open door is there to all.
These thoughts brought to my mind just to read one verse in Luke 12, verse 32, the Lord says at the very beginning of things fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. And here now down at the very end with the recovered truth, it's little strength and how those go together, don't they?
Picking up looking at this.
Maybe going back over a few things that were already said, but the Sardis which represented the Protestant movement comes from the word protest. When we think of the Protestant comes from the word protest. And they actually protested against what was in Thyatira, but it was never a complete return to 1St principles. Whereas Philadelphia is those that went back to the very beginning and they picked up the word of God to see what the scriptures had to say about how believers should meet.
And the heavenly calling of the truth and the truth of the rapture, and all these things that were recovered at that time.
But so there were those who were willing to settle for nothing less or nothing more than all that they saw in the Scriptures. They didn't want to take a cow path. Through the Scriptures we meet many today who say, well, I believe that the Bible is the Word of God from cover to cover, and yet when it comes to certain truths in it, they don't want to bow to them. Whereas the Philadelphian would want to walk in all the narrowness and yet all the broadness of the Word of God. And so.
He could say they'll have to little strength, for the word in the Greek is dunamis, which means power. A little power because thou has kept my word and not denied my name. I appreciated your comments, Chuck, in connection with how this is a picture of the Lord Jesus throughout his whole life. I believe it's close to 30 times we see it in the gospel. That expression from his lips. It is written from the beginning of his ministry, right up into the end in Luke 24, just before he's taken up, he lived.
00:25:22
By the scriptures it is written. And so with those of Philadelphia you see that same character.
But also they had not denied his name. Now I believe that takes in more than just saying, well, we don't believe that the Bible is the word of God, but the name takes in all the attributes of the person of the Lord Jesus. And so there's many today who say we believe that the Bible is the word of God. And yet they make might deny the eternal sonship of Christ. They might deny the Trinity, they might deny the sinless humanity of the Lord that would be denying the name of the Lord Jesus in all of his character.
Well, if we're going to walk in all the narrowness and yet all the broadness of the word, Satan would have us think, and I think particularly the young people here this morning, that if you walk in these narrow truths that there will be no opportunities to serve the Lord. Well, there's the door of service closed to those who are willing to walk in obedience to the word of God. No, just the opposite is true, he says, I've set before you an open door and no man can shut it, so there's a wide open door of service.
And we shouldn't, I don't believe, just limited to the gospel, because God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. So.
I believe, as the Brethren wrote the even in the early ministry.
It was ministry that was for the whole Church of God.
In the ministry that we have here should be that which would be for the whole Church of God, so though we may not openly.
As has been mentioned, go out campaigning to get people into to the Lord's table. And yet we should be faithful with this truth that's been given to us to minister it in any way we can, not just for ourselves, but for the whole Church of God.
As to how the name of the Lord Jesus can be denied, I believe we need a little more on that as to our individual lives.
And also collectively as assemblies. You know the Lord Jesus is presented here as the holy and the true.
Now, if I allow unholiness or evil in my life, I'm denying the name of the Lord Jesus by whom I'm called.
And I act inconsistent as a Christian, and I'm denying the name of the Lord Jesus. I bring this honor upon the name of the Lord Jesus if I go on with evil in my individual life. The same is true in the assembly.
You know, somebody recently must have made this statement that grace gets us around principles.
Now that's a shocking statement to hear, that being made, in other words.
Grace will cover up evil. Now there is a denial of the name of the Lord Jesus. We are gathered to His name who is holy and true, and holiness is the practice of those who are so gathered. If I want to be an individual that is characterized as a Philadelphian, then holiness.
And truth should be characteristic of me. And if I fail in that, I better judge myself the same as the assembly goes on. You know, let's remember if we're truly gathered to the name of the Lord, He's holy and He is true. Evil needs to be judged. May it ever be so painful.
That part of what is meant by being an overcomer, because he doesn't have anything to condemn them for, and yet he says to him that overcometh.
Race rather than.
Getting around principles is the power by which principles are maintained.
Grace is the power for holiness. The two should never be put.
In opposition to one another, the Lord was the most gracious man that ever walked this scene.
Full of grace and truth, he was the holiest too.
Paul teaches us and Titus who?
That grace that brings salvation hath appeared unto all men.
00:30:04
Teaching us the denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, that we should live righteously and soberly and godly in this present order of things, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So if we actually have a large sense of grace in our souls, we have the sense of the necessity to judge everything contrary to that which grace brings denying ungodliness and those things that we just pulled you from Titus 2.
Things about service.
It might be interesting for us sometimes. Not now our own souls goes to the book of Acts. I've noticed a lot dark service to my own reading. That service commodities began for the Apostles were where the testimony was. That was less faith than they used to swear to mind his hair. It was assembly related when Steven and and Phillip were used to the Lord men full of the Holy Ghost. What did they do? They served tables.
There was a work that began at the assembly.
And just serving their brethren. It was a heart for the Lord, a heart for their brethren. And then what happened to those men? Steven becomes our first martyr in scriptures in the church age as a a believer, a Christian. And then Phillip, he goes to Samaria, he's got, he's goes to meets by the power of the Spirit of God. He's told to me that the African unit and gives him the gospel and the man safe and then he's caught out by the Spirit.
Service began there at the Assembly.
I do believe we have it bought out.
The Philadelphia that's been mentioned, but it's collective testimony here and the two things that are commended here in verse 8 at the end is really the the characterization and really the basis of a collective testimony in these last days. The name is the place really. You have that in Matthew 1820. But of course in the in the Old Testament times it was geographical and it yet it was the place where he has chosen to place his name.
At but now it's a person and so we have been speaking about that person and that's the source of all our power and testimony and service. But of course the word has kept my word is the truth and it's the basis of going on at that place. There's no other way but according to the whole word of God. So there is a collectiveness here that he's speaking to the church in Philadelphia.
And I believe he's speaking to that position we're in by grace. And I know we've been mentioning we should never claim it, but we better acknowledge it and we better appreciate it that God never commends or asks anything that he doesn't make it possible. And there is that possibility to be where the Lord is. His name is honored in no other name. And then according to the truth, the word of God. And then the open door we've been mentioning, it's open because.
It's the full glories of Christ and the full truth that we enjoy. But it's opened also where the testimony, the light can flow out, and that and the gospel. And so we could cherish that. But let's remember there is that assembly testimony, the collective testimony here.
About a little strength.
On Saturday it was referred to.
Ruth arriving in.
The land that belonged to the Lord amongst his people she had adopted.
The people of Naomi and the God of Naomi and she had arrived there.
And she was told to glean not at another man's field. We had that before us.
Now Boaz means in him is strength.
We find this at the building of the temple when there were two pillars in the forefront of that temple. One was named Jason, which means he shall establish. The other was named Boaz in him as strength.
00:35:01
Well, that is a beautiful picture of what we have seen about the reward to the overcomer as well, set there as a pillar in the temple of God in that coming day. But who establishes Philadelphia, who has set this up? It's a work of the Lord, and in him is strength.
Now Naomi and Boaz both counseled Ruth not to glean in another man's field.
And she followed that out.
And she not only got food, but she got Boaz. She got him. Brethren, this is so. Today. The Lord is the one who sets up Philadelphia. He knows where Philadelphia is. He establishes it and his presence there is the strength. If we get into the field that belongs to Boaz, the word of God, where the truth is ministered, we will find the true Boaz. We will find the Lord.
He became his bride rather than we were going to come to the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a beautiful picture.
For and we have that which would separate us unto the Lord.
Because I was kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from or out of the hour of trial, the temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Now we have been mentioned that this is a history.
We want to call it that of the Assembly from the Daisy Apostles down to the end. And beloved, here in this Philadelphia we find the time has come when the Lord comes for us.
I also will keep thee out of the hour of temptation.
That time has come when the Lord will come forth, we're going to see him.
Face to face. And if we hold our truth, as we should, every man that hath this truth, this.
Every man that has this hope in him glorifies himself, even as he is pure. All dear ones, If we can only grasp that it may even be today that the Lord will come for us. Take it out of this scene, for his judgment is about to fall on this scene which has rejected him. He's going to take us out of it, and a baby today that will find ourselves with him.
And all is redeemed.
Around himself, there in glory.
His first hand.
Who was talking about the heavenly calling and the the heavenly hope and the heavenly citizenship? That's what you have in verse 10, the word because I was kept the word of my patience. He is the man of patience, waiting now, waiting for his bride longing to have her with himself.
He's waiting and we are waiting. The time for the establishment of the Kingdom has not come. He will take his rightful place down here, won't he? But this is the time of His patience. And so we're keeping those who are. Philadelphians are keeping the word of His patience that involves the heavenly calling and the heavenly hope.
We're waiting for the time when he will come for us to take us out.
To our proper portion on high. So it's a patient waiting. It's just the opposite of what is being promoted nowadays in in many appropriate in the Christian world and that is to get involved in politics. To get involved in social reform. To write your congressman and and protest comment was made about the Protestant movement was a protesting.
Against the evils of Rome, whereas the Philadelphian is not a protester.
He is a possessor of the heavenly truth which separates him from this world and and links his heart to heavenly things. So it's the word of His patience. He's waiting patiently for us. We are waiting patiently for him. So it brings in the truth of the heavenly calling, doesn't it? And all the heavenly truths of the assembly and the Philadelphia movement involves as we brought out.
00:40:14
The collective testimony, it's not just individual Protestant scientists was individual. The all sufficiency of the word of God and the justification by faith altogether apart from works. That's individual. But assembly truth was recovered and very importantly, dispensational truth was recovered in the last century at the Philadelphia movement.
So that's you lose that. What's happening today is a revival of Covenant theology, which is going back to Sardis. That's the light they had back then. The reformers, they never understood Dispensational truth. The the translators of our King James Version did not understand Dispensational truth. It's very easy to prove that because you go back to the Psalms and the Prophets.
And you'll read the headings on some of those Psalms, and it'll say the Church does this and the Church does that. And then you read the Psalm or the prophecy. And it's not the Church at all. It's Zion, it's Jerusalem, it's Israel, It's the Jew. That's not the Church. But they didn't understand that. They didn't understand the difference between the church, which is a heavenly company begun on the day of Pentecost and formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
And Israel? Now those truths were recovered, rightly dividing the word of truth. To go back to covenant theology is to go back into the twilight from the bright sunshine that we're we've been given in the revealed truth. So it's a dismal descent compared with the darkness of Thyatira. The twilight of Cyrus was wonderful, but compared with the sunshine of Philadelphia, to go back to Sardis.
Is a sad departure. No one who knows what the Great Tribulation is the temptation would ever want to go into it, and this very book is so clear on the point. This is a book of prophecy, and it sets things in order. There is a great change between Chapter 3 and Chapter 6 where the hour of temptation begins, and it's so definite for this assembly.
That she will not be here when chapter 6 arrives. Now let's go back and refer to Jeremiah 28 again that we referred to.
Just for our comfort, on Saturday we referred to what the word of God is and what we're to believe in the 28th chapter of Jeremiah.
There was a false prophet there, and there was a true prophet.
We have them today.
Both Travis and those who tell us the truth because they have gotten the truth and in the eighth verse.
The ninth verse.
Jeremiah 28 nine The prophet which prophesied the peace.
Now the proof of that when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known that the Lord hath truly sent him. Now just refer that much of it to John who was writing a book of prophecy that he got from the Lord.
And it's all in order.
And prophetically, given the toll of the church period, as we have noticed, comes in in chapters 2 and three.
And the hour of temptation doesn't come in until Chapter 6, and in between is Chapter 4, Philadelphia is told I have set before then open door that's on earth, but there's an open door in heaven in Chapter 4, and that's set for Philadelphia too.
She enters there. It's not the rapture, but it corresponds to it, and she's not seen there as a church, but as the elders.
He gets a change that way and becomes the bride in chapter 19 in between.
She is seen there with the whole of the heavenly company. That's where the heavenly side of truth comes in. It's all heavenly in chapters 4:00 and 5:00, but that's where we're going to be. That's where Abraham is and Abel is, and all redeemed are in heaven, But they're going to be there and made perfect and seated on Thrones, a figurative number.
00:45:16
Disturbed, sitting there, Not troubled about the hour of temptation. Oh, what a horrible thing the seven years of the great tribulation is, brethren. We shall never be there. Now, the point is this. If we have arrived down to the time when we can see the stage of all these seven churches and pretty much the full development that we've noticed, particularly in Sardis, I should say.
Philadelphia and I should say Laodicea, how near are we to the Lord's? Coming very near. What a comfort, what a company.
How to Tribulation? So those who are confused by Covenant theology are also not clear on the rapture and whether the rapture would take place after the Tribulation or in the middle of the tribulation and so on. Now what our brother Clem has brought before us in Revelation chapter?
5.
We have.
The question raised who is worthy to take the book and to open its seals? Now what book is this? And what about the seals?
Well, this is the book of judgments, and the book has not even been given to the one who has a right to take it and to open one seal after another. One judgment after another is poured out, and before this book is given to that blessed one, the Lord Jesus, our Redeemer. The redeemed are already in heaven, so how can they be subjected to any of the tribulations or sufferings connected with?
The punishment that is poured out upon this world. But there is still another scripture that I like to refer to because our young people do well to listen to get clear on this because the truth of the rapture is being given up more and more even among so-called fundamental Christians. Now in 2nd Thessalonians 2 we have these verses verse one.
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, Let ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled neither be by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ it should be, the day of the Lord is at hand. In other words, there was a letter written.
Troubling the Saints. And it was forged as if Paul had send it that the day of the Lord.
Was at hand. You know, that has to do with the judgments and the tribulation.
But he encourages them with our being gathered unto him. You know what a gathering that will be when all the redeemed everyone will be called up. And he gathered around the Lord Jesus. What a comfort that is to my soul. When I think of my loved ones that I had to separate from, and many of the dear Saints of God I love. Then they all will be gathered around him, you know. So he encourages them by that truth.
Because if you really know that truth and enjoy it, we don't have to be confused by such who try to influence the Saints, as in this forged letter. But then it goes on to say, let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come of falling away 1St And that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition who opposes.
And exalted himself above all that is called God, for that is worship, So that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things. And now you know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity does already work.
00:50:02
Only he who now let it, or restrained will let until.
He be taken out of the way, and then shall the wicked be revealed. In other words, what Paul is saying, You cannot have the day of the Lord before.
The falling away, the apostasy comes, and the Antichrist be revealed and the Antichrist cannot be revealed before the Spirit of God and the Church is taken out of this scene.
So when we really clearly see the teaching in 2nd Thessalonians 2A law.
With Revelation chapter 5, no one can confuse you anymore as to the tribulation and whether the church will go through it or not. The church will be taken out of this world and will be with the Lord Jesus before any judgement falls upon it. What a wonderful truth that is.
Second pass along in chapter one and verse 6.
Seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation.
To them that trouble you.
Christ is the judge. He is not going to pour out tribulation on his bride. He's going to pour it out on those that trouble his bride.
I think it's helpful to just again for the sake of some younger looking back in First Thessalonians 4. He brings in the the truth of the rapture and that was as if it was something new to them. And he says in verse First Thessalonians 4.
And verse 13 I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not as others which.
Have no hope. Well, they were wondering about some who had already died if they were going to miss the Kingdom.
And so Paul brings in the truth of the rapture and explains it to them. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him? And so on. And he brings in the the coming of the Lord and he finishes it in verse 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. So it's a great comfort. We thought we had to go through the tribulation. It wouldn't be a comfort. But then notice we know there's no chapter divisions in the original. And so as we move to chapter 5, here's a little word that says but.
And that brings in a complete contrast. And often this is missed. But it says but so here's something different of the times and seasons, brethren, you need. Not that I write unto you.
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord shall cometh as a thief in the night. So they knew all about the times and seasons.
And the day of the Lord, it was the rapture that was something that was a new truth to them. And he gives it to him. And so he he mentions that that day will come as a thief, as was mentioned with Sardis. The warning about a thief had to do with those who were not true believers at all. And so it says, When they shall say peace and safety, then shall sudden destruction come upon them. Notice the difference in this chapter, chapter five of the day. And the them, and the US and the we.
When they shall say peace and safety, then shall sudden destruction come upon them. And but ye brethren are not in darkness, that that they should overtake you as a thief. Ye are children of the light, and so on. So then finally in verse nine, he says, For God has not appointed us, that's the believer to wrath, but to obtain salvation, or could read to be saved out of this world by our Lord Jesus Christ. It's the salvation of the body, not the salvation of the soul. So we haven't been appointed to that day of wrath.
But I think it's helpful to see that the contrast because at the Rapture the Lord comes to deliver, whereas at the day of the Lord he comes as a hostile, unknown thief to destroy. And for the believer it's eternal gain, whereas for the unbeliever it's eternal loss. And then the believer gets heavenly treasures, whereas the unbelieving world is stands to lose everything that they hold dear. At the day of the Lord, the believer escapes the judgment by being caught up out of this world.
Whereas as it says in verse 3 here they shall not escape and so when we get to Revelation chapter 3 and we finish where it says of way to see it, I will spew you out of my mouth.
If the Lord comes and the Rapture and the true church is taken up and the false church is feud right out into the tribulation. And we never read of the word church again in the Book of Revelation because God doesn't own the apostate church that's left behind. But.
We find has been mentioned. They're referred to again in Revelation 19 as the Bride, the Lamb's wife.
00:55:04
Wonderful to have these manifold proofs that we won't be here for the tribulation. But it's very interesting to see that God doesn't wait that long in the history of the Thessalonians to tell them that truth. He tells them that in the first chapter. Let's just look at that because I think this is very comforting. Our Lord is so gracious the very time when they're saved, he tells them you won't be there for the tribulation. That's chapter one of First Thessalonians.
And.
In the end of verse nine he says about them. Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come, or our deliverer from the calming wrath, not out of it, from it, not in it, and out of it, but from it We shall not even be present when it comes.
Well, I thank God for these manifold proofs. It's really true. We're going to be caught out.
And we're going to be in heaven where we belong, before the Son, to whom all judgment is committed takes the title deed to the earth. That's Chapter 5, the Revelation. And before he begins to open it, before the judgments are poured out, that attempt to allow me to say that I believe that they didn't know about the hope of the church. You know, like the verse that Brother Clem has thread in chapter one whenever you hear.
Of him as the Son of God, waiting for the Son of God from heaven.
That has to do with the hope of the Church. So they did know that. But what they did not know was that what about those who have fallen asleep? Will they lose out? Now when he comes as king, we know from Matthew. He comes as the Son of Man.
You know we have that in Matthew 2531 when he comes in power and glory, like we sing that him often we wait for the oh son of God and long for thine appearing. You know that is connected with the churches hope and what a wonderful hope that is the blessed hope.
And a glorious appearing.
Notice in our tenth verse in Revelation 3 again the.
These talks about this.
I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, temptation, or trial which shall come upon all the world. So there's a time of trial coming upon the whole world. But it's with with what in mind to try them that dwell upon the earth. That's a moral expression that's found throughout the Book of Revelation, the the earth dwellers.
A Christian, a true Christian who is saved and dwelt with the Holy Spirit. He is not an earth dweller. He's a heavenly man. So this trial that is coming upon the earth dwellers is going to it's going to come upon the whole world. But it's to try. The earth dwellers. Who are they? These trials? This is the Roman earth. The Book of Revelation takes up the judgments that fall upon.
Apostate Christendom.
You have to go to the Old Testament to get the King of the North and Russia and these other nations. But what you get in Revelation is what happens to Christendom, What happens to those that call themselves Christians who aren't real? Well, this verse tells us that he's going to take us out first before he tries those that dwell on the earth.
Those that dwell on the earth are those that were offered heaven today. It's the it's the Christian testimony and said I don't want heaven, I want earth. They have rejected the heavenly truth of Christianity and they are earth dwellers. They've really rejected the heavenly man, the man who's in the glory. You know there's the gospel is presented in two ways in scripture, the gospel of the grace of God. And I like to think of that as God coming down to where we were.
God becoming a man and the gospel of the glory, a man going up into the into heaven.
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So we have the gospel of His grace, God becoming a man, and then the gospel of the glory man entering the glory and representing us there.
The earth dwellers have rejected that. They rejected it all. And so there's a trial that's coming upon them, unprecedented in the history of the world, and will be gone. We'll be in heaven. I will keep thee from that and its tribulation. I believe that's why in Thessalonians 4, first Thessalonians, you have that expression caught up. It's a fast, fast moving expression. I remember Eric Smith said. It really has the sense.
Snatched away before it gets to that point, we can see it coming on. And so he he exhorts hold fast in verse 11. That which thou hast with all this in view and the falling away that we have, we have an expectation here to hold fast. And I was thinking, you know, the way Jude mentions it, it's really what we what we should do and be concerned about in verse three of Jude.
Beloved.
When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered under the Saints. That's the whole truth. That's the word we're talking about. And he tells us here.
Till he comes, hold fast that which thou hast.
First, can we have?
Because I was kept the word of my patients.
Patients could have the sense of endurance, and so coupling it with what her brother just said, we quietly go on.
Holding fast to the truth, looking for his coming at any moment. Behold, I come quickly, Lee. We mentioned before that in thyatira, it says.
I will put upon you none other burden but that which you have already. Hold fast till I come.
But now we've come right down to the end and behold, I come quickly.
And so we go on quietly, go on holding past to these precious things have been given to us until we come, and we expect it's coming at any moment.
Offer says that's 2000 years ago.
The believer says that makes it closer than it was.
And it says here just.
Been very precious to my own soul. It says that no man take thy crown.
What does that mean? Well, to my own soul, it means that God is going to have a testimony that will be characterized by what we read here when He comes. There will be a Philadelphia when the Lord comes. No question about it.
The big question is, will I be connected with it? Will I be part of it? That's the question. God will have a testimony. Let us never rest saying as we've had emphasized already in these meetings, let us never take the view we are Philadelphia. We never get that character here as our brother brought out so well earlier. It is a condition and so there will be a Philadelphia. The crown will be there for those that are characterized by it. And I believe there will be a special crown for.
What is given here? Because it takes more energy in these last days to stand for what we have here than it did in the beginning. I believe that to be very true. I can well remember about 10 or 12 years ago more than that, I guess, when a dear brother up in our area was his wife was taken home to be with the Lord, and while at a meal shortly before her funeral, someone made the remark to him about some of these giants in the faith that had gone on before.
Referring back to Apostolic days and perhaps even to the last century.
And the brother who was there, he's along with the Lord now. He made this remark. He said, you know, he said, I often think there will be a greater reward for those who hold fast in the very last days because he said it'll be very, very difficult. And he said, I think in some ways, although there isn't the public manifestation, there will be more commendation of the Lord. But he said the exercise for my heart is, will I be part of it? It won't be something that will bring me much glory down here.
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But there's a crown up there for it, isn't there? Hold that fast. Which thou hast that no man take thy crown. Well, I don't mean that it's going to be for some and not for others. I'm sure there'll be enough crowns for every Philadelphia. And we don't need to feel that God has a certain number and says no. I'm going to hand those out, but God will maintain a Philadelphian character down here. If I fail, he'll raise up someone else. So let me take care that I hold fast.
173.
Revelation 3:14-22
Reading
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Verse 14.
Revelation 3 verse 14.
And unto the Angel of the Church of the laodiceans fright these things set the Amen, faithful and true witness beginning of the creation of God.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would that thou work cold or hot.
So then, because our lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Because I'll say yes, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. I know it's not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked.
I counsel thee to buy of me gold cried in the fire, that thou mayst be rich and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.
And tonight thine eyes with I shall have that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke Jason. Be zealous, therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will Sup with him. And he with me to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and then sat down with my father in his throne. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches.
Sometimes it's difficult.
To state anything as complex as Laodiceanism in simple terms.
That I have enjoyed thinking of it in this simple way.
It is indifference to Christ.
And insensibility to the low state that causes one to be indifferent to that blessed man.
And sensibility to Christ, and indifference to the State.
I think it's well to to realize that you could not have.
Laodicea following upon Sardis.
Sardis was a partial recovery of the truth.
Laodicea follows Philadelphia.
Laodicea comes after the full recovery of Philadelphia.
And the Laodicean spirit is indifference.
To it, we were just hearing about the truth.
He who is the truth? The Lord Jesus.
And the Spirit is the truth as the power of truth in our souls. And what characterizes the Laodicean is indifference to the truth.
Take it or leave it. If you want to believe in the virgin birth, fine. I don't find we can be brethren together. It's that kind of a disgusting, nauseous lukewarmness that the Lord says I will spew out of my mouth.
He wants us to be out and out for him, not wishy washy.
Not anything goes toleration of everything.
Indifference to the truth? That's Laodicea.
The way the Lord presents himself in verse 14 These things say at the Amen.
He was the confirmation of the word of God, all the promises of God. He's the Yay and the Amen, the affirmation and the confirmation. So he presents himself as the Amen. He was the faithful and true witness.
It was the beginning of the creation of God, the new creation, the head of a new creation.
Now these are the things that ought to characterize the assembly. The assembly we just heard is the pillar and ground of the truth. The assembly ought to to add its Amen to the truth of God to support it, to uphold it. The assembly ought to be the faithful and true witness in the world, that is, that has cast him out. The assembly ought to be the expression of the new creation of which he is the risen, glorified head in heaven, the beginning of the creation of God.
00:05:10
None of those things characterize Laodicea. He does not have one thing here to commend. He does not have one thing to condemn in Philadelphia. All his approbation in Philadelphia, all is failing to meet his mind and what is suitable to himself in Laodicea. What would you say, brother, is the commencement of the decline into the legacy and state.
Well, indifference to him, to his person, could it be knowing the truth, but in having no effect on our heart and conscience, our walking ways, having a form of godliness and denying the power of it.
I think I quoted another man once before here that put it very well and he says that.
That the truth of Philadelphia becomes the intellectual knowledge of those in Laodicea.
You know, and this danger exists for us. You know, truth is really not possessed.
Unless we live it, unless it has an effect on our very being and our way of living.
And that's so important to now that it certainly is important, as has been emphasized, that we make the truth our own, that we enter into these things. But if we do not find grace to live it, we don't really possess it. And that's so important. Now there are those who almost, you might say, despise the truth that has been brought out during the Philadelphia period.
But that is not so much Lord this year. I think those who have been exposed to Philadelphian truth and do not have exercise to really practice it and to live it. That is what is Lord is here Now, I believe there is a sense in which all of Christendom is characterized by indifference to Christ, but I think it is especially referring to those who have been exposed.
To Philadelphia in truth, and do not allow that truth to govern their life. That exposure to Philadelphian truth goes far beyond.
Those professively I use that word advisedly gather to the Lord's name because the truth recovered in the last century has spread, and it's in. It's in all of Christendom. You can go to the various libraries in the theological seminaries. Their books are lined with the writings of the early brethren. It's not that they don't.
Know the truth. It's not that it isn't available to them. It's not that they haven't read it, many of them, but they are not walking in it. So I don't think it should be limited to just those that that have a brethren heritage, but it's those who have been exposed to.
The Truth Recovered in Philadelphia and.
Maintain. Assume an indifferent attitude towards it. That's Laodicea danger life.
I think in each of the churches that God looked at it in its full blown character and what Chuck is describing is the full blown character and what Hanks is picturing to us is the beginning of it and indifference to Christ was the beginning of it.
Older Potter who lived under JN Darby and in a meeting where he was present up in Guelph.
100 and 1020 years ago said the question was asked.
When did Laodicea begin?
He said a voice spoke up, and he never knew whose voice that was, said 1848 and Walter Potter said, Brethren, I believe now what he said is the beginning of it, indifference to the person of Christ.
That association with evil does not contaminate a man. Was teaching doctrine that?
If persisted in Christ himself would need a Savior and brethren.
Gather the Lord's name, are indifferent to it. I do believe that was the beginning of Laodicea, but Chuck has brought the full blown character up. It embraces any and all in these flashport stages of the church who have this indifferent character, this insensibility to what pleases God, like what the Lord spoke to those that were in Moses seat. They sat in that place of authority, took the place.
00:10:25
In Matthew 23 they say, but do not until they mouth it. A lot of them mouth these things, but their conduct and the way they act and what they do is completely the opposite.
Man's will.
And has taken the place of the will of God.
You know, democracy in the Church is really Laodicea, and we have to guard against that, that we do not allow ourselves any liberties as to any aspect of the truth of God, that we set ourselves up against the truth of God and consider ourselves wiser then.
The word of God, that's the danger that we face. And you really have the principle of laudicia politically also in the democratic system, in the world, you know. But in the church it is so disastrous. And I think another thing, too, that we have to realize is the emphasis and the focus is on man instead of on Christ.
That's why.
The creation of God is mentioned here. You know that Christianity has to do with the new order of things of which the Lord Jesus is the head. So in our activities, even supposedly for God, we have to remember that we do not appeal to the old man, and there is much of that even under the name of Christian ministry.
Which is really addressing itself to the old man, or as somebody has said.
It helps the old man get through the world. That is what characteristic of is what is characteristic of Much of ministry that goes as Christian ministry, while true Christian ministry is really addressing itself to what we are in Christ the new man, and that is Christianity.
Is there a danger of looking for something new?
Something a little more modern, but there's a verse in Jeremiah.
Section 16. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, Where's the good way? And walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your soul. But they said, we will not walk therein.
And if we get back to asking for something new, the prophet Zephaniah.
Pronounces judgment upon those who leap over the threshold we had brought before us in John 10 those who enter in by another way in the epistle of second John, we have those who went beyond and brought not the doctrine of Christ. So yes, dear brother, there is a very real danger of seeking to innovate and bring in that which is beyond the revelation that God has given, and beyond the truth that has been recovered to us.
I've always enjoyed the significance of the names in connection with these churches. And back in Pergamos he mentions that they had the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. And if we looked at that in the original, the word nickel means ruler, and laity is where we get the word layperson or the people. And so it seemed that as time went on there, they're actually developed rulers of the people that are clergy. And that went right into Thyatira. And then instead of the the rulers ruling the church, then the church ruled and the church was doing the teaching.
But when we get to Laodicea, it's a word that means just the opposite of Nicolaitanism. There's the word Leia again, people, but to see it means the rights or the judging or the ruling of the people. And so it's like what we have in the Book of Judges, where every man did that which was right in his own eyes. In Second Timothy Chapter 4, I believe Paul gives a little warning to Timothy there where he says, Speaking of the last days, that they that is the people.
00:15:14
Would heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and so now it's instead of the church ruling or there are clergy ruling over it's where the people decide what they want to hear. They like a man that preaches a certain message. They go hear that man but they like a certain line of ministry. They that's what they want rather than looking to the spirit of God to direct. We can be like the children of Israel and say give us quail and they wanted their own desire And so he says about these here he says you think that you're rich and increased with goods.
But you don't know it, but you're poor. And so in connection with those at Smyrna who were suffering, he says, I know thy poverty, but thou art rich. They were looking to the Lord, whereas these here were really looking to themselves and what they wanted doing that which was right in their own eyes. And so he's standing on the outside of the door, knocking and wanting to commune, and yet he's left out because they feel complacent in their truth and what they had leaving the Lord out.
No dependence on the Lord.
The clerical system is an abuse of God ordained and established leadership in the Church, which is of God. Obey your leaders and be submissive, for they watch over your souls as though that shall give account.
God has established leadership. Everyone of these assemblies is addressed.
Addresses are to the Angel of the Church, and we brought out in the first reading that the Angel is the symbolical representation of the responsibility of the assembly vested in its leaders and its teachers.
Umm, Laodicea is?
A complete As you've just pointed out so nicely, it's the other end of that where everyone has a right to his own opinion. There is the setting aside of leadership.
Where do we see? How do we see that today?
It's it's everywhere in the world. The feminist movement is a movement against God ordained.
Order in creation that the man is the head of the woman. And we see a movement afoot today where young brethren are not submissive to their older brethren any longer. That's not something any of us have made-up. That's what the word of God says. And this is Laodiceanism. It's not respecting God established authority.
The Nicolaitanism is the extreme of setting one man ministry of and it's something like in First Corinthians 14, Paul says to them when they were exercising gifts. He says, How is it then, brethren, when you come together, every one of you hath A Psalm, a doctor, and a teaching, a revelation, he says, Let all things be done decently and in order. They had gone from the extreme that we have today, of one man ministry in many places.
To every man ministry, and that's not of God either. Every man ministry is not of God, any more than one man ministry, and so he regulates it. He says If you speak in tongues, let it be two or at the most, three and one at a time, and then let there be an interpreter. He regulates the use of the ministry. Let the prophet speak two or three and let the others judge. He doesn't set it aside.
But they were in disorder the way they were going on. And when you come to a Laodicean state of things, where God established order and rule in his house is set aside and everyone has an equal right to voice his opinion, it's not the opinions of men that we want.
It's what saith the Lord. It's his word. We want to know what that is. And God has given gifts in the church.
The head of the church has given gifts to give us the meaning of His word, to give the sense, and it's not wrong to look to them to to teach us.
To respect them in their function of teaching, but to look to the one who is the head. So, as Tim is so ably pointed out, laodicea is the opposite end of the situation where.
00:20:10
You have the people having their rights later to see the people's rights. And we have to be very careful. This attitude is everywhere in the world today. It's in the very atmosphere we breathe. Everyone has a right to do what he wants. Our children are taught in school. You don't have to obey your parents, be your own person, do your own thing, exert yourself. You don't have to listen to anyone, just do what you want. Well, that's total overthrow of God, established authority.
And it's an attack against God himself, who has established that authority.
You know about that jet. You were Speaking of bringing in new things, and I like to refer to just some pictures in the Old Testament that showed the disaster to which such things leave the cart. That a new cart was built to put the ark on, that we have to be careful that we don't fall into the trap of imitating.
Those who are ignorant of the truth, like the Philistines. God allowed that with them, but he wouldn't allow it with those who know the truth or should know the truth, that we do not copy the camp or the systems of men. Those might even be blessed in some activities that we do understand from the Scripture to be wrong, and if we do it, we are held responsible for it. And then there is.
The sons of the Prophet remember they said this place is too straight for us and then they wanted to build a new one. You know what a good thing it was that the Prophet was with him and could remove the effects and the damage that happened. There are these dangers, especially the young have to be careful that they don't say, well, we do not want to abide anymore by these things because.
They're just customs. They're just traditions, you know, let's be careful that we do not be characterized by that spirit of things. And there are other examples. When we were in Cairo this last time, we were in Second Kings, and I've read that before, but it never struck me so much in the 4th chapter, You know, there was a dirt in the land.
Chapter four of Second King, verse 38.
And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him.
You know, Elisha came again to Gilgal, That's how the word started. There was a dirt in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. He said unto his servants, set on the great pot and seat potted for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field together herbs, and found a wild wild wine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of potted.
For they knew them not.
So they poured out for the men to eat, came to pass as they were eating of the pottage that they cried out and said, oh thou man of God, there is death in the pot. You know, here they were trying to add flavor to the meal. Let's be careful that we don't introduce something that isn't proven to be sound because we might shred death into the past.
Now the prophet was there to put meal into the pot and then they could eat. But then the following verses is how to feed the people of God. In the verses that I've just read we find how not to feed them. But then there came a man from Beth Vial shell, a Shah Aishah and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, 20 loaves of barley and full ears of corn in the husk thereof and so on. But I don't want to go on but.
There we find that which speaks of Christ.
And we find the result is while it seems to be so little. And what can that do for all the people present? But it was just like in John six there was much more than they needed. So what in the eyes of man is insufficient to meet the need? If it is that which speaks of Christ, it will meet the need and more than meet the need. There is still another example, and that is when they took the manna and they grounded.
00:25:08
You know in Numbers 11 That loses something. These are dangers that we are exposed to and examples from the Word of God that warn us and this loudly see in spirit. Allowing liberties to man to introduce what he thinks contrary to the Word of God might lead to these various things. And in the long run the people of God suffer and lose and might come to harm. You mentioned David putting the ark on a new cart.
I just like to refer to First Chronicles chapter 15.
Verse 11 David called for Zadok and the bias of the priests, for the Levites, for Uriel, Asias, Joel, Shamiya, Ilio, and the Minidab, and said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel under a place that I prepared for.
Four, because you did it not. At the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us.
For that we saw him not after the New Order. God has a due order for us today, and it's found in the precious word of God. May we not be part from that due order.
In that portion you were mentioning Brother Brinkman when one went out into the field to gather, it said. He got a laugh full and it was very readily obtainable and easily obtained.
It was provided for him because to get a lap full you're sitting at ease and it was poison. And it doesn't say there's poison in the pot. It said there's death in the pot. I was thinking of that. You know, we can get the doctrine that would be very solemn for our children who may not be the Lords yet and saved and in that sense death. But for those of us that are his, it can lead us on in the wrong path, many of ours. And it would be death of the sense of the loss of a life here.
For Christ. So it's a solemn portion, but you know it's from.
Is provided for you out there in the field I'm quite Speaking of and if we look at John.
7/17 it says this.
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself, he that speaketh, and I think the other translation has it from himself, seeketh his own glory, and so much of that.
Is something that exalts a man. It's something that a man speaking from himself and we have to be careful because we want it. Spirit taught what we have. We pray for that, that the Spirit has liberty and none speak from themselves. A brother was having a conversation.
With another who was.
Known to use the more modern translations that are not as.
Precise. They're more of a paraphrase type.
They have some usefulness, but to read them as a steady diet to make them your your study Bible, you're going to suffer very, very much because that they do not have the precision, the accuracy. I want to tell this story before finishing the first one of a young sister that was recently saved out of the world.
And she had one of these modern translations that she was using paraphrase type dynamic translation based on the principle of dynamic equivalence, which is get the thought and then translate it into your own words. Not translate the words into the words of the language you're translating into, but translate the thoughts. Well, that's really an attack upon the verbal inspiration of the scriptures.
God has said the words are taught by the Holy Spirit, not the thoughts but the words. So a translation on that principle is false. To start with, it ought to warn us his sister was in a Bible study and enjoying the the study and she.
Thoughts were brought out from the King James that they were using, and her translation didn't have those thoughts.
00:30:01
She looked at that and it wasn't after too many meetings. She said to one of the brothers no one had talked to her about the one she was using. She said, I'm going to have to get a better translation. This one I'm using is too watered down and she had the discernment. She she couldn't find the precious gem, some of which we've been enjoying together at this conference as we have mined this wonderful minefield, the word of God and dugout the gems.
If you get one of these watered down translations, the gems aren't there. You miss them, and she realized it, So she said. I have to get myself.
Hey, King James. Well, the first story that I was starting on was this brother was stressing to this other one that you're going to lose that precision. And his comment was, I really don't care.
Now that's Laodiceanism. That's Laodiceanism. I really don't care.
You know, we had Ministry on offending and we certainly need.
Deadline of things that we do not hurt people's feelings or offend. But the real sense of these verses in Matthew 18 is to cause to stumble, to cause to go astray. And some will have to answer to the Lord for leading babes in Christ to a inferior translation which might lead them to error and away from the truth of God that is offending.
That is offending and they will have to answer to God for it.
I wonder if we could say a few words on what seems to me to be even deeper and I don't know in any way take away from what we're talking about. But in medicine, you know, which I practice for a few years, we had symptoms, but then they were only a manifestation of an underlying disease. You never treated symptoms, You treated the disease. And I hope, my brother.
And also brother-in-law in the flesh won't mind if I ask him if he'll repeat some of the remarks that we were sharing over lunch today, which.
Really, I felt went deeper in the sense that they brought out more what is the essential state of things that causes these things? Because that's something I feel that we all need. We may be able to look on these things and say these are manifestations of laodiceanism, and no doubt they are. I thoroughly agree with that. But there is an essential difference between Philadelphia and Laodicea, which has been, I believe, partially brought out. But.
There's a depth there that I think that, at least to my own soul anyway, I think that I can really take to heart. Which takes in not merely some of these things which we can all see and be concerned about, but which gets right to the root of the problem, perhaps in my own soul more than any other. That be all right, Don.
The people that witnessed what Peter had to say said your speech betrays you.
And I believe that our speech sometimes is the first thing that detects the spirit of Philadelphia and the spirit of Laodicea. There's a pronoun problem that really often manifests what is in our hearts that we may use and not really be conscious of it. In Philadelphia, the emphasis of Brother Heinz actually touched on this point.
The emphasis is my word.
My patience is not when we talk about patience, For example, it's not simply that we are going to endure until the end, that we are going to patiently wait for the coming of the Lord.
It's He is patiently waiting and the Philadelphia and identifies himself.
With the Lords interest, not his own interests. And so it's thy word.
It's not that we can say we have these wonderful recovered truths and they're ours. That may be true, but that is not the Philadelphian interest or exercise. He identifies himself. His interest is with the Lord, and so he puts himself in the background and he looks at the Lord.
00:35:19
In the last, the hymn that was sung in the last meeting by brother, written by brother Lord Cecil in the last century, it was.
Thy dear Word. And then it was thy name. And so even in the writing of the hymn, it was not what the word was to him, or what it was in itself, but it was looking to the Lord. And so the hymn we began with this afternoon.
Again had a Philadelphian character to it, because it was thy ways, thy love, thy patience that was brought out in the hymn.
And so there can be this pronoun problem that manifests what's in the heart sometimes.
Here in Laodicea, the focus turns around and what characterizes the heart and the state is I am, I have, and brethren. It can creep into our speech. We may not intend it this way, but we're in danger when we start to think about.
And both think of.
Our assemblies.
Because the minute we start to say our assemblies, we've lost the sense that they're not ours at all.
They may not mean it that way, but in truth, that's what it is. It's not our assemblies at all. It's the Lord's assembly. It's the Lord's table. We don't have any table. The Lord has a table. And by God's grace, it should be the exercise of everyone.
To be at his table. But our speech sometimes indicates that we are starting down that point where we begin to think about what we have.
And just to add one more, because I believe it has something to do with the difference between Philadelphia and Laodicea.
And that is, I don't believe you can have Philadelphian position without Philadelphian character. You can't talk about Philadelphian truth and set aside the manner in which it's kept. They can't be separated in the word of God. You won't find in the Word of God an expression like Philadelphian position or Philadelphian truth.
I don't object to the use of them in my own soul, but they always have to be identified with the manner in which it's kept. We can't just talk about truth. It's truth and love. And if the love is missing, then it's not the Lord's truth. It's just truth in itself. And it leads to, and perhaps to me, the very first step to Laodicea.
Is can I use the expression Philadelphia and position held in Pride?
That's the first step in Downfall and I believe it is the most serious.
Concern for those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be lifted up in pride, and that's the beginning of departure. Because pride is I, and when it's I, the Lord has been set aside, and so May God help us to always have the focus of our hearts. Not self worth, but Christ.
That we have his word. Why do we want to keep it? Just because it's good? No, because it's his.
And so the encouragement to Philadelphia was my God.
The identification, my God, four times over, it says in the word to the overcomer what he's going to do because that person, which.
Has interest simply for himself is going to be self-centered, but the one whose interests are Christ.
He's going to have the encouragement that Christ is going to give him the enjoyment of God.
00:40:21
In reality.
We know The Legacy and Assembly had a Philadelphian character probably in its origin.
And was probably in a state of soul to receive Ephesians and Colossians truth. And we used the expression and and and I don't object to that either.
Believing the Lord's word. We believe this book is true, but it it speaks of keeping his word. And I think that goes beyond what we might think of when we speak of believing that it's keeping it and and I believe in that thought.
You know, in the Book of Revelation it begins about keeping the words of this prophecy. Well, you might say, how can I keep the words of this prophecy?
The beast isn't marking anybody yet. Well.
The principles, the moral principles that are revealed in the Book of Revelation that marked the overcomers and God's people.
But I can keep those principles in my life and carry them out in my life, and I think that's a invite. And the thought of keeping the Lord's word, that it has authority over my life.
And my life is subjected to the word of God. Otherwise I am inclined to think.
In the way we think of these assemblies and the way we have been considering these seven churches in a sort of a prophetic way, that there would be a Philadelphian position. By that I mean, I think there is such a thing as being gathered to the Lord's name, and I think there's only one place where the Spirit of God would gather every believer to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Is a position, but I don't in any way believe that those of us who may occupy that position are in. It means then that we're in a Philadelphian state of Seoul, and I think it's possible.
That in fact, I believe Laodicea was as much a Church of God. It speaks in the very last word.
He that here let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. I think that's all seven churches, and in that sense.
Laodicea was much as much a Church of God as Philadelphia was. But the state of their soul, and occupying that position before God is deplorable. And we could we could ask ourselves, brethren, and I think it would be wholesome for us to ask ourselves.
I can ask myself, if John were writing these letters, which one would he send to the the Des Moines gathering that I am a part of? Well, brother, and I would be embarrassed to say there's nothing wrong, that John would have nothing to write.
Correctively about the Des Moines gathering, it would embarrass me to think in those terms.
Things because though I I believe the aspect that we've been considering them is no doubt true, but.
I would like to suggest that we allow ourselves to consider that Philadelphia degenerates to Laodicea, and that's what should be our exercise.
Our Have I degenerated in my soul? Am I in a degenerating condition right now, or is the exercise of my heart to tell the Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, I am needy? I think one thing that Marks Laodicean is the insensibility as has been brought up.
But.
Let's be exercising. We have the truth. We don't need any more. That's that's a nice statement, but it isn't really the same expression that the Laodiceans were saying. We are rich. We have need of nothing and insensible to our condition before the Lord. The important thing is in the seven assemblies is not what?
00:45:23
They thought, but it was how the Lord who stood in the midst of those candlesticks, how he saw them to be. And that's what we have recorded so.
I I do think when you allow the down, there is a position that could be occupied. I think Laodicea was in the same you might say position before the Lord in this condition as they were in where they're mentioned in Colossians, but they're.
Soul had deplorably departed from God.
Would you allow those thoughts present?
However, he's outside. I thought of that in a way good at Heinz, but it cannot be possible in the gathering of the Lords people to his name, that he is outside of us as far as our communion with him. And we we're missing his mind at times and are in even our enjoyment of each other and and our enjoyment things are really not connected with the Lord's thoughts at all.
Could you? Am I clear in what I am saying? Well, it could be exercising to each one of us, and I believe it should be. But the description of naked can't be applied to those of us who are clothed upon. I mean, we have the robe of righteousness. We'd never get that term. They, their riches were that they were increased with goods, and it's in a worldly sense. And so they don't have what's real.
I believe we we could be exercised with those things that they don't characterize us.
That we feel we have need of nothing. It's an awful expression, isn't it? Because we started in our prayers here, we're needy people and I'd like to hear that. And we don't really think that, do we? That we have need of nothing, We have need of the Spirit, we have need of His guiding, we have need of the Lord, we have need of the truth. We don't have that sense. And I trust we never will. But this is just driving something that's empty profession, am I right?
It isn't really reality here. It's worldlyism. In verse 19, as many as I love, I rebuke and chastened.
The Lord has laid his hand upon us in many places. How many have been mentioned in these meetings?
As being laid aside in sickness. If one member suffer, all the members suffer with them.
Oh, do we hear the Lord's voice speaking to us, and one another being laid aside. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent does not tell us to take heed to our pathway.
But in verse 17 he says in the middle of the verse thou knowest not that thou art wretched.
And miserable, and poor and blind.
And naked.
Everyone of those terms describes one who's not even the Lord's.
Who has a profession, but there's no reality there.
Does he ever use Does the spirit of God ever use terms this strong and apply them to a true believer?
I would have great difficulty with that. Do you get a mixture of profession and some that are real? Here brother? Verse 19 would suggest that as many as I love. I mean you can chase it. There seems to be a mixture.
And that's why he hasn't totally set aside the assembly there. He's he threatens to spew it out of his mouth, but he's outside knocking.
He's not inside. The state is such that he's not inside. There are some that are living up to the truth that they have, even in the laodicean condition in that place, but he knows them. They hear his voice isn't that lovely. And that 20th verse is really a verse of marvelous grace today, I feel. And and he sucks with them. There's a sense he'll go into them.
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But not to the laodicean position at all. It's individual, isn't it? You fight that. Even in fact, Timothy, there's much mentioned there in Second Timothy that is addressed to the individual in a day of general ruin. There are these individual things especially brought out now we do have a collective path in second chapter of Second Timothy, but generally speaking, what is brought out there is especially.
For the individual, And so individual, communion is enjoyed and is possible to be enjoyed by a St. who finds himself in Laodicean conditions. But the things that the Lord recommends that they would buy for themselves clearly show what their poverty is. You know they need gold, divine righteousness, and white Raven. You know that speaks of practical righteousness, doesn't it? And I said.
There is lack of lack of discernment.
And I'm afraid sometimes we have to admit that we're characterized by that, that we do not have discernment, you know, and dealing with matters in the assembly, in our own individual lives, in contact with souls, People slip into the meetings. Later on we find out that they were evidently never the Lords. We didn't have the discernment. We didn't have that, I said, as to our own individual problems as well as to the assembly testimony.
Discernment is oftentimes greatly lacking, and almost willfully so at times. You mentioned discernment and speaks to my own heart. If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light, beloved, because we haven't got a single eye for the glory of Christ.
That we're so lacking in discernment we wouldn't want to be guilty of oversimplification.
Since be made a fairly simple statement as to what is Laodiceanism, I would like to suggest an oversimplification of the cure.
If the disease is indifference to Christ and insensibility to the state, then the cure is occupation with Christ and personal purity that answers to it.
I'd like to ask this question.
This question is in relation to what our brother Henry Short has been telling us.
My question is.
That when the believers in Laodicea.
Met together to remember the Lord Jesus and his death.
Once the Lord Jesus Christ in their midst.
He's on the outside knocking.
My question is, was the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst?
Of those gathered to his name and Laodicea.
But Iran, may I attempt to answer that, that must not look at the churches in Revelation 2 and three, the way we have it presented in Pauls ministry. You know, the churches are viewed by the judge and their testimony is judged. And I believe that is what we have to keep in mind, like one of the expositors.
Of the word of God that has much help to offer uses.
Revelation 2 and three to support the independent local church position. Because of these various conditions in the church. Now, I do not believe that we should read Revelation 2 and three like that, otherwise we would be forced to go on with gross evil in other assemblies that we.
Except for practical fellowship, and I don't believe that that is the way to use Revelation 2 and Three.
It's not viewed exactly in the light of the body of Christ and so on. It's really viewed as a testimony. And even this wicked system of Thyatira is still viewed as a Christian witness.
In the last four churches, I believe we find it is a remnant that is recognized as the assembly.
00:55:06
I may be wrong on that, Brother Heights, but I think that's.
Well, I believe in the sense all of this Lord is here, you know, and.
But I think the individual side is out here and the Lord is looking for communion, and I think we cannot let that speak to our hearts. And I really giving to him what he is looking for in my life, He longs to come in and Sup with me and have fellowship with me. That's a marvelous fact in itself, that he wants to and that he longs for it and that is possible for us today. We can also do that collectively, and I hope.
We do, but I would allow the possibility and maybe I'm wrong.
That we might consider an assembly to be still gathered to the name of the Lord, and the Lord does not consider it so.
And we sing #166.
166.
Lord, thou have thought us after thee.
Now let us run, and never tired Thy presence shall our comfort be Thyself, our Hope, our soul desire. Number 166.
The Truth
Address—C. Buchanan
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Now the first thing I'll say to you.
If you want to get a charge out of something.
Read First Timothy. It's full of charge.
We got three of them yesterday. We're going for a high charge right now in the last chapter, First Timothy, this is by way of introducing what we want to speak about.
As to the truth.
First Timothy, chapter 6.
Beginning with verse 13.
First Timothy, 6/13.
I give the charge.
In the sight of God.
Who quickeneth all things?
And before Christ Jesus.
They'll stop and talk about that.
This is high voltage here.
I've got a lawnmower back home.
That I bought about a dozen years ago.
After visiting Leo Reno's farm where he had an electric lawnmower and I thought that was great.
Just to go out there and turn a switch and the power was on and there wasn't a sound of that thing except a little word that went along cutting the grass.
Now that lawnmower has worked real good.
When it's charged.
But it's getting old like some of us, and it has to be recharged frequently.
That's like us believers. We can get a charge like we get at a conference.
We go back home, we have to get recharged. That mower of mine used to cut an acre without a recharge. Now it takes three more three times to recharge it.
Well, God has been illustrated.
Like this?
By electricity.
You can't see electricity.
But you can certainly see the effects of it.
Light, heat, and power. That's the Trinity.
Light, love and power.
And so this charge to Timothy is put before the highest power and authority there is. Notice it again. I charge thee. Let's take this to heart.
In the sight of God.
We've had about Elijah.
Various times in these meetings.
You know when that man appears on the scene.
The first thing he says?
When called up before Ahab, that wicked king, who is going to charge him?
With the troubling of Israel.
He says.
The Lord God before whom I stand, ignoring the King of Israel.
If we can think like that.
Circumstances and people won't bother us. You and I stand before.
God as believers always, at all times and in every place, and God who quickeneth all things and before Christ Jesus, supreme authority again.
Now we're going to go back and review what that charge was.
Beginning with verse 10.
For the love of money is the root of all evil.
Which while some coveted after they have heard from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things from all untruth. To flee. That's one of the things.
And follow after righteousness God, in this faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith they hold on eternal life, wherein to thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. This is a 4F charge.
00:05:00
Flee, follow, fight and faith. Very simple when put that way.
Get these charges, they help every Christian and God looks down at us and sees us.
Whether we run away from untruth, any moral things, whether we follow with those that call on the Lord out of a name, out of a pure heart.
We're in the fight of faith.
That we should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints.
My brother yesterday.
Said something about the truth as the whole deposit. The faith is the same thing, the whole deposit of truth.
If you're going to.
Keep it, it's a battle.
As Proverbs 2323 says.
By the truth.
And sell it not. It's a battle. This is what we're charged about. Now we're taken to see Jesus.
Before Pontius Pilate. We'll read the rest here.
Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebucable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in His times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who only has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach, unto whom no man has seen nor can see.
To whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.
Oh, what an example, this supreme authority as man.
Standing before Pilate is for you and I.
In confession, in profession. Now we'll go back and get what he said as standing there in John chapter 18, and that will bring us to the subject of the truth.
It is one whole deposit that is committed to you and I.
Who have heard it?
To hold it, to keep it as we're getting so beautifully in our meetings.
18th of John.
We will read the 37th verse.
Pilate saith. And Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then?
Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. Here was the true confession that Jesus, the man the Nazarene, witnessed when hailed up before the judge of the Roman Empire. Pilot.
Oh, what I've seen to contemplate.
The one who is Lord of all, as the meek and lowly one come down and delivered.
By his own people to the Roman power.
Because they would not have him and he's submitting to that power and saying.
When Pilate said, Notice that not that I have power to crucify thee and to release thee, Jesus said, Thou couldst have had no power at all against me, except that were given thee from above. Therefore he that delivered me to thee hath the greater sin. Thus the Jewish nation.
I'll say at this juncture that the judgment upon that Jewish nation is what we were talking about this morning, that great tribulation, it is yet coming. I think another fact that we won't be here when the tribulation comes is in the very chapter where the birthday of the Church appears, when Peter preached and said to those Jews, save yourselves from this untoward generation, for that generation is going to have the tribulation fall upon.
Them if they don't take their place in repentance and change position and be introduced in the Church of God, which is going to be caught out before that tribulation comes. Isn't the word of God interesting? Well, here's Jesus standing before Pilate and he tells the truth and that title was put over the cross. He was condemned with a true title over his cross. Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews, absolutely the truth.
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He said so, and they killed him. They crucified him. He died for his witness. Now let's read the rest of the verse.
To this end was I born.
And for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto thee truth.
How blessed.
Why did Jesus come? Why was he born?
To bear witness to the truth.
No lie is of the truth.
Jesus came to bear witness to the truth.
In bearing witness to the truth, he bore witness to himself.
For he said, I am the truth, I am the way, the truth and the light.
No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
He came to bear witness to the truth. Why are you and I here?
To bear the same witness to the truth.
Now finish the verse everyone.
They deserve the truth.
Here is my voice. What did Philadelphia?
Do kept his word. That's what this says here.
She heard. Philadelphians heard. They kept his word. They heard the truth.
Simple, but try and do it.
Try and keep it. Let's do.
Most blessed, Most precious.
Now let's go back to the first chapter of John.
Men review the Lord's coming into the world.
As it comes before us.
In John's Gospel, in the beginning was the Word.
I think that's very remarkable.
That this title is put there.
Nor the one of whom it goes on and says the word was with God and the Word was God. Verse 14.
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
He beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father fool.
Of grace and truth.
Yes, the word he's going to be magnified.
And glorified when he comes out of heaven as the word of God to.
In Revelation.
But here it is a declaration of what is. Now that's a definition of truth.
Truth is not what he is, it is a declaration of what he is. What is then gone is.
Various times in John's Gospel, Jesus says I am.
You and I want to use that we have to always qualify.
He never he is the great I am of Exodus 3.
God is what is.
Jesus as being the truth is a declaration of what God is.
Manifest in the flesh what says grace and truth?
Came by Jesus Christ, but it puts grace first that God, because God had his thoughts of you and I.
He couldn't come in in pure truth 1St and bring us in.
There had to be grace.
Grace and truth.
Came by Jesus Christ. Now I've said that a definition of the truth is a declaration of what is. I want to confirm that using the same word, going to Luke chapter one and the first verse where I think they fit together very beautifully.
Luke writes such a blessed book.
I'll just comment on Luke that he is a he has a quality that I would covet and I hope we all would, but he likes to hide himself.
00:15:04
He doesn't want to stick himself out in the prominent place.
But the way he begins his book, for as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, what's believed among us, the truth.
It's a declaration of those things. That is what truth is. It's a revelation from God of God.
And all the rest of it.
Truth. The truth.
So grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Now we'll go to the.
8th chapter.
Of John.
Just to review without reading it, the early part of this chapter.
Jesus had come.
And he was ministering.
And the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees.
We're resisting him and trying to catch him.
And they found the woman which was condemned under the law and there was number way of getting around it. She was caught in a sin openly and the law said that such an would be one should be stoned. What sayest thou?
You can't corner the Lord.
Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ At that time. He was stooping down, riding on the ground. I like to think he was writing grace.
He did it the second time, grace upon grace, but he convicted everyone of them.
Leaving them under the law under which they had put that guilty woman, saying he that's without sin among you, let him cast the first stone. If she's under the law, you're under the law.
They were convicted in their conscience and they couldn't stand the truth. They had to leave his presence. They went out.
The Lord lifted his eyes, saw no man but that woman there.
As no man condemned thee, no manlord, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. Oh, what grace? Every one of us have experienced that grace. Now grace brings us into liberty.
But it's the liberty of the truth to practice the truth.
So we come on down in the chapter.
And.
Verse 30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Have you believed on him? I have.
What happened?
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if he continued in my word.
Then are ye my disciples indeed?
Persist on in that belief of the truth.
Then what? What happens next?
And you shall know the truth.
And the truth shall make you free.
How, blessed brethren, to have the liberty of grace and truth.
Through faith and believing in this One who came to set the captives free, to purge our sins away and set us before God as holy and that calm in His presence, having no more conscience of sins, for God laid them on His Son, They are gone.
They're not attributed to us, nor can they be. We are set free through the knowledge of the truth of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are not like the Jews at that time under the law.
Well, they contest what the Lord had said in verse 33.
00:20:02
They answered him. We'd be Abraham's seed, and we're never in *******.
To any man.
How sayest thou Ye shall be made free?
Let's examine that.
Were they telling the truth?
They said we were never in ******* to any man.
Why did they go to Pilate to get the condemnation?
To crucify the Lord. If they weren't free, if they weren't under ******* they were under the Roman yoke.
And those Jews like Esau.
So the birthright.
For a morsel of pottage.
You remember the story about Esau?
He had the birthright coming.
It was his as the first born.
He got hungry one day.
Pretty bad to be hungry. You're very hungry.
We need to think of the future beyond the next meal, though.
And his clever brother came along.
And offered him.
Some bean soup I suppose.
He said If you'll give me your birthright, I'll give you this beam soon.
To fill your stomach for a little while, make you comfortable.
Now that's what the Jews did when they sold their Messiah for 30 pieces of silver.
And said give us Barabbas.
They earned their place for a few years under the Roman yoke, Roman ******* and then the Romans turned on them in the ordering of God and destroyed their city, wiped away their temple from the earth so that he might bring them in under grace.
So that they might learn, not the truth.
But learn the sun, the person. Let's go on and read that.
Verse 37 I know that you're Abraham seed, but you seek to kill me because my word hath no place in you. They didn't let the word of Christ dwell in them, lodge in their hearts. They paid no attention to it. Instead of that, they sought to get rid of him, Jesus said.
Verse 38 I speak that which I have seen with my father.
No, I've skipped some verses here.
I should have read this from the 34th verse. Let's back up to verse 34. Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Lying as a sin. They had just said we'd never under *******. The servant abide is not in the house forever, but the Son abideth ever.
If the sun therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Well, this goes farther than the truth. It brings us to the person to know the one who is everything.
I'm so thankful for truths that have come out in our meetings here, especially this morning reviewing them.
Now ask the little strength.
The presence of the Lord certainly is great strength, but there is a little manifestation of His presence there.
In that, the key of David has been practiced.
And she found favor with God.
Providing a place for the Lord to have a table that was clean.
Were disciplined took away the openness of sin in this assembly at Philadelphia, so the Lord presents Himself there and keeping His word and not denying His name.
So there we have the one who is the truth in the midst.
Now we go to chapter 14.
Where we've quoted the verse already, but it is so specific we want to read it.
00:25:08
Verse one. Let not your heart be troubled. Those words are said for us as well As for those who were hearing Him that day.
For the Lord as the person walking down here is not here.
But there's access to him at all times by faith. He believed in God. Believe also in me and my father's house are many mansions.
If it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you.
Now the Lord was thinking of His own, the ones who would believe in the truth and learned to know Him.
For he says that in the 17th chapter. We'll get to that.
Now, so he tells them. Although I can't be with you here much longer.
I'm going to fix up a place for you up there.
Oh, the comfort of knowing that we're getting close to it.
And just as soon he says, I go away. And if I go verse three and prepare a place for you, I will come again. He doesn't leave anything in between. This is all in one sentence. If I go, I will come again. Actually, there's been.
Nearly 2000 years in between. That only means that we're that much closer. His promise is certain, it is sure. And receive you unto myself. He's going to bring others into that blessed place that He is prepared and the facts of the matter as to the preparation of the place.
Is.
That the 1St man is of the earth.
Earthy.
For this place.
And when our astronauts.
Leave their normal place of habitat.
Get one of these space vehicles and go up.
They carry a little portion of the earth with them.
They have to.
Their bodies are not suited for that celestial sphere.
They are not made perfect, as Jesus says in writing to the Hebrews.
They without us should not be made perfect. There's going to be a day, brethren, when we're all made perfect as to the physical.
Suited to the celestial sphere.
So we admire the power.
That sends these men far into space.
But they haven't left the Earth.
They carry oxygen or air. They have a physical temperature they can live in.
They have to have water and food.
They haven't actually left the earth, The only one that can do that.
Is the one who's already there. He has that glorified body as man.
He's going to come back and take us all into that father's house.
He goes on and explains that whether I go.
Receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. It's His desire. He wants us there more than we want to be there. Whether I go, you know, and the way you know, Thomas. We're thankful for Thomas asking this question, Saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest. And how can we know the way? There's a first time for lots of things, perhaps for everything, as Ecclesiastes says. And we have a first time for this year, I believe.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way there's one of the Iams.
I am the truth, another one. I am the light.
No man cometh unto the Father, but by me there's the power.
There's the way, there's the hope, and there's the end.
But he says I am the truth.
This is what we want to impress upon us.
You and I have the truth.
In two ways.
Turning to John 17, here we have it personally.
By faith known in Jesus.
The truth as it is in Jesus. We'll get to that scripture.
But this scripture tells us that in the I am.
Known to faith, we have the truth. Think of it, brethren, That one, I'll say, condescend to present his.
00:30:11
Presence in the midst of those who are gathered to His name.
The Lord, the truth, we have it that way. Do we value His presence?
I hope so. Chapter 17.
We begin with verse 15. I pray not that thou should take them out of the world.
Perhaps this fits with our history in Revelation 2 and three, where you see God had a purpose.
For the children of God down here after the Lord Jesus was taken out.
And what was it?
But that thou should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Verse 16. Verse 17. Sanctify them through thy truth.
Thy word is truth. Here's the 2nd way we have truth.
This word is the word of God. Oh, how clearly we had that stated this morning. I rejoice in that. This word is the truth. It is a complete revelation. We have it.
Are we holding it?
We have what we hold in practice. Profession is not enough.
Well, here it is.
But we need a separating power of it too.
Thy word is truth.
As verse 18, Thou has sent me into the world, Even so have I also sent them into the world?
And for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified, might be sanctified through the truth. Here's a separating power that you and I need to keep us from the contamination.
Of this unlawful scene around us.
This precious word of God.
We're going to have to skip and go on to Ephesians. Our time is about out.
Let's go to Ephesians chapter 4.
There are gifts given in this 4th chapter.
There are five of them and they have a purpose.
And a preventative thing, verse 14, that we henceforth.
Be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie and wait to deceive. This is the efforts of the enemy in the age in which you and I live, to distract us from pure doctrine to all kinds of doctrine. I'm amazed at the multitudes of teachings there are out in Christendom. And we're not to be children in these things. We're to grow up in the doctrine.
And hold it and practice it. But verse 15 but speaking the truth in love.
Oh, may we ever do that, as dear brother Eric Smith used to tell me over and again.
Love and truth and truth in love interwoven like that, how precious it is.
And it's for the whole body to grow up together.
And then there.
Is the place where we had been brought before us in verse 17 one of the blackest pictures in all of Scripture? Is our past history in Adam?
Verse 20 you get another but.
But ye have not so learned Christ.
No, we haven't. He's not like that. He is pure, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from centers made higher than the highest. He is the truth.
Now there's a question of learning. This ought to be impressed upon me and upon all of us, if.
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If so, be that ye have heard Him. Do you attend the reading meetings? Do you read your Bible? Do you go and get a charge for yourself every day so that you can practice this doctrine? Do you get connected with God and the Lord Jesus Christ through this book? Are you and I learning? I tell you, we need to be charged and recharged. We need to learn.
And have been taught by him.
We've had good ministry spoken of and we have a great deal of it.
As the truth is in Jesus, that's what we're here to stand for. One last verse in.
First Timothy chapter 3 to close on.
One Timothy 3 verse 15. But if I tarry long, the Lord has tarried a long time, nearly 2000 years. I I'm applying that this way, I believe it applies.
We need to learn how to behave, says, so that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself. In the House of God. That's what we're put.
Through the.
Being baptized with the Holy Spirit in the body of the Church, which is the House of God.
Which is explained.
Behave thyself in the House of God, which is a Church of the living God.
The pillar and ground of the truth. The pillar.
And support of the truth. This is purpose here.
She was that to start with this church, but it's always in the purpose of God that the church should be the pillar, even the forefront down here like she shall be up there and the support of the truth. Jesus was born. He came to bear witness to the truth. The truth is here. We are to bear witness to it and support it. Let's close in prayer.
Subjection and Authority of Christ
Address—C. Hendricks
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Let's start by reading a verse from Psalm 40.
Psalm 40.
Verse 6.
Sacrifice and offering, thou didst not desire.
My nearest hast thou opened?
Burnt offering and sin offering. Hast thou not required? Then said I, Lo, I come, and the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will.
Oh my God, yeah, thy laws within my heart.
The margin of my Bible.
The word opened.
It's given Hebrew.
Dig.
Pioneer.
Mine ears hast thou dig. Now this passage is quoted.
In Hebrews 10, I just read the quote from it.
It's quoted a little bit differently.
In Hebrews 10, verse 5 Wherefore, when thou cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not.
Body hast thou prepared me in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin? Thou hast had no pleasure.
Then said I Lo, I come, and the volume of the book it is written of Maine to do thy will, O God.
I was noticing the expression in our readings over and over again. He that hath an ear, let him hear. It's a beautiful connection, that when the Lord Jesus came into this world, he took a body. That body was prepared him.
The Hebrew of that in Psalm 40 says, My ears hast thou?
Did. And what I'd like to talk about this afternoon and the little while we have together.
Is the subjection of Christ, and the authority of Christ, and then ours as derived from him.
The word.
That is often translated in our Bibles obedience.
Means literally to hear under or to hear subjectively.
Dependently, the word that is translated disobedience, very similar word is to hear alongside of.
And that's the only difference is in the preposition that's attached to the word to hear.
The Lord Jesus. He was given dig dears and opened ears.
Every day, every day, he gathered fresh instruction from his father from Isaiah 50.
The openness mine ear to hear is the instructed morning by morning.
He gathered fresh instruction from the father.
It's beautiful that the Spirit of God says to us. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The Lord Jesus, when he came into this world and became a man, he assumed a position.
And a condition that required obedience.
And so he he got. He got Dig Deers. His ears were digged. His ears were opened.
To hear what God had to say to him, the only perfect man that was ever here in this world.
The only one that ever heard submissively in everything. How often times we have heard instruction given to us from our superiors. It may be our parents, maybe our employer, it may be our older brethren in the assembly. And we have said yes, but and we do not hear subjectively.
That's disobedience.
To hear subjectively is obedience, and we see that in the perfect.
Subjection of Christ.
I really have it upon my heart to talk about.
Authority.
But before we can deal with that subject, we have to understand.
Subjection.
Because authority wielded apart from the principle of subjection.
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Is abused authority.
It's misused authority. It becomes tyranny.
And it becomes oftentimes, unrighteousness.
I have felt for a long time that when I've heard of the subject of authority and scriptures spoken of.
I've felt that's one sided, lopsided.
Truth.
It's not presented in the proper balance that we ought to have.
There is such a thing as assembly authority. I have heard the subject of assembly authority.
Pressed, and I felt oftentimes in hearing it.
Something's missing?
The authority of a father, parental authority father and mother over their children.
That sometimes the way it's presented and what I'm speaking on this afternoon.
Is ministry that I feel very much in need of myself.
I hope you won't reject what is presented because you look at the vessel and say who is he to give such truth?
Because I'm conscious of failure in the very thing that I'm going to be speaking about.
But I believe it needs to be spoken about.
The Lord Jesus was the perfect subject 1.
And it is to him that God has committed the future.
Reign of the Kingdom.
It is to that lowly subject 1 to the one who.
Though he was in his deity, God over all blessed forever, and yet he took up manhood.
He came into the place where obedience and submission and subjection were.
Proper to him, and he never got out of that place when he was down here as a man.
Never got out of that place. He discharged that that position of subjection.
Perfectly. And God the Father to that man, to that blessed One, that has discharged that position, that responsibility and perfection, in lowly subjection. It is into his hands that He commits the Kingdom. Everything will be placed under his feet.
And we're really not qualified to exercise authority.
If we haven't learned to submit.
Children, if you haven't learned to obey your parents and to submit to their authority, which is really the authority of God, because it is God who has vested them with that authority, you'll not be qualified later on to be a parent.
If we haven't learned at work to submit to our superiors.
As employees to our employer.
We wouldn't be qualified to become a manager and to be in a position of authority over others.
If you as a younger brother.
Do not know what it is to submit to the authority of those who are over you in the Lord.
You won't be qualified to exercise that position of authority.
Later on.
We're all in a training period and we need to learn.
Subjection.
That is what is necessary in the school of God in order to graduate into the position of authority.
Everyone of us, regardless of what our station in life is, is in subjection to someone.
We're all citizens of this land and.
We are subject to those who are over us, the authorities, the powers that be, Romans 13 says.
The subject to the powers that be.
Now those who are in the place of subjection, like the Lord himself when he came here.
When he got those Big Deers to learn and to hear subjectively.
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Submissively, every instruction that the Father gave him.
Let's look at him a little before we proceed. Let's turn to John's gospel and we'll start with just a verse or two and John four. We must proceed rapidly. There's much to cover.
John 434 Jesus saith unto them, My meat.
Is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.
As we read some of these passages in John's Gospel, we will come across that expression, him that sent me, him that sent me over and over and over again.
He delights to refer to himself as the sent one of the Father. He had come to do not his own will, but the will of him that sent him. It was his meat to do that. It was his delight to do that. We read that in Hebrews and in Psalm 40. My delight is to do Thy will, O God, So if you are in the place of subjection, if you're a son or a daughter in a family, if you are a wife, to be subject to your husband.
If you're unemployed, to be subject to your superior at work, a citizen to be subject to the government over which under which you live.
One in the assembly to be subject to the action or the discipline of the assembly.
A place to be subject.
But I want to get to the.
Responsibility of those who are in the position of authority and how that.
Authority is to be exercised.
Because it was the Lord Jesus that showed us imperfection, the path of submission and subjection, in order that God the Father could elevate Him to the position of authority and power in a coming day.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength, and honor and glory and blessing. All of those sevenfold things are his by virtue of what he has won as a man down here in perfect obedience and subjection to his father, not by virtue of who he is in his own person, but he has won them because of his perfect obedience.
And subjection.
Now we're to walk as he walked.
We're to follow in his steps. He is our example, He is the one that is trod the pathway before us.
And it's blessed, a blessed pathway. Let's turn to John 5.
John 5 verse 17 Jesus answered them. My father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the Lord to kill him because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, his own Father, making himself equal with God. It's striking that in all of these expressions that we're going to be looking at where he's presented as the subject. 1 It's in the gospel according to John that presents him in his eternal deity.
In His eternal sonship.
The very first verses of our gospel bring that out. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him. Without him was not anything made that was made. The eternal Son, the Word, the Creator, the Sustainer, the upholder of the universe. He became a man. He came into the place of subjection, to show you and me how to live in that place of subjection for what we're all in that place, no matter how high you have come, achieved in the in the latter of success in this world.
There's someone to whom you are accountable.
Someone that is over you. So we're all subject to someone. We have to learn how to to fulfill the role of subjection before we can properly discharge the role of authority. And I believe that one of the greatest sins that exists in the world today is the abuse of a God-given authority. You see it in governments.
I picked up a book at the Perth conference. It was about the the the Roman emperors, those that reigned and ruled over the Roman Empire.
When Paul wrote Romans 13, be subject to the powers that are over you and the Lord. Nero was on the throne, one of the most wicked.
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Tyrants the Roman Empire ever saw.
Tiberius Caesar was another terrible these men were.
As close to being insane and possessed with their own importance.
And.
Independence of anyone else that you can imagine.
And yet, Paul said be subject.
So it's not a question of whether the authority over you is exercising that authority properly or not calling upon you to be subject or not to be subject. We're called upon to be subject.
You might say I have a very unreasonable father.
And I have to be subject to him. Yes, you do.
You have to be subject to him.
I have a very unreasonable husband. You mean I have to be subject to him? Yes, the word of God says.
Wives, be subject to your own husbands.
We haven't come to the other side of the truth, but I want to get to.
And the responsibility of those in authority to exercise that in the spirit of dependence.
Well, let's go on verse 19 of chapter 5. Then answer Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son.
Whenever we read of the Sun, it's his essential glory.
The Son can do nothing of himself.
Nothing from himself as a source.
But what he seeth the Father do, for what things so ever he doeth these also doeth the Son likewise.
He takes the place of subjection, and this is so much more forceful to us because it's in the Gospel of John where he's presented as the eternal Son.
But he had become a man. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and in that new position.
Of dependents. He fulfilled it in perfection. He would not do anything from himself. That's the beauty of the four Gospels. Here's the man that never did anything for himself. He had those big deers. He's the one that really had ears to hear, and he heard every word the Father gave him.
And he obeyed it. He heard it submissively.
And he obeyed it.
Perfectly turn to John 6 verse 38.
For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will.
Will of him that sent me, that was his meat. That was his delight, he says. I don't act from myself as a source. I do all from the Father. It was authority in submission.
How Noah, this man speaks, they said. This man speaks with authority.
And they couldn't understand it. You didn't have any degrees behind his name, but he spoke with authority.
But it was always with submission in submission to his Father, to do the will of the Father.
That's why he was here.
Chapter 8.
Verse 26 I have many things to say, and to judge of you, But he that sent me is true, and I speak to the world, those things which I have heard of him. He had that open dear, that dig dear. He heard the instructions the Father gave had given him, and he spoke those things. Everything that he spoke, everything that he did, was in perfect obedience to the Father.
Verse 28 Then said Jesus unto them, When he have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself.
But as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
Taught of the Father, He spoke those things. Verse 29 And he that sent me is with me. He delighted to refer to himself as the scent. One of the Father he that sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I do always those things that please him. Isn't that wonderful to be here, to please another, not to please myself, not to do my own will? He said. I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.
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And he was here to please the will of him that sent him, the one who sent him.
And everything he did and everything he spent, he said, was with that in mind.
Chapter 9 verse four. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day.
Chapter 10 And here is a very precious passage, verse 17.
Oh, how wonderful it is.
Therefore, does my father love me? He always loved him, but here now he speaks of a fresh motive.
For the Father to love his son, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. Ah, you say now there he's speaking.
From himself as a source, Let's go on. I have power or authority to lay it down.
And I have power to take it again. Yes, he had, being who he was, the eternal Son of God. He had the authority to lay his life down of himself, and to take it again. But notice the last words of the verse. This commandment have I received of my Father. He did it in obedience to the Father's command. The Father told him, you lay your life down and take it again. And he did it. He had the power himself to do it, to act independently of the Father. That he wouldn't do that.
Never would do that.
And when you do your own will, and when you act independently. When I do my own will and act independently of God.
I sin. That's what sin is. Sin is lawlessness.
Independence of God the Lord Jesus is our perfect example. Never did his own will trace his pathway In the four Gospels. There's a man that never did his own will. It was his delight. It was his meat and drink to do the will of the Father.
I didn't read the verse out quoted in John Six. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live on account of the Father, so he that eateth me, he shall live on account of me. We live on account of him. We live for him. Paul says it in Philippians 121 For me to live is Christ. I live as he lived on account of the Father. And that's our portion. That's why we're here, not to do our own will. He was here to glorify the Father.
And so he says, Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life. He laid it down as an act of obedience and submission.
To the command of the Father. He had authority to lay it down, and authority to take it again.
But he didn't do it independently, he says. This commandment have I received of my father, Oh.
What a savior.
Chapter 12 Just want to pick out a few verses.
Verse 44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me.
But on him that sent me.
And he that seeth me, seeth him, that sent me, So perfectly did he carry out the Commission. The Father gave him the words, The Father gave him to speak the works, the Father gave him to perform. So perfectly did he discharge that, that he says, he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me verse 49. For I have not spoken of myself.
What he said did not originate from himself.
That would have been out of place for him because he had taken the place of subjection.
It says in Philippians 2 he emptied himself.
He emptied himself of the prerogative to act of and from himself. When he became a man and came into the creature place, He the Creator, became the first born. But it would have been out of place, having taken that position, to have acted independently of the Father. That was his perfection.
His submission and his subjection was his perfection. His ears opened, his ears digged, to always hear, to always hear submissively to the command of the Father. I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me. He gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me.
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So I speak so the very words he spoke with the Father's, and he summarizes all that he said.
As the commandment from the Father, it was all done in obedience to the Father, in submission to the Father.
If you would see if I would see more that.
The place of Subjection is the place which the Lord of Glory took in infinite grace to reach down to the likes of you and me, to bring us into blessing. It's the place that he and lowly grace took, and he's going to be awarded for that, the highest place in glory.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.
Why? Because he was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
In his lowly past.
The way to a position of authority is through subjection and the proper exercise of authority.
Is on the principle of subjection to the Higher authority.
We are all subject to a higher authority.
Chapter 14.
Verse 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you? And yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. And how sayest thou then show us the Father.
Believeth thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me the words?
That I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, from myself.
Independently, no, he didn't speak that way. But the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
He speaks of the words. He speaks of the works.
The works all a manifestation of the Father. And then just the 17th chapter, he says in verse four, I have glorified the Father on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gave us me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou, me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
And so the man that showed us the way, who is the way? Who put all our sins away by his perfect obedience unto death, and that the death of the cross? But he did more than that. He showed us how to walk.
Lay aside our own wills and be subject. Now turn to Ephesians Five. Time is quickly slipping by.
Ephesians 5.
Verse 21.
Submitting yourselves 1 to another in the fear of God, Mr. Darby renders that. Submitting yourselves 1 to another in the fear of Christ. I like that, because it brings before us the fear that was ever before him, as a man down here, always doing the will of the Father.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own, Husbands is unto the Lord.
Verse 25, Husbands, love your wives.
Chapter 6. One Children obey your parents and the Lord, for this is right.
Verse four and you fathers provoke not your children to wrath.
Verse 5 servants be obedient and verse 9 ye masters do the same.
Without threatening, you have 3 couplets here. You have wives and husbands, children and parents, servants and masters. The one that is in the subject place is always put first because that's the place that he took in grace.
And the reward for perfectly fulfilling the responsibility of that place by himself will be that everything will be placed in subjection under his feet.
So the way to the way to authority is through subjection.
And the proper exercise of authority is through subjection. The husbands are heads of their wives. The wives are to be subject to them. How are the husbands to exercise that authority and headship? Husbands, love your wives.
Even as Christ.
Love the church.
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Husbands, love your wives.
Even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it.
That's the proper exercise of the authority of the husband over his wife, she exercise of love.
The Lord Jesus, in exercising obedience to his Father, was doing it.
To an authority that was nothing but love to him, and he submitted.
And yet there was in the will of God, which he had come to do, the Soros trial. None of our trials can even be mentioned in the same sentence with it. They're not worthy of it to what he faced.
When in the garden, he contemplated the awfulness of drinking the cup of divine wrath against sin.
And as we've heard in the conference in the ministry, he sweat, as it were, great drops of blood.
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me nevertheless, in the perfect submission that was ever his. Not my will, but thine be done.
That was the greatest horror conceivable to drain that cup of divine wrath against sin.
To take it from the Father's hand.
In obedience and submission. You've never been called upon. I've never been called upon, never will be to go through any trial like that.
But his obedience was perfect. Had it not been perfect, beloved, everything would have been lost. Everything would have been lost. Had he faltered once, Had he made one misstep, all would have been lost.
The accomplishment of redemption required perfect obedience.
Perfect submission.
Hearing under whatever the father gave him.
Not my will, but thine be done. That was his path.
That's our path.
And where does it lead to?
Leads to the glory.
Husbands.
Love your wives as Christ loved the church. And then it says.
Verse 24.
Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ.
So let the wives be to their own husbands and everything.
I've never heard this verse quoted in connection with an assembly decision.
But it ought to be.
As the Church is subject unto Christ.
Every assembly decision that is taken ought to be taken in the spirit of submission.
To subjection to Christ, and obedience to Him and His Word.
If that isn't what characterizes an assembly action, it is not the proper use of delegated authority.
If that is not what characterizes me as a father.
Or you as a father or a mother with your children.
If it is not the.
Realization that you are subject.
To another the Father to Christ.
The wife to the husband.
Christ to God, and he carried out that subjection perfectly. So the one that we have brethren, fathers, men over us, is the one that perfectly was subject.
To his father, and he calls upon us now to be subject to him in the exercise of that authority over our wives.
If that was before us.
There wouldn't be the abuse of authority.
That would be the proper use of it.
Authority.
That is.
Misused as tragic.
Talking to one recently and.
The wife, with tears, said I can't talk to my husband.
You see, he has authority over her and what he says goes and that's it. But there's no communication.
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I remember the words.
Of brother Daniel.
Hey ho, never forget it. The message that he gave says. A long day's work and you're tired and you finally get to bed and you're lying there next to your wife and she says those 3 words and I thought he was going to say I love you, but he said no, that's not what he said. He said talk to me.
She had been with the children all day long. She wanted to talk to her husband.
She wanted that communication. She wanted that exchange. She wanted to share with him and to have him share with her.
And I know I'm confident in that family.
That was carried out properly.
I said I was going to say some things that.
Hit right home and that's one of them.
And that's true with our children.
Sometimes we don't have any communication with our children.
Oh, we have authority over them. We can tell them what to do.
But is that the proper use of authority?
The army style, The army Sergeant do as I say and don't ask questions.
An assembly action when it is taken.
Must be bowed to prima facie on the face of it, assuming that everything that has been done.
Is of God, but the assembly does not act independently of the head, as the church is subject to Christ. So let the wives be to their husbands and everything.
Every assembly action, to be of God, must be in subjection to the head, according to the Word.
As directed and led by the Holy Spirit.
If it's an action of independency, or controlled by one or two strong willed brethren that gain the ascendancy over the consciences of others, and the assembly isn't really acting, they are being subdued to the strong wills of others is that of God.
Is that the proper use of authority? 1000 times? No.
And how often some of us have been guilty of that.
Or if we would just study him, the Lord Jesus.
The Perfect Subject 1.
As the church is subject to Christ, so let the wise be to their husbands and everything.
What has Christ done for the church? He loved it and gave himself for it. He is sanctifying it with the washing of water by the Word. And that's what the husbands ought to be doing with their wives. They ought to be sanctifying them, and applying the Word of God in their lives, and lovingly nurturing them and and leading them on and supporting them.
And one day he's going to present it to himself, a church glorious without spot or wrinkle.
That's the way he exercises his authority over the church.
The authority of love.
Completely different than the kind of authority that we often think of.
And I say that it were not in a position to exercise authority properly until we have learned the principle of subjection.
Subjection to the one who's over us. No matter how high you go in this world, there's always one higher.
There's always God.
Always gone.
David said it is it is necessary that he that ruleth over men must be just thrilling in the fear of God.
I've heard, I've heard that it even said that the Lord Jesus submitted to evil.
Never.
He submitted to authority.
That may have been exercising itself improperly.
He submitted to that.
But he never submitted to evil. Let's not misrepresent the truth.
He submitted to God-given authority, He said to Pilate, Thou couldst have no authority at all over me, if it were not given me from above.
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He submitted to authority, but he did not submit to evil.
He was always above that.
And the apostles.
When they were required by the authorities to do what was wrong.
What was wrong?
They said we must obey God rather than men.
There's always a higher authority.
A husband who has authority over his wife may require of her something that.
She cannot conscientiously do before God because it would deny the Lord.
Then she has to obey the higher authority.
Just the last word we as older, brethren.
In exercising authority over those who are younger in the faith, do we do it with an iron hand?
All we do, we exercise it in love.
Again.
I said I was going to speak on things that hit right home, and I'm sure there are others here that hit right home.
But how do we exercise the authority that is placed in?
Says in Hebrews 13, obey your leaders, for they watch over your souls as those that must give account to whom? To the one who's over them.
For everyone of us in the exercise of authority must give a count.
To the one who is over us.
Time is up.
What Have You Done With Jesus
Gospel—R. Bauman
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.
We had five words when the morning was calm, but I'm going to give 10 words now.
Because that's the number, scripturally, of responsibility to God, and each one of you are going to be responsible to receive His gift, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We're going to turn to Luke in Luke's gospel for just these 10 words before we get into the chapter on the heart in Luke's Gospel, chapter 22, Luke 22. I've got the 10 words from verse 7 in Luke 22, verse 7.
Then came the day when the Passover must be killed, when the morning was come. Then came the day when the Passover must be killed. You notice it says must.
Many times the Passover by the children of Israel were not kept.
Was not maintained, was overlooked. But this Passover must absolutely essential be killed. What is the Passover? Because here it is in the New Testament for us sinners. Well, you know, if you go back and we will not. But in Exodus 12 we have that story of the children of Israel in Egypt bond slaves to Pharaoh. It's a picture of type of all sinners in this world.
Egypt, bigger type of the world and Pharaoh type of Satan, and all of us by sin were slaves of that one bound for hell. How solemn. But the Lord was going to deliver them as the Lord will deliver any Sinner here tonight. And so we have these words to his people in Israel, in in Egypt, the children of Israel, because judgment was going to come on every house in Egypt. And he said take the a lamb.
Take the a lamb and kill it.
And when I see the blood, when they put the blood on their door of their house.
When I see the blood, I'll pass over you.
No judgment. No judgment because of that lamb, The Passover lamb. Well, you know, we read then in First Corinthians chapter 5, verse seven, Christ.
Our Passover is sacrificed for us. Then came the day when the Passover must be killed. This is pointed out through the whole word of God in the very book of the Holy Scriptures.
The very first book, Genesis we have in 22 This incident.
Pointing to Calvary, pointing to the time when God in love.
And grace would send his own beloved son Abraham take.
Lies, Son, Thine only Son, whom thou love us, and offer him up.
A sacrifice for me, God said.
Abraham took Isaac, and he went to the place that God showed him.
And he had the altar, and he had the wood, and he had the fire. And Isaac said to his father, Father, he said, Here, my son, here's the wood and here's the fire. But where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Where is the lamb?
And Abraham said God will provide himself a Lamb. God will provide himself a Lamb. In Hebrews 922 we read these words Sinner. Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sin. Without the shedding of blood there's no forgiveness of sin. It's the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. God will provide himself a Lamb. And so we have in Isaiah 53 verse 5.
These words he was wounded for our transgression. He was bruised for our iniquities.
He was chastised with of our peace was upon him the Son of God Jesus, and by his stripes we are healed who his own self. There are sins in his own body on the tree.
Then came the day when the Passover must be killed. In First Peter 118 it says for as much as you know.
You are not redeemed with comfortable things, but with the precious blood of Christ.
As of a lamb without spot, without blemish, the holy sinless Son of God is that Passover lamb. Then came the day we started, when the morning was come. We're going to look at that chapter. The reason the eternal Son of God became a man. The reason Jesus was born into this world, The day the world chose a robber and they crucified the Lord of glory, their Creator.
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The day the heart of man was bared in all its wickedness and evil at the cross against that blessed one. The day the world was judged and condemned for the murder of God's Son. Yes, it was Satans day, but it was a day of victory over sin and death of the grave for Jesus By Jesus for you if you just receive him, you know the Jews sought to kill him. We read in John Seven. They thought to take him by 4th.
But they could not lay their hands on him.
We read as our has not come.
He came to die, and the Lord Jesus said, if a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
But, you know, if it doesn't, it abides alone. The Lord was here.
He could have gone back to glory without dying and taking that awful judgment of a holy God.
But he couldn't have had one Sinner with him. And he loved sinners. He hates the sin.
So when the morning was come, brethren and sinners, let's look at that chapter. Matthew 27. That's the one that's on my heart. Then came the day when the Passover must be killed. Matthew 27, verse one.
When the morning was come all the chief priests and elders of the people.
Took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
They could not take his life.
Jesus is very life. He is the source of life.
In him was life, I, John John One verse four, he said, I am the light of life.
You know his creatures, poor sitters could not take the life of their creator.
God holds this world responsible. God holds this world guilty, as if they did. You know, it's recorded in God's word that they killed the author of Life Acts 315. They murdered the just one, Act seven. They crucified the Lord of Glory.
But they could not take that life, the life of their creator.
The one that came into this world to give his life a ransom for sinners in John 10, the Lord Jesus said.
I lay down my life, that I might take it again. I have the power to lay it down.
I have the power to take it again.
We read he gave up the ghost. He dismissed his spirit when he was on the cross.
But God has a controversy center with this world. God has a controversy with the nations of this world. God has a controversy with his own people, the Jews. He has a controversy with every Sinner. He has a controversy with youth Sinner. You're going to have to account to him unless you receive his son as savior. The question he has is what have you done with my son?
God wants to know.
What have you done with Jesus, the Savior of sinners?
Eternity, your hell or heaven, depends upon the answer to that.
What have you done with Jesus?
Verse one and two of Matthew 27, When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death, and when they had bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor.
All the chief priests and the rulers of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. Flesh is flesh. The carnal mind is at enmity against God.
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Murder is in the heart of man. Notice it was a religious leaders of that day. Yes, this is religious flesh in action and activity moving against the Lord determined to destroy Jesus, the Creator, the Savior of sinners. Religion at its best is but an instrument, a tool of Satan.
Today Satan has taken upon himself the form of an Angel of light.
And he's working through religion. I dare say he's taking more sinners into hell that way, with a false sense of security than any other. It's not religion that's needed center.
Cain had that.
In fact, Cain founded it and was instrumental in beginning it. But Cain's in hell.
It isn't religion. It is faith that's needed. Faith in a person, the Son of God, Jesus, the Savior of sinners. And I can tell you this, you can have it as a gift, even the faith, to believe because we read by grace. Are you saved through faith? That's not of yourself. It's a gift of God.
You want to be in heaven, and I'm sure every one of us does, and not be punished forever in hell. You ask God to give you the faith to believe and he will.
And you'll believe and receive Jesus, but the very one was now.
Being turned against by these religious leaders the day of all days.
When the morning was come, we'll consider that day tonight.
We read in verse two. They led him away. They led him away and delivered him to Pilate.
The audacity of man pilot then?
In power, by the sufferance of the one he was about to judge.
I want you to turn with me to brought to Proverbs, chapter 21, Proverbs 21.
Proverbs 21 in the first verse.
The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord.
As rivers of water, he turneth it whithersoever he will.
The King's heart.
God is behind the scenes in this world, and he moves the scenes that he's behind.
I want to read a verse in the 8th chapter, Proverbs 15 and 16. I'll read it quickly.
This is the Lord speaking his wisdom. That's what that chapter is 8 By me kings reign and Princess degree justice by me prince's rule and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. And that dear Sinner includes Pilate.
You know today's changing governments, nations being changed so quickly. You can see the power of God working as he's moving about things. The heart of the king is in his hand. He turns it whithersoever. Well he throws a king and he dethroned the king. He changes rulers at his will. Now we have pilot in Romans 13 one. It says there is no power, no power.
But of God, the powers that be are all ordained of God.
In John 1910, we see Jesus before one of his creatures.
Pilate as his judge. And you know what Pilate said? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee All the audacity of God's creatures. A sitter saying back to his Creator, the one in whose hand was his next breath. And what was the answer of Jesus, the beautiful, blessed reply of the Lord of Lords?
The King of kings, the blessed, eternal Son of God, your savior, if you'll have him.
His answer said, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it was given thee from above.
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You know Jesus Christ spoke the Word, and all eternity, all the world and all that exists came about. He merely spake the Word. He could have spoken the Word and all would have been dissolved.
But for this cause came I into the world, he said.
He came Sinner to die for you. He came to take the awful judgment that we deserve as sinners.
He came that you may be saved.
You know, in Matthew 26 a multitude came against Jesus with swords and staves to take him.
He allowed them to take him.
But you know what? He said. Thinkest thou not that I could call to my father?
Pray to my Father, and he would send me 12 legions of angels.
60,000 angels.
One Angel was enough to roll the stone away.
Of the tomb of Jesus.
To let them see he's not here, he's risen, and one Angel alone sat on that stone in defiance to the whole Roman army.
Know that Jesus said, for this cause came by unto this hour.
But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled? The.
Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Back to Matthew 27. Let's look at verse 11, Matthew 27, verse 11.
Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him, saying.
Art thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest and when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word in so much that the governor marvelled greatly.
He answered nothing.
To never a word.
I want to turn to Isaiah 53. Do you know everything that happened to the Lord Jesus?
And on the cross was prophesied. I'm going to read something in Isaiah 53.
That was written over 700 years, more than 7 centuries before Jesus was born.
Verse 4 Surely he has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows.
Yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten to God, and afflicted. But he was wounded. For our transgressions He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth.
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep, before shears his dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Prophetic, perfectly prophetic. It speaks of Jesus.
He answered him to never a word insomuch that the Governor marvel, Jesus offered himself Sinner for you and I. This was no time to defend himself. This is the reason he came into the world to save sinners, to die in their room. Instead he was the willing victim as a lamb to the slaughter, the Passover lamb.
Your substituted judgment, if you have him.
Silent. Open. Not his mouth answered. Never a word.
Oh, how different from the accused and criminals today.
You know, we had a trial for a notorious criminal back in the city I come from. And the trial went on for two days with great interruptions because although the accused had a good mouthpiece, a good attorney, he kept yelling out and speaking out against the witnesses, against the prosecutor and even against the judge. He wouldn't keep quiet.
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And the judge had hit that gavel so many times. To hold him in contempt and give him some days in jail wouldn't mean a thing. He was in jail and here tried it with his constitutional rights. So one afternoon, the judge said, we're going to adjourn this trial, take the prisoner back to jail and bring him back tomorrow morning at 9:00 when we reconvene at 9:00, as the sheriff's deputies brought that prisoner back.
The accused got into the crowded courtroom and he stood there, looked with awe at the place his chair had been.
There was station there now, an isolation booth. It was of solid heavy plate glass, soundproof, and he could sit in that booth and he could hear with the mechanism they provided, what the witnesses said, the judge and all, everything everyone else said. But no one could hear him except his attorney by earphones, and so his constitutional rights were protected and he couldn't interrupt again with his mouth.
As he was blaspheming and accusing all of bad things, how different from Jesus, the Son of God. He opened not his mouth.
How different from the Lord and glory. He fulfilled prophetic scripture perfectly. You know the Old Testament provides signs after signs that pointed only to one the Son of God, Jesus. And all the signs were so clear and so convincing. The Old Testament is replete with them. I defy any to count them all. But Jesus fulfilled them all in his birth, his life, his death and resurrection.
Every prophetic sign. I want you to look at a sign in Isaiah. Look back at Isaiah.
Where we're in and Chapter 7.
The Lord asked the king Ahaz, verse 11. Ask the a sign of the Lord thy God. Ask it either in the depth or in the height above. But the king said, I will not ask verse 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Notice the sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.
What does Emmanuel mean? God with us, God with us. Jesus Christ is God. He's the eternal Son of God. He became a man. He was born of a virgin. Now turn over to Chapter 9, Chapter 9.
And verse 2. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.
They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined the light of life in the valley of the shadow of death. Psalm 23. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Sinners. This world is the valley of death.
Everyone is going to die because of sin. As by one man sin came into this world, and death by sin. So death passed upon all, because all had sinned. But light is shine. Now notice verse 6. Now that light for unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, the government shall be upon his shoulder. His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
7 centuries before Jesus became a man 7 centuries prophetic, He fulfilled all the prophecy in his life and death and resurrection. And now back to Matthew 27, Matthew 27, verse 15.
Now at the feast the governor was want to release under the people a prisoner whom they would, and they had a notable prisoner called Barabbas.
Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Who will ye that I release unto you?
Barabbas or Jesus, which is called Christ.
Christ, the anointed of God, their Messiah. He knew that for envy they had delivered him. Verse. 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas.
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God says now Barabbas was a robber.
He was something else as well. But he was a robber, and he was a seditionist, and he was a murderer, and they chose that one instead of the blessed, holy, sinless Son of God who came to die for them.
Not Jesus, they said. Barabbas.
There was a man, a businessman.
Whose best friend was a Jew.
Named Jacob.
They love to associate together, eat as many lunches as they could together.
They were very close friends.
But every time this Christian started to tell Jacob, his friend about the Lord, he'd say no, no.
Let's don't spoil a good friendship with religion. And so he was praying for an opening.
And it came to pass that the day before a national election, when Jacob was quite aroused and concerned.
His Christian friends said at lunch. Jacob, hear me out once. I want to tell you about an election about 2000 years ago. An election when this whole world made their choice and Jacob said he would.
He told him about the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, who came into this world to die for sinners.
The Messiah himself, the Christ of God, the King of the Jews, he explained his life, He explained all about that blessed one. And he told about the incident we're reading right now when his judge Pilot said to the Jews, which will you have, Barabbas or Jesus?
And he told them, they said, not Jesus Barabbas. This world chose a robber.
And they've been under the coal control and power of a robber ever since. Satan the Robber of Souls, He's taking every Sinner he can into Hell.
But Jesus Christ came to give you that victory over sin and death, the grave, and Satan himself? Well, he heard him out, and after he told him the story, Jacob said, Friend, I've heard you now I'll see you again next week at lunch, and they never mention it again.
Today at his office, a Christian received a call.
And from the hospital, Jacob is in critical condition in dying. He's asked for you.
And so he went. And as he went in, the doctors told him, don't excite him, say nothing to excite him. He has much time.
The Christian went in and kneeled down next to Jacob by his bed, took his hand and he started to pray out loud to God to save his soul, to let him receive Jesus before it's too late.
He felt Jacob squeeze his hand and he looked up and through his tears he could see.
Jacob flips, moving, but he couldn't hear what he was saying. He was too weak. He got up and the Christian put. His ear is close to Jacob flips as he could. These are the words he heard. Not Barabbas, but Jesus. Not Barabbas, but Jesus. Those were Jacob's last words, but those words took him right into heaven.
Sinner, you're going to go on forever and just taking Jesus as your savior.
Right into heaven, as Jacob did, not Barabbas Jesus.
And what did they say in verse 22? Let him be crucified. Let Jesus be crucified.
Oh, how solemn this is. Look at verse 26 then released Hebrew Abbas unto them.
And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Turn to Hebrews. I'm going to look at a verse in Hebrews chapter 12.
Hebrews, chapter 12.
And He delivered them. He delivered Jesus to be crucified in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and his right hand of the throne of God, for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.
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Contradiction of sinners against himself.
What does that mean?
One Corinthians chapter 2, verse eight. They crucified the Lord of Glory.
That's the contradiction of sinners against that blessed one. They gave the worst possible death ever.
To the highest possible one that was ever here, the creator of this world, the Son of God.
The Blessed Jesus. They crucified the Lord of glory. They murdered the just one. They killed the author of life.
God has a controversy with these people. God has a controversy with this world.
God has a controversy with every Sinner and youth Sinner. He has a controversy with you.
What they could not take his life.
He is the source of life. Jesus is very life.
He said No man can take it from me. I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down. I have the power to take it again.
Pilate said Let him be crucified. Pilate asked them. Barabbas or Jesus, take your choice.
They chose the robber. They chose the robber. This world has been under the control of a robber ever since, and sinnery has you in his power to take you right into hell, rob your soul forever.
They crucified the Lord of glory, the Son of God, the Christ, the Savior of sinners.
Pilate said. Why? What evil hath he done three times over? His judge said. I find no fault at all in this man.
Perfect, sinless, holy Son of God. I find no fault His judge found him guiltless, yet he delivered him to be crucified. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. The Church of God Acts 20 which he purchased with the blood of his own Son. That's the cost of God to redeem a Sinner, to save you from hell and for heaven. And you'll never know. No one will ever know the awful cost.
When God had to judge that blessed one and punish him for sin.
And for the sins of any that will receive him, there was an evangelist going to give a gospel in a mining town in England. It happened to be the mine that was the deepest one in the country. And he was at the mine entrance waiting at the end of the day because he knew that those miners who had been down there 10 to 11 hours would not feel like coming to the Gospel meeting that night. Many of their wives would be there, and he also knew he would have 10 minutes.
Because when they got up from that deep shaft, it would take that long to clean up their colder garments, to adjust their eyes to the light before they started home. So as they were there, he gave them the gospel. He told them that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior. All you have to do is accept him, admit your need is a Sinner, he said, and take Jesus as your Savior.
And all your sins are gone and you're on your way to heaven. And he made it as quick and as positive as he could. And afterward one of the miners went up to him and said, preacher, I sure like the way you preach, but I don't believe what you said, he said. What do you mean you don't believe what I said? He said it's too cheap. It's too cheap. I go to church every Sunday. I tithe. I do the best I can. And God is don't require any more than that.
But you say a Sinner doesn't have to do anything. He just has to come to Jesus. It's too cheap. He looked at him and said, where did you work today? I worked down that mine all day long. How did you get up here? He said. Well, I came up with a lift. All I did was got in and came up. But I'm in this light. It's wonderful. How much did it cost you? It must have cost an awful lot to get up on that lift. Well, no, it's free. It's free. I didn't pay anything.
He says. I don't believe it. It sounds too cheap. I can't believe that cheap. It wasn't cheap to the company. If you know how much the company paid for that lift down that far, you wouldn't say it's cheap.
And the evangelist said, that's what I'm trying to tell you about eternal life. God paid the price. We can't say it's cheap, but for you, Sinner, it's free. All you have to do is take it, admit your need as a Sinner, and take it, and it's yours.
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And a coal miner took it. Isn't it wonderful? I hope you take it that's what the gospel is all about. God has done it all in his Son. And that precious blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Let's turn back to Matthew 27. I want to go on Matthew 27 and we'll look at verse.
27 Matthew 2727.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers, and they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe. I want you to listen to the next 5 verses as I read them. I want you to realize how much God wants you to realize what happened to his son. Take hold of the personal pronoun him and his.
As the Spirit of God stresses it here, And when they planted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a Reed in his right hand. They bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail King of the Jews, They spit upon him and took the Reed and smote him on the head, And after that they had mocked him, They took the robe off from him and put his own raiment on him.
And led him away to crucify him, God wants you to realize.
What was done to his son by his creatures, sinners in this world?
You're no different, and I'm no different. If we were there, we would have said crucify him.
Our hearts are the same. Our minds are the same, apart from the grace of God and life through Christ. But you know, we read in Isaiah 52. I won't turn to it, as many were astonished at him. His visage was so marred more than any man.
And his form more than the sons of men, This is what his creatures did to him.
But what we just read in Isaiah 52 is really what happened to him in those three hours of darkness when God, a thrice holy God, had to punish that blessed 1 The sinless Son of God for sin, and judge him for sin and for the sins of any Sinner who will have him.
By the grace of God, he died for me. My sins are gone.
And that can be said about any Sinner here who really only accept your need.
And take that blessed Savior. We'll go on now down to verse 34.
They gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall, and when he tasted, the Ravi would not drink.
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet. They parted My garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
Prophetic word told many years before, in fact 10 centuries before.
Turn to Psalm 22, Psalm 22. Let's read it Psalm 22.
10 centuries before Jesus was even born.
In Psalm 22.
And verse.
16.
Psalm 2216 for dogs have compass to be the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me.
They pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell out all my bones. They look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them. They cast lots upon my vesture. If we looked at 69th Psalm, we'd see. They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Over 1000 years before Christ was born, these and thousand others.
Prophetic signs fulfilled by that Blessed One, Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus the Christ. Need I read more to show both the awfulness of man's heart toward Jesus but the fulfillment of God's word in that Blessed One. Back to Matthew 27. Back to Matthew 27, verse 36.
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Matthew 2736 And sitting down, they watched him there. Sitting down, they watched him there. How awful. They wanted to watch that one suffer in the worst suffering anyone ever went through.
Turn to the 9th chapter of Matthew. 9th chapter and verse 4. Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 9. Verse 4. Jesus Knowing their thoughts.
Said Wherefore, think ye evil in your hearts?
Jesus knew their thoughts. Jesus knows your hearts. He knows what's in your hearts. You know at the end of John Two it says this. The Lord Jesus needed not that any testified to him about man. He knew what was in man.
Here it says Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, wherefore think evil in your heart, those wicked ones that sat down to watch him suffer. It's not just the things they yelled at him in the region, it's what was in their thoughts. He knew it all.
He knows your hearts too. And I'll tell you your heart, my heart are no different apart from the life we have of the new heart in Christ.
When we get saved, what's our hearts like? Jeremiah 17 Nine The heart is deceitful above all things. It's desperately wicked. Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the hearts. I know the hearts. Jesus, as he hung on that cross, dying for sinners.
Knew what his tormentors were thinking as they sat there to watch him suffer. And more than that, Jesus knew what was in their hearts before the thoughts reached their minds.
He knows all about you, Sinner.
The hairs of your head are all numbered. He knows everything.
But that is why he came. That is why he died on that cross. That is why the gospel being preached tonight to you. You can have your sins forgiven, you can be on your way to heaven, you can be judgment free. You can know that all is well with your soul if you just take it. Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.
It's done.
It's being offered to you tonight, Sinner, but you must admit your need and take the provision that God and grace has made for that need. The Precious Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross of Calvary. You must take it in a large city in the Midwest last century there was a commuter train, and this commuter train stopped at every stop automatically except one.
And this stop was Calvary Cemetery and so when they came to that place, the conductor said next stop is Calvary. The train stopped on request only.
And you know that's like life's train going through this world. You know it stopped. It all stops automatically. Whether it's School St. or College Blvd. Or Vanity Fair or Mall Ave. it doesn't matter. It stops home place and fun place and everything you want except the one place Calvary stops on request only. You have to ask for it. That's all you know to get off of this poor world.
It takes Calvary and you get off of this world, which is under the judgment of God. You know that cemetery is so large that a reporter once said there are more people buried in Calvary than living in this great city. And they saw, they called that place the city of the dead. And that's a good term for this world, the city of the dead, the only way you can get off.
Is by request.
Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save you. Go to Calvary at the cross. But Sinner is by request. I would ask is there anybody for Calvary? As the conductor said, anybody for Calvary, You could have your sins forgiven, you could be saved. Let's go back to Matthew 27, Matthew 27 and verse 40.
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39 And the day that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, thou that destroys the temple, and builders it in three days, save thyself, If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Verse 42 If he be the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God, Let him deliver him now if he will. For he said, I am the Son of God.
If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross, who will believe John 12, the 12Th chapter of John?
Verse 37 For though he had done so many miracles before them.
Yet they believed not on him. They demanded now one more miracle.
Just one more sign after all the signs of prophetic scripture were fulfilled in that Blessed One, come down, save thyself and we'll believe.
He didn't come down, thank God. If he did, you would not have a savior, nor would I.
He stayed there because that's why he came, to give himself a ransom for many. You know the rich man who found himself in hell in torments in Luke 16. Ask Abraham to send one from there, back from the dead, so his brethren would not go to this place of eternal torment and hell. But the answer he got was the same answer that God gives to you tonight, Sinner, if you will not believe the word of God.
Neither will you believe or be persuaded will one return from the dead. You have all you need. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. You have the whole word of God in your hand, he told the religious leaders. Had you believe Moses, you would have believed me, Moses wrote of me. What did Moses write?
Moses wrote, God will provide himself a lamb, He wrote of me. What did the greatest prophet of all time say? John the Baptist, as he saw Jesus coming toward him. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. What did Jesus say?
You shall die in your sins. If you believe not that I am, he shall die in your sins.
Dear Sinner, you've got the advantage of the whole word of God, not just the Old Testament. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Satan will raise a doubt in your heart when the Word of God is preached. The Spirit is active to take the word and convict you of your need as a Sinner and bring you to Christ. But I guarantee you Satan is active too. He wants to keep you, take you into the lake of fire.
For all eternity with himself Satan said to Eve, Yeah, hath God said As God said, he raised the doubt, and then he said to the Lord Jesus in the garden in the desert, when he tried and tempted him, If thou be the Son of God raises the doubt. And at the cross Satan's emissaries said to that blessed one dying for you Sinner, If thou be the Son of God, come down, come down, Sinner. He is the eternal Son of God.
He is the savior of sinners. Receive him and be saved.
And judgment free. God's principles are there's no double jeopardy, as some say it twice in jeopardy, as the criminal law has it, when once one is judged and punished never a second time. We just had that happen where a woman was tried in the federal courts, they couldn't try her again in the state courts for the same crimes. She was tried and punished for that.
And so they said, no double jeopardy. That's the way God is. When Jesus Christ took that punishment as a substitute for sinners, God was satisfied with that. He'll never require it again from any Sinner that receives Jesus back to Matthew 27, verse 45. Now from the 6th hour there was darkness over all the land until the 9th hour. And about the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice.
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Saying Eli, Eli Lamb is a back tonight. That is to say, my God, my God.
Why has thou forsaken me?
Prophesied.
1000 years before in Psalm 22 One My God, My God.
Why hast thou forsaken me? Jesus was punished by a thrice holy God, so you never need me Sinner. Jesus was forsaken of a holy God, so you never need me Sinner. Jesus was judged by God so you never need be Sinner. Jesus died so you can live forever in glory.
Do not these words my God?
By God, why touch your hearts? They should touch your inmost being.
Because Sinner, they're spoken for you, They're spoken for you. Verse 50. Jesus, when he cried with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Verse 54. Now when the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly saying, truly this was the Son of God. Truly this was the Son of God.
He gave his life for you, Sinner. Receive him and you'll be saved, and on your way to glory you'll know it without a question. You know the Bishop of Rochester who was going to go to a martyr's death. He was being led to a scaffold, and as he reached that scaffold and saw it in a distance in the early dawn, it looked more awesome than ever because of the mist and the fog.
And he bowed his head as he walked toward it in a guard who was with him, watching him heard him pray. Now, Lord Jesus.
Direct my eyes to a verse that will support me through this awful time and he slowly as he walked open his Bible and his eyes feasted upon this verse. John 17, three.
This is eternal life.
That they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. He knew God his Father, He knew Jesus as Lord and Savior, and he closed that book. And he said, Praise be to God, that verse is enough to go through this and for all eternity.
And he went on to the scaffold, singing praises with joy and confidence, the triumphant death of another martyr. Oh, how wonderful it is to have Christ and all is well with your soul, sinners. That's why this book was written. These things are written, John 2031. That she might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that believing you might have life.
Through his name neither is there any other. There's none other heaven.
Another name under heaven given among men, whereby we must.
Be saved all receive Christ tonight and be on your way to glory.
Have all your sins forgiven the Son of God who loved me.
And gave himself for me. Galatians 220I commend that verse to you.
I suggest you take that half of a verse with you tonight, the Son of God.
Who loved me and gave himself for me.
Let's sing. Wash away my sins. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can what?
Open Mtg.
Open—L. Judd, H. Brinkmann, C. Hendricks
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Before 1 Again in the close of our meeting this afternoon.
That was kept my word and that's not denied my name.
And going through Deuteronomy a few days ago, chapter 4. I'd like to turn to it for a few moments.
Not to read any great amount of this chapter, but just to notice.
A phrase or two that we have in it.
You'd own me 4 and verse one Now, therefore hearken, O Israel, under the statutes, none to the judgments which I teach you for to do them.
Those words for to do them.
In verse 2, the end of the verse keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you.
Verse 5.
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me that ye should do so.
Verse six. Heat therefore and do them.
Verse nine, Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, unless they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life. But teach them thy sons and thy son sons.
Verse 10 near the end that they may learn to fear me.
All the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
Verse 14 And the Lord come out of me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments that you might do them.
Now it goes on through the chapter.
And the emphasis on keeping and doing.
And all I feel is a great danger, and it speaks to my own heart. We may have much truth we've been Speaking of. We may know these precious things.
Beloved, what effect does it have on our daily walk and ways?
Do we hold these things as a doctrine only, or is it something for us to live by? Look at John.
13.
John 13 and verse 17 if ye know these things.
Happy are ye if ye do them.
Oh beloved, God has given us His precious word that we might live by it, that it might be a practical guide to us through this scene, and above all else, reveals his love to us.
His wondrous purposes of grace, that our hearts might be drawn to him.
Drawn to Christ in worship and adoration of His great love toward us.
Love. Do these things have a practical effect on our daily life? Look at First John Chapter 3.
Verse One Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God.
Therefore the world knows us not because it knew him not.
That we should be called the sons of God. Now the blessed Son of God came into this world.
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Didn't receive him, he came unto his own. His own received him not.
We are the sons of God, brought into relationship with him.
And beloved, if we are practically walking as a child of God, will be rejected by the world.
Will be rejected by the world.
There will be reproach connected with the name of Christ.
For this world hates Christ, now with the same hatred.
May be shown a different way, but still the same hatred as when he was nailed to that cross of Calvary.
All the love that these things might have a practical effect. Now let us go on, beloved. Now are we the sons of God, And it does not yet appear what we shall be.
But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
All, if we have life, hope practically in our hearts, not at any moment we may see our blessed Lord and save your face to face.
It will have a purifying effect on our walk and our ways.
The love doesn't have that effect on us.
Oh, I know I owed myself.
The matter of fact is not found many, many times. And yet, beloved, it's true if we're really expecting the Lord to come at any moment.
Oh, how careful it will make us, and to think that we will see his face.
That will be like him throughout the endless age of eternity. It's his wondrous love and His grace toward us that has set such a prospect before us.
Yes, dear ones, we have that prospect of ours, and let us lay hold of it in a practical way.
Let us have let us have that effect on our daily lives. We are indeed as men that wait for their Lord.
Let's turn to Deuteronomy chapter 26.
You know, the Old Testament is a wonderful book.
And.
It's a picture book.
And illustrates.
Many New Testament truth and we understand these pictures in the light of the New Testament. But I'm only reading a few verses this afternoon, chapter 26.
Verse one.
It shall be when thou art come unto or into the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possesses it, and dwelleth therein, that thou shalt take of the 1St.
Of all the fruit of the earth which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shall put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.
What is especially on my heart is the fact that here Moses.
And the Lord speaking to Moses, anticipates.
They are coming. That is the children of Israel coming into their possession.
Into the promised land.
And really when we think of them journeying from the land.
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Of Egypt to the promised land They're journeying through the wilderness.
That's one side and we can learn many lessons from that journey. But.
What is especially before us when we see them entering into that land, is to really enter into debt which God has for them and for the children of Israel.
It was the promised land. It was earthly possessions. But for us as Christians, it's a picture of what God has for us. It's not at all something.
Connected with this earth, it's all connected with heaven, blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Now, positionally, if you have come to know the Lord Jesus, you're really there, you might say. In Christ you are seated there, no matter how weak and feeble.
Your spiritual understanding is.
You're there, but the Lord.
Is not just Speaking of getting there, but of possessing it.
And dwelling in it. What a difference there is.
You know you and I by the Spirit, as we have sung last night in spirit there already soon we ourselves shall be the Spirit of God, can make the things that we have in the Lord Jesus so real to us that it is like being there, enjoying it now. And that is what the Lord's desire is for you, for me, for everyone in this room.
That is saved by His grace. He wants you to come to possess these things, and it is not beyond you to get into those things.
You know, we have different capacities. That is true. But these things that God has for you in Christ Jesus are for all God's people and he wants you to possess them. But that is connected with warfare and conflict and is not going to fall into anybody's land. You know, they had to meet the enemy. They had to fight the battle, entering into those things and making these things their own, that which.
God in a sovereign way had given them. Now they had to lay hold of it, and that's the way it is in our life.
You know, just the fact that many here are saved and children of Christian parents does not mean that you have the truth personally.
That you enjoy it. You have to personally, with spiritual energy, with the help of the Lord and His Spirit, lay hold of these things and enter into them, and then to dwell in them, to really enjoy it.
All that would be so wonderful if we would all enter into those things more every one of us.
The Lord wants us to come into the enjoyment of what He has won for us by going to Calvary's cross. But you know, there are things in our life that hinder our spiritual progress, that hinder us to enter into that which God has for us and recently.
I looked and took up first Peter and I just going to read a couple of verses there.
Not to go into I Peter 2, but just read some verses there.
Chapter 2 verse one I Peter, therefore laying aside all malice.
And Argyle and hypocrisies and envies, and all evil speakings.
As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word.
That ye may grow thereby, if so be that ye have tasted, that the Lord is gracious. I believe, and I'm sure it is not that difficult to see, that these first two verses are so important, because if we want to desire the sincere milk of the word of God, by which we enter into that which God has for us, if there is no exercise.
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To lay in a practical way aside these things mentioned there.
There is bound to be no progress in our spiritual life. We cannot really get the benefit from the word and truth of God when it is presented, and neither will it help us to avail ourselves of our priestly privilege of entering into the sanctuary and offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.
By Jesus Christ, you see, this is one of those wonderful privileges that we have, that we are all priests and that we can draw nigh to God and OfferUp spiritual sacrifices. You know, the Israelite was not just given what he was given for his own enjoyment. He was to take the best, as it were, and gather it, to bring it to the Lord, to give him something.
It isn't just for our own good, but God wants us to come into the enjoyment of it so that we can in turn have something to give to Him.
Well, let's also turn to Hebrews.
You know, it's really wonderful that the Lord has given us to understand in His grace that we are all priests of God.
The universal priesthood of all the believers you know that is understood by many Christians who are not gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. But their system practically makes it impossible for each one to function as a priest, because there is that minister and he organizes everything and he might graciously call on somebody to OfferUp things giving. But generally speaking it is unknown what it is to have the Spirit free.
To lead the praises and worship of God's people, the Lord Jesus himself in the midst to lead the praises. Well what a wonderful privilege to not only know that we are priests but that we can as priests function and have something to give to God. But now turn to Hebrews chapter 5. Brother Clem read some verses from chapter 6.
We read from verse 11. He had been Speaking of Melchizedek.
The Lord Jesus is our High Priest.
And he is the minister of the sanctuary, and he has opened a way so that we can enter into the very presence of God.
The holiest of all, what a wonderful truth that is to come to understand and enjoy that, but he could not continue to present that person, he interrupted. Verse eleven of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing the adult of hearing for when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again.
Which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, or the beginning of Christ, let us go on unto perfection or full growth, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God.
And the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands.
And of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment, this will we do if God permit. The situation here in Hebrews 5 is this.
God in his grace had borne with his earthly people.
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And those who were saved from that earthly people.
And had allowed them to go on for quite some time with the old system that had really lost its value. Judaism and God understood that it was difficult for these Jews to see that there was no more value in the old order connected with the ironic priesthood, for instance, and the animal sacrifices.
And they had a hard time to be delivered from that and.
Paul here shows to them that clinging to these things and being dull of hearing, not willing to listen to the truth of Christianity, and that which they had in Christ, that had stunted their growth and had not allowed them to grow and mature and develop the way they normally could have.
If they would have turned their back on these things, and there might be things in our lives, beloved, that are of a similar nature that we allow in our lives, that stunt our growth, that are really not Christian.
In character, it might be even connected with that which God has given his people in times past, but it is not, as our brother Chuck said, present truth.
And clinging to these things.
And not laying them aside, going on to perfection.
That's full growth, stands the growth.
And would be to God that the Lord would be able to show us what is in my life, what is in your life of that kind of thing that might hinder our growth according to the time that they were saved, Paul says. They could be teachers, in other words. Not that they would acquire the gift of teaching along the way and now could exercise that gift, no, but that they would come into the enjoyment.
Of the truth and have a measure of ability to pass it on. That's the kind of a thing I believe that we in many assemblies have to fall back on, and I'm thankful that that kind of statement is in the word of God. Those who are apartment to teach or those who, according to the time that they are saved, have a measure of ability to pass on what they have come to enjoy. Not claiming to be teachers, but the Saints are edified.
By what they themselves have come into and by the Spirit of God can pass on.
But here they were not able to function in that way. For the edification of the Saints. Not only were they losers, but others were losers because they couldn't be the help that they could have been had they turned their back to these things.
And here he speaks of milk. You know, not the same way as Peter did, as newborn, newborn babes. I hope we never lose the taste for the sincere milk of the word, that we always feel the need for our own individual souls to be fed by the Word. And turn to that. Not so that we have something to pass on to others, but that we ourselves.
Are nourished and fed in our own souls.
And here he speaks of milk.
As that which belongs to babes, no one is. Sad picture that is.
If there is no growth, no progress in the life of a believer when they reach a certain point of growth and don't seem to get beyond that.
You know, if we have children that don't develop, we become very much concerned and we take them to all kinds of doctors to see what can be done so that they develop and grow and mature normally. What do you think our father fields when he sees us? His children remain in the state of babes. Spiritually speaking, he would desire that we grow.
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That we would benefit from the truth of God, that we can really take it in.
So may there be nothing of a religious nature?
That we allow ourselves to continue in, which is contrary to the truth of God.
Because if it is not according to the truth of God, it will be hindering us to develop and mature, you know, and it's really remarkable, is it not in these verses that Brother Clem has read?
All of these things are really connected with Judaism.
And Christianity is not that we come again and again and again as repentant sinners, and to confess our sins and get right with God again. That's not Christianity. By one offering He has perfected forever to sanctify.
We do not like a Jew, again and again come for forgiveness.
And.
Of faith towards God you might say. Well what's wrong and having faith in God? Well the Lord Jesus says in John chapter 14 he believed in God. Believe also in me. The Lord Jesus is an object of faith. We have more than just faith in God. We have the revelation of God in Son in the Lord Jesus. And that is much more than any Old Testament St. ever had.
And the baptisms here has to do with the washings and the service connected with the earthly worship and sanctuary. You know, the priest himself was washed and had to wash every day his hands and his feet, And some of the sacrifices parts had to be washed before they could be presented.
And laying on of hands and resurrection of the dead. You know, in Christianity we have more than the resurrection of the dead. We have the resurrection from among the dead. The Lord Jesus was raised from among the dead. And you and I, if we should go through death, will be raised in the same way. And all the Saints that have gone before will be raised from among the dead. The rest of the dead will still be in the grave.
And the first resurrection is an out of resurrection, out of all those who have died and did. And we have the resurrection from among the dead and of eternal judgment. So May God help us that we indeed turn our back to that which is a hindrance, and go beyond what the Saints had before the cross.
And really lay hold of what is truly questioned truth.
Now, we don't give up some of the other things that we have in the Old Testament, and there are certain things that God never changes.
And.
But you understand, I hope, what I mean by going on to that which is truly Christian in character. But, you know, there is another solemn warning for anyone in this room here who might pass as a Christian, who takes the profession of being a Christian and might even be considered by others to be a Christian. And he speaks to those as well here.
You know, clinging to the types and shadows for the believer had stunted their growth. But for the unbeliever, those who were not real, who were not truly saved, they were in danger. That they would apostatize from the Christian faith, turn their back completely and apostatize. And for them it was not possible.
To lead them to repentance. Again, this is not the scripture that the enemy should allow to trouble any St. of God, as if a St. can be lost again, he cannot be led to repentance because that only refers to those who.
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Have only an outward profession and might apostatize from the faith, the Apostle Paul himself says in verse 9, but beloved, here he addresses those who are truly Christians. We are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though we thus speak. But you know there is still another scripture that I like to bring before us, and that is in First Corinthians.
Chapter 3.
Verse one.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes. In Christ I fed you with milk, and not with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able, for ye are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal?
And walk as men, and so on South. There you have again a reason, another reason given in the word of God. Why?
There might be a state of.
Remaining a Bay, and that is that we make much of man, and that we look to men and form parties around men.
Christ is not the object, and it's really a worldly principle that was governing the Saints of God here in Corinth. And it led to them remaining in the state of infancy, spiritually speaking, although they had much gift and they boasted of much that they possessed. But in their spiritual growth, where were they?
And I believe this is a danger, beloved, that exists.
For the Saints of God at all times that we do not fall into the error of the Saints in Corinth. You know, it's one thing for a man to seek a place of prominence and leadership amongst the people of God. It's a bad thing. You know, we can think of Cora in the Old Testament as a warning there, but the people of God many times are at fault and.
Making men the center and the center of a party. So may the Lord keep us from that. Now there might be other scriptures that others could bring before us, but how important it is, beloved.
The positive side of things, that we on the one hand be warned as to that which might hinder our spiritual growth and development, but on the other hand that we do indeed.
Enter into those things that God has for us, not only for our own benefit, but as we have seen from Deuteronomy 26, that we have something to bring to God. You know, He gives us everything.
Freely to enjoy in a spiritual way, but he wants to, as it were, get a return.
From his own and others will be benefiting. If the Lord can lead us on in a spiritual way to spiritual growth, others will be taught, others will be helped, and the Lord's testimony will be strengthened. To So may the Lord help us and maybe benefit from these few scriptures.
John 10.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold.
But climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the Porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. Now in the interest of saving time, I just make a comment or two as we as we go along in this passage.
There was a door into the sheepfold. The sheepfold was Israel.
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Judaism.
And he had the true shepherd of the sheep, had his sheep in the sheepfold. And he says in verse two, He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep to go in by another way of entrance into the sheepfold. The door was the proper way of entering in was what characterized.
The thieves and the robbers mentioned in verse one.
To the true shepherd of the sheep, the Porter opened.
And he says the sheep hear his voice.
And he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out now until the true shepherd came.
The true shepherd of the sheep came into the sheepfold.
To lead them out. To lead them out of Judaism. To lead them out of the sheepfold into Christianity. That's the picture that we have here. It would have been altogether wrong. It would have been a apostasy on the part of a Jewish believer. To leave Judaism until that that first door, the three doors mentioned here in John 10. The first door is the door of entrance into the sheepfold.
The proper way, according to the Old Testament scriptures, of entering into the sheepfold the Messiah, the true shepherd of the sheep, was to be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7 was to be born at Bethlehem, Micah, 5 and so on many scriptures to be fulfilled. So he entered in by the door.
And then he led his sheep out.
It says in the sheep, follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger without will they not follow Now in verse seven Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
The first mention of the word door is the door of entrance into the sheepfold, which is Judaism.
And all that ever came before the true shepherd, they entered in by another way. They didn't enter in, according to the Scriptures of truth, and they were false thieves and robbers. But he, the true shepherd of the sheep, he came in by the door, as the word of God had outlined it. The Porter opened. The spirit of God opened the way John the Baptist heralded him. This is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And now he speaks of himself as the door of the sheep.
He having entered the sheepfold, now he becomes the door for the sheep to exit the sheepfold and leave Judaism.
Let us go forth therefore unto him, without the camp bearing his reproach, The last message in Hebrews 13 to the Jewish believers he had, as we just heard, He had tolerated their clinging to Judaism.
Hebrews was written to show 2 truths generally. 1 is that that the believer of the present dispensation has access into the holiest of all by him. Therefore let us enter in to the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest, the Jew did not have access into the presence of God. Only the high priest, once a year, and not without blood, could enter in.
To the holy of holies that has been opened up now to the believer, and he enters in and his place on earth outside the camp. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach, For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Our Lord Jesus suffered without the gate of Jerusalem, Jerusalem representing the religion that God has established for man in the flesh.
And if it was possible for men in the flesh to come into relationship with God?
He would have accomplished it in Judaism, because Judaism contains all the trappings for the flesh, contains the ritual, it contains the priesthood, it contains the law, it contains the ordinances and the sacrifices and all that goes with.
Helping man in the flesh to approach God.
And it has proven that man cannot approach God on that thesis. And so the true shepherd of the sheep enters into the sheepfold, and now he becomes the door of the sheep, the way by which the sheep can exit the sheepfold. And he says, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. And now a third use of the word door, verse nine, I am the door, not now the door, of exiting the sheepfold.
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For those Jewish disciples, but the way of entrance into our proper blessings, which are Christian.
I am the door by me. If any man enter in, it is no longer leaving now, leaving Judaism, but entering in to what he has opened up for us through his death and resurrection.
I am the door by me. If any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in for worship and out for service. Worship always first, always God first, going into his presence to give him his due by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God, continually confessing his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God as well pleased.
So there's the going in and there's the going out.
And he shall go in and out and find pasture. Not a shapeful, not an enclosure, not a confinement. That's Judaism. But a pasture to Rome and to enjoy the good things that God has for those that love him. That's Christianity.
Verse 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, but he that is in Harlingen not the shepherd whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep, and fleeeth and the wolf cateth them and scattereth the sheep. So the purpose of the enemy the wolf, is to scatter us.
The reason he came was to gather us.
To put us together, to unite us.
He didn't just come to die to put our sins away, but he came to gather us, and the enemy is there to scatter.
He the wolf catches them and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is in hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I am the Good Shepherd, and O my sheep, and am known of mine as the Father. Knoweth me Even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. Now verse 16.
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, not of that sheepfold of Judaism. Other sheep I have which are not Jews, not Israelites.
Them also I must bring. They shall hear my voice. That's us Gentiles.
And there shall be one, not one, fold as our King James gives it. That's a wrong translation.
One flock The fold speaks of Judaism. The flock speaks of Christianity. 1 flock and one shepherd. 1 flock and one shepherd. Now turn to the 11Th chapter.
Verse 49.
And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. But this and this spake he not of himself, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, those who were in the sheepfold the Jews, the Israelites.
And not for that nation only, but that he also should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring, and there shall be 1 flock, 1 shepherd.
And the purpose of the death of the Lord Jesus was not simply to put our sins away.
Not simply to save us as individuals, but that the children of God should be gathered together into one.
That's why he died.
That he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad now turn to the 17th of John.
In the 17th of John.
Verse 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world.
And I come to thee. He's addressing the Father, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. Those were the 12 and the others accompanied with him on earth, and he prays that they may be one as we are.
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And then in verse 19 he expands in his prayer.
And he says in verse 20 I should say neither. Pray I for these alone.
Those who accompanied with Him who is Jewish disciples.
But for them also, which shall believe on me through their word, that's us.
That's all who have believed through their word. Their word is that what we have in the word of God. And they've come to believe, we've come to believe.
That they all.
May be one in US.
Verse 21 That they all may be one, as thou father art in me, and I and thee, that they also may be one in US.
That the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Notice the purpose of this, that you might gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. That's why he died.
Not just for that nation, not just for those that were in the sheepfold. But he entered the sheepfold. He exited it and drew out his own sheep from it. And then he says I'm the door by me. If any man enter in, he shall be saved. She'll go in and out and find pasture.
And so he brings us into that, into that large pasture, the.
The freedom and liberty of the Word of God, where the Spirit of the Lord is there, is liberty, not legality, not ******* not constraint, not an enclosure, but liberty to enjoy all that he has brought us into.
But the purpose of his death was to gather together into one the children of God.
You see being one, which is the essence of Christianity. One body, one family, one flock.
That's no small thing We've been talking in our readings of Philadelphia. That has kept my word.
And that implies the realization of this truth, that they all may be one.
As thou Father art in me, and I and thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Was that ever realized? Yes, it was. Turn to Acts Chapter 4, please.
Acts Chapter 4.
Verse 31.
And when they had prayed.
The place was shaken, where they were assembled together.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Now in Acts 2.
The Spirit of God came down and baptized them. We have the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2, forming the one body, uniting all believers into one body, and to the risen glorified man in heaven, the head of the church.
He couldn't become head of the church until until Acts 2 because that's when the church was formed.
And he brought them into one. He united them the Spirit of God. And now here the Spirit of God is working in these early disciples the end of Acts 2 It says the multitude of them that believed were about 3000. And then in Acts 5 verse four, Acts 4 verse four it says howbeit many of them which heard the word believed in the number of them was about 5000. I think that means it swelled to increase to about 5000.
So there were multitudes. Think of that. Think of the numbers over 5000 souls that had come into the the reality of the truth of Christianity in the power of the Holy Spirit, now united together into one. For by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free. And they've all been given to drink of 1 Spirit.
Other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Jews, Gentiles. Now the Gentiles have been brought in.
Well, not yet. In Acts, that's Chapter 10, but they are embraced in that expression.
And that we don't have time to go into that, but here now in Acts 4, verse 31.
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We have before the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, before he was converted to the Apostle Paul, before the truth of the Church was ever proclaimed.
Before it was even revealed, it existed in fact by the baptism of the Spirit Acts. 2 But it it was not explained yet. No one really understood what they were a part of yet. But the Spirit of God wrought in such power that they were one.
That's the beauty of it. What the Lord prayed about in John 17 was literally fulfilled, That they all may be one, as thou father art in me, and I and thee, that they also may be one in us. That's why he died, to gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad. There shall be 1 flock and one shepherd.
And so here when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. They spake not in tongues, as in Acts. 2 but they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul Neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed was his own. But they had all things common. The way Mr. Darby renders, that is.
The heart and soul of the multitude that believed were one.
That they all may be one.
If you want a real treat and you have the Book of Acts by William Kelly, read his comments on this passage.
Tremendous.
Tremendous.
Read his comments on this passage never before in the history of mankind.
Was a multitude of this quantity of people united so into one, so blended, so united in the power of the Holy Spirit, Not intellect, not because of great teaching on the subject of the Church. For they had none at this point in time. But they had been united into one by the power of the Spirit, and he so wrought in hearts as to practically unite them so that the heart and soul of the multitude that believed were one.
Nothing like it before or since, for it was soon spoiled the very next chapter. Ananias and Sapphira come forward, lie to the Holy Ghost, deceive and the whole thing.
Is spoiled. Let's go on a minute.
The heart and soul of the multitude of them that believed were one neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common.
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And great grace was upon them. Awe.
Neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them.
And brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles feet. And distribution was made unto everyone according as he had need. That was the complete absence of self.
That was the complete absence of individuals among them that were setting forth their own opinions.
But they were perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
And that was a work of the spirit of God. That's something that none of us can do. But what can we do?
We can set ourselves right. We can ask the Lord to give us grace to judge all in me.
That is hindering.
The expression of this oneness that we've been brought into, that it's the purpose of God to have. Did you notice in John 17 the end of this prayer on that verse 21, that they all may be one as thou Father art in me? That they also may be one in us? That the world may believe that thou hast sent me the greatest deterrent to evangelization, the greatest deterrent to the world believing the message that we proclaim as our being divided.
We are not one. We don't present a united front to the world.
To those who are in the enemy's power, and they can reason Why should we believe your message? You can't even get along among yourselves.
That they all may be one. Just think, if the Church of God unitedly without a division, were together, if we were all together with all our brethren the world over, what a witness that would be. It was so here in Acts 4 with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them. All the testimony was irresistible.
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And so the enemy says, what can I do to stop that? What can I do to thwart that? Well, he came in and divided the Saints.
Divided the Saints.
And so we are faced with.
A divided testimony today.
Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter one, please.
Verse 9.
God is faithful.
By whom you were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That name which unites us, that name which is named upon us.
That name to which we are baptized.
That name which every knee has bowed to, and every tongue is confessed.
He says, I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
That she be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. That wasn't true of those at Corinth, but this is his desire for them. And so all through these two epistles, First and 2nd Corinthians, he addresses their lack first of all, their lack of unity, and then the various problems that existed in their midst for it. Satan can come in and divide us.
Then we're not united any longer to deal with these other problems that arise.
And what often happens is we get divided over the pettiest.
Things.
And then when something really serious comes before us, because we're not of one, we don't deal with it unitedly for his glory.
Notice how the last Epistle ends. Second Corinthians, chapter 13.
After he deals with all the many problems that existed at Corinth.
There were many, starting with division.
They were reigning as kings.
While the apostles were being persecuted mercilessly by the world.
That was a case of immorality in their midst, and they were puffed up and had not rather mourned. Their attitude towards it was one of the indifference.
In the 6th chapter they were going to law one with another and he said why do you not rather suffer wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Yeah, you do wrong and defraud and that your brethren.
In the 7th chapter, there were problems that had to be corrected as to marriage, the marriage relationship.
And then in Chapter 8 we have the principle brought forward.
That if meat make my brother to stumble, I'll eat no flesh forever while the world stands.
I won't press my liberty to stumble as sensitive conscience that may not be as well trained in the truth as another.
They were questioning his apostleship in Chapter 11. They were going to the Lords table at chapter 10 and also the to the table of demons. Paul says you can't do that with a true sense of what each one of these tables represents. The one speaks of the true and living God and the other speaks of idol worship in the 11Th chapter. They needed instruction as to the woman's place and the head covering when she prayed and prophesied.
God's creatorial order, God, Christ, man, woman. And then at the end of the chapter they were in their love feasts.
Putting self forward, some had plenty, others had very little, and some ate and drank to excess so that when they came to the remembrance of the Lord, some were intoxicated, and because of that some were weak and sickly and some slept.
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Chapters 12 to 14 He gives the gifts and then the operation of those gifts, and they were operating in such a carnal way as to promote themselves.
And to exalt themselves in those gifts which were especially attractive to the flesh they were promoting, such as the gift of tongues.
And then in the 15th chapter, he addresses the very serious doctrinal thing, a doctrinal error that if that the dead do not rise. And he says, if the dead don't rise, neither did Christ rise. And if Christ didn't rise, our preaching is vain, your faith is vain, you're yet in your sins.
Those were all the evils that he addressed but the first one.
The first one was that she'd be perfectly joined together.
In the same mind and in the same judgment now, after he's gone through all that.
In the 13th of Two Corinthians he says in verse 11 finally.
Brethren, farewell. Be perfect. That's the same word as perfectly joined together, perfectly united in the same mind. Be perfect, be of good comfort. Be of one mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you. And he ends with this wonderful verse. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.
Well, that I just want one more verse and then we close turn over to Matthew 4.
Matthew 4.
Verse 23.
Verse 21. Excuse me.
And going on from thence he saw other two brethren, James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in a ship with Zebedee, their father, mending their Nets, And he called them.
Now if you look at the notes and Mr. Darby's translation on 1St Corinthians 110.
And that passage in Two Corinthians 1311, I think it is.
Note that he traces the Greek word rendered perfectly united.
And being perfect to this word mending.
Here you've got a net. A net is forecasting into the sea to gather fish.
A Netches for Evangelization. It brings before us the thought of evangelizing, reaching out, casting out the net of the gospel to bring souls in.
And he's saying to these Saints, he said, mend your Nets.
What we need are James and Johns among us today to mend the broken Nets.
So that the fish that we would have caught don't slip through.
To have a united net a net which is 1.
Is the most powerful testimony that we could ever have.
You know, I've often observed that those that are strong on church truth are weak in the gospel, and those that are strong on gospel truth are weak on church truth. The word of God puts them both together. If you're strong in the truth of the church, that the church is 1.
And we go on together in unity and in oneness.
The very basis of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins, but he also died to gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
And the greatest hindrance to souls believing the message of the gospel that we present.
Is that we don't present a united front. The net is broken.
You say, well, how can we ever heal that? The only thing I can do is to start in my home assembly.
And I start with myself, and you start with yourself. And if there's a brother you can't get along with, or a sister, or there are holes in the net, the net is rent. We have to do something about it, and we have to start right here, right here. And if you do that, and I do that, and we all do that, and heal the rents in the net so that the net is sewn together. And we present that oneness of which the blessed Lord prayed. I know only the Spirit of God can do it.
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But he can do it.
And the measure in which we are yielded to him will be in the measure in which we will experience this blessed oneness. And what a power.
For evangelization, that will be, so I am submitting that.
Those who are evangelists and those who are pastors should clasp hands.
And promote one another's work, first of all by healing the net.
And then going out to the world in a united testimony that we're one because we belong to Christ.
"Failure and Restoration, Jacob-Judah"