Des Moines Conference: 1995
Table of Contents
1 Corinthians 14:1-4
Reading
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Guidance.
Our blessed God and loving Father, we look to thee now for.
We're living in a Christian. It's a great house.
Where they don't generally have meetings like we're having right now.
And young people might be wondering why.
Our reading meetings take the form that they do, and I believe that God has given us in this chapter.
Instruction for the function of the assembly so that she can hold the truth.
May we read First Corinthians chapter 14 to believe it Bewell?
It's been an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God. For no man understandeth him, I'll be it in the spirit He speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesied speaketh unto men gratification and exhortation, and comfort, neither speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself, but either prophecyeth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake of tongues, but rather that you prophesied.
For greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues.
Accept the interpreter that the Church may receive edifying.
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Now, brethren, if I.
Except I speak to you, either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine, and even things without life, giving sound, whether pipe or heart, except they give a distinction in the sounds. How shall it be known what has played their heart? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for the battle? So likewise ye except the utter by the tongue.
Words easy to be understood. How shall it be known what is spoken? For ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh A barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me, Even so ye for as much as ye are zealous a spiritual gift.
Seek that you may excel the edifying of the Church. Wherefore let him speak up in an unknown song. Pray that he may interpret. If I speak in an unknown song my Spirit prayer, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is offending? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit, how shall he that occupy at the room of the art word and say Amen, that by giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what they'll say it?
Where they'll verily give us thanks well, but the other is not edifying.
I thank my God I speak with tongues more than y'all. Yet in the church I have rather speak 5 words, with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also.
Than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue, brethren be not children and understanding.
Albeit in malice feeding children, but in understanding be men and the law it is written with men of other tongues and other lips Will I speak unto this people, And yet for all that will they not hear me said the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. But prophesying serveth not for them to believe not, but for them that must believe.
If, therefore, the whole church should come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, when there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers.
Will they not say that your last? But if all prophesied, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearn, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all, and those are the secrets of his heart may manifest. And so falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
How was it then, brethren, when you come together, everyone of you have to saw, have a doctrine half a tongue at the revelation, at an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course, and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church, and let him speak to himself with God.
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
If anything be revealed to another that satisfies but the first hold its peace.
For ye may all prophecy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted, and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches are the Sanctus. Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted on to them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience has also accepted the Law.
And if they will learn anything, let them ask your husbands at home Where does it change for women to speak in the church?
What came the word of God out from you, or came unto you only?
Any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, of it to compassion, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and important.
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It seems to me that in this chapter.
There is a supply in brace to carry on God's people down here.
Rule, regulation, organization and go on for God's glory.
And in the history.
A man ready to go back. Phager came in early.
Got so bad, God bless the earth with a flood.
Many guts are bad that they are available to put in confusion of languages, and it's still with it.
And.
In this dispensation at the beginning that was undone at Pentecost during that place of Jerusalem.
And it must have been a wonderful thing.
And the signifies were especially given to the Jews to show that God was changing the dispensation.
And the law was overweight and the rules of regulation, the rituals were done with.
An organized priesthood on the earth was not such a thing. Rather, we have interest in the holiest of all, where our High Priest is gone.
But God has set up.
A company on the earth.
That he feeds and instructs to go on in grace in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Lord in the midst.
And so much man's idea to turn to organization.
But the church is not an organized base. You're going to use that kind of word to say he's an Organism. He is livingly connected up with her head in glory, and we livingly by the Spirit, connected up with one another, having the Holy Spirit here today, brethren, and the Holy Spirit.
Can he run a meeting to the glory of God? Do we have to put?
A caveman up on a pulpit.
Who have a meaning?
To instruct us, To guide us.
It's only the hindrance. I say these things plainly because young people amongst us may have noticed that when we get together, our meetings aren't conducted like they are in denominations.
Then also.
That it is by this means, and I believe by this means, of all of conducting a meeting, like we have suggested here in this chapter, that the truth is preserved.
Because the Church does not teach.
He is taught and God has applied, Teacher, We still have it enough to be used of the Spirit of God here in this meeting today, as in a little group of two or three, there is enough. And so the fear of God who throats above is the only one who can perfectly teach it, and he uses men to put out the truth.
And if I make a mistake, some brother here. If you want to correct. I don't know of any place else in any group on earth where that is done.
All told, Timothy, The things that shall have learned of me, Paul, Paul, Doctor. The same committee that is, faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.
Who has gathered in the name of the Lord. He is here, and the Lord by the Spirit directs and.
Has an assembly functioning in order. Let all things be done decently and in order. The temperature just seems to take care of everything.
And sums it up again. Last verse. Let all things be done deeply and in order. Are these things no better If it's not according to the word of God, it is not decently and in order. And I I think of that diverse in the 100 and 70s sound. You might turn to that.
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Verse 2.
Worship for Thy holy temple and praise Thy name for Thy loving kindness and for Thy.
Notice their glass plots, for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. I puzzled over that person many times.
And I see in it something there that there are many in the Christmas of today that are saying we should do this.
In his name we do it. In Christ's name there's a certain sect. I won't mention their names, but.
They they do this are supposedly do this in His name, but it's out of order. It's not according to the word of God. And I believe this is a very important point to see that she has exaggerated his word. What is His word? The scriptures? The word of God. And this is what is needed to guide us as to our pathways, as to our worship, as to our.
We need the word of God to guide us and.
And I actually thought of that, and you would find it in Revelation that also chapter 3 I was kept my word.
And not denied my name. Notice the word is creepy. She then predominantly the word comes first. Why is it the word? Because it's this word. Because it's the word of God. And that's what we need as a guide, don't we. And I believe that you say very again and that's what we have in this chapter. Because we have the the the gifts in the 12 Chapters and we have the affection and the love that binds together and then we have the exercise of those years from.
Little we have a scriptural example of that in Exodus 32, where most where Aaron when Moses was on the mountain had made the golden calf and he says to the people.
In verse five he made a proclamation and said tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.
And they were going to worship a golden calf and on Prairie to the word, but he used the Lord's name in connection with it.
Good to see the scriptural example.
There's our Dollar Tree, really associated with the name of the Lord, just like we have it in Christmas, you know. It's exactly the same thing idolatry brought into connection with the most blessed truth that we had the inclination of the Son of God. But together, background for white ball takes up.
Chapter 1213 and 14 We have in the church in Corinth various things that need to be taken out by the apostle Paul, and one thing is the abuse of the liberty of the Spirit and the overemphasis on showing gifts.
That's the reason why he takes up this subject in chapter 1213 and 14. You know what we have today in Christendom? The charismatic of Pentecostal movement.
Is characterized by this, and in their case, and we'll be very honest and blunt, that is pretension. That is deception. In most cases, that was not the case in foreign they actually had the gift.
Of Thomas that they could speak in Thomas, but we were over emphasizing this and neglecting that which would be for the edification, encouragement and comfort of the thing and that is processed, that is not telling of future events or telling future events, but using the word of God.
That was freakishly given and apply it to the same.
At any given time forth telling rather than forth telling. And so this is good to understand. And the unfortunate thing in the King James we have again and again.
A word added which is an italic and that is unknown.
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So many intrinsic have used that to say, well, it is possible that somebody might speak in a language.
That is not going anywhere on earth. That is not the thought from Maine. The earth, a tongue is a known language.
Unknown should be erased, you know, should be erased it. Then you get the correct job traveling in different parts of the world. I often wish I had to give up. We don't have it. So we have to talk by a translator. And then we have another comment that they use in the 13th chapter, the task of angels. Paul does not mean to say that it is really possible to talk.
In the language of angels. But what he is saying, Suppose I could and did not have love on nothing. That's what he said.
So these are things that are afloat. Listen them to justify his deception.
Babbling utterances, unintelligent law, languages, and for everyone's information, who has a bird? Said one of the Greek philosophers, long before Christianity came into existence, already report such a manifestation in hidden systems, and it is still manifested there today. It has rather the character of demons activity rather than.
Of God, and it is successful.
That Satan cannot leave somebody to utter something, It's like rich and it has been reported that someone witnessed such a manifestation where someone in a language in a known language, other blastfully against the Blessed Lord. So this I'm not hesitating and I'm throwing any punches and has the character of demon possession.
And when it says the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, that means that the spirit can be controlled. You know, In other words, I can wait till somebody else is done and then I express what the Lord has put on my heart. This is not characteristic of the charismatic movement. They dabble out ten or more people all at the same time, and 90% of those who do battle all their women.
You know that's the spirit of God Ever lead women to violate the very restrictions put upon them in these very fast things. But the main point is how are abuses of spiritual liberty or mistakes that come in amongst the people of God? How is it going to be corrected? By human arrangement? No, by reestablishing the truth of God. And that is what Paul is doing here through the Corinthians.
We tend to, when we see a weakness amongst the people of God, be it.
Exercise as members in the body of Christ, which has to do with the education, security and comfort all in it. Whether it is to the order in your house or the weakness there, we think we have to step in and bring in human organization, human control. Well this is not the way. The spirit of God here is Taylor and weaknesses amongst people of God. Here we have the example he re establishes and reaffirms the truth of God.
That our failure and abuse is handled in the Word of God.
The deception is bringing the Lords name into the state and you think of it as more prominent today than it ever was. And they say, well he's talking about the Lord, it must be right. But is it according to scripture? I was thinking of a verse over in Matthew Chapter 7, a very familiar verse. I'm sure most of us have read it many times. The Lord Jesus bears speaking in verse Matthew Chapter 7, verse 21.
Not everyone that says on their feet.
You have to remember that, and to find many of them today are the first of John tells us to pry those spirits, estimate them by the word of God. So not everyone that says them to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the machine in heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven, so in the Word.
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Teaches me what to do. It teaches me how to walk. It teaches me how to worship. So without it, I'm warm. I'm drifting, but I'm using the Lord saying.
And for a verse of our brother Tom went out there was a baby and did it and they were going to do it under the horse and came to the park and.
So the Lord here just says. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in 19? That sounds really good. Sounds great. Keen privacy, yes?
Then it says currently and in my name and cast out devils in my name are many wonderful words. Wonderful. The outlook here is looks good. It was the heart. What is the excess of the word of God? What is the obedience of the word of God?
So the Lord Jesus could say, and then what I professor to them, I never even say. I think once you fail, the author said. I never.
That's very a survival thing to realize.
Many are using the Lord's name.
That are not real at all.
And how they are following these, They have great following.
There are many that are used in the word of God who are the Lord, and it's not true either. No, we have to remember Satan comes in suddenly. He has a very clever way of leading astray and he uses it as he comes on as an Angel of light in religion.
And there may be many there that are real. We're not just talking about those that are unreal, bad about those that are real. And they may handle the word of God, but it isn't the truth. We don't need true. We need the truth. There's a great difference. Satan should give you things that are true, but he will never give you the truth. He'll give you a part of the word and use it. I think Clinton had it there at the beginning. He said let us speak one or two.
Reps free, Let the others judge.
Who's qualified here to judge?
Everyone that's born again, every child of God is qualified to judge and if we do it, we will not be in care, we will be in truth. Spirit of God is as well, each of us, and he will not be idle. I want to give you an example of very important for the young people.
To realize our truth is maintained not by one brother or two, or even a group. It's it's all those who are engulfed by the Spirit of God who will let the spirit act. Now you turn the first kings first kings.
Chapter 4. I'm not going to read all that, but I'm going to do it quick. First Kings, chapter 4.
In verse 38, Elisha founded guilt ball of dirt and they couldn't really get fast. But the second change was second change. Thank you.
Take time to get a look over second King or in verse 38 Elijah found it killed wall at dirt. You can say it's a dirt of hearing the word of God. You know, the Lord says in another prophet I'll I'll give you a family.
Not of life. Not a famine of lack of water, thirst or or food. A famine of hearing the word of God. That's what we'll hear. What did he say? He said put on the great Spot and he told them what to do exactly. But one in verse 39 went out to the field. Not really typically is Chris accounts today. And he gathered herbs and he followed the wild wine and gathered their wild boars.
A last full.
Very easy, brethren. Go to a Christian bookstore. You can sit down and get a lap full. No work at all. It's all done. It's all ready for you. Whatever. Something doesn't matter. You got a lap full. What do you do? He shredded it as a pot secret. Let's say she could get things. Something like that.
Well, that would be secretive now, when they went to eat, this is the key, they cried out.
Not one, not two. They were all typically for us, qualified that there's poison in that pot and that, right, there's poison in that pot. They all cried out. That's the key. There's death in the plot. I won't get into that. But then what did Elijah say? Well, he said cast in the meal.
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The meal is Christ. It's the Son of God. As the Son of man. That's all we need. We need Christ cast in the veal. No harm in the pot. So all of us are responsible. That's all that Glenn was bringing out. Men wouldn't dare speak if he didn't realize that what he said was true. We're all listening in the right place. Yes, I hope. I fear God and respect my brother and I believe we are in the place of teachers. And I think a simple test in this is that.
When we have ministry.
Glorified Christ, Lord of the person that is putting in more and.
Somebody tell them that's done it. I think for money. That's my behavior. We're not concerned. So we need to be simple about these things. Let's look at John 16 just to find out the true ministry.
Refer to me, though I think that's particularly praised only here, below and.
Oh, how they need to be upon him and the Spirit. God will do that. And John 16 verse 13.
These these words are so clear, and I think they're quite beautiful in the ministry, that the spirit of God will give us today if we do all things under any problem in our chapter. That's the primary purpose to edit what I The Church is gone.
And it's going to be by the Spirit, through the Word, the teachers of Christ like this. How be it?
John 1613 When he the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth we are seeing guided, so that great Albright of chapter. For he shall not speak out himself or.
Independently of himself. But whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. The teachers made known by the Spirit of God, He's the only one that knows it, and.
Do you really want to know it? What else does he do? He shall glorify me. This is the Lord Jesus, for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. Now that's what the Lord in our presence today wants to do for us. By the Spirit, out of the Word, make the wonders of Christ known, and have a people together functioning in love as one unit, baptized by the Spirit of God.
And seeking the good of the Saints, and not putting on children to get like thee threatened for trying to do some of them. And they have to get well, since I got them more than they all. But he wasn't going to speak, that he was going to glorify the one that put him on his face on the way up to the mountain.
So let's pick the little place your life right and listen to what the word has say.
Collective meeting of the assembly, which we get beginning in verse 23 of our chapter.
When you come to the idea that our brother brought forth, and 16th of John the expression all true is a direct reference to what the Spirit of God sent down from heaven has given in the apostles doctrine, the epistles, He will guide you into all truth, and he will glorify me we have.
The height of revelation of man, blessed in association with wisdom and growth by Christ. And there you have the Spirit of God giving us in this very Episcopal threat to us the order that will build up the assembly and glorify God anything.
All truth we have in the very chapter was read to us that if a man think himself to be spiritual or a prophet letting acknowledge what I write under your the commandments of God. What we have in the epistle, the Spirit of God revealed has all the authority over process that of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. We're speaking those words. So it's a wonderful thing to have the truth and the Spirit of God who is the spirit of truth, taking those things that have been revealed.
In the Epistle and making them known to us in order that God might be glorified in our mission.
Helpful brethren to in getting to chapter 14, to perhaps focus a little bit more on the three chapters where it's found. It's already been mentioned, but I just like to say a little bit more about it. The 12Th, 13th, and the 14th chapters is the 12Th chapter. You have the gifts of the spirit, and really what is even more is the manifestation of the Spirit.
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It's interesting and notice the first verse of the 12Th chapter says now concerning spiritual gifts and you'll notice the gifts is in italics. Mr. Darby puts the word manifestation it's manifestations of the spirit the same as you have in the first verse of the 14th chapter. Follow after charity and desired spiritual manifestations if you go back to the 12Th chapter.
And the verse seven, it says the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all, in other words, every single member in the body of Christ. In some measure the Spirit of God will move him, will give him something for the benefit of the rest of the members of the body of Christ. And so you get the gifts given.
And by the Spirit in the 12Th chapter, when you get down further, you get the verse 8, the Word of Wisdom, the Word of Knowledge to another faith, by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing, and so on, so that there are gifts by which the Spirit of God, manifest his working in the assembly, has gathered the name of the Lord Jesus.
In the 13th chapter, then, you get the love chapter, because love is to be the motive, the spring that makes these things work. And so I should challenge my heart. We should search our hearts. What is it that really moves me to speak? A desire for brethren to look up, to see me, to admire the gift that I have. That was the problem at pouring.
They wanted to display their gifts. It wasn't the right spirit that was manifest in the assembly there. And here we find in the 13th chapter there should be love, divine love. It's the sphere of love brethren, the sphere of the activity of the spirit of God. But it's the sphere of love. And love rather than when we speak of divine love, is love that Love's not with any self interested view.
But in view of the good of others, rather with the thought of self sacrifice, that's divine love. And that's what's to be evident in the assembly meetings. And then in the 14th chapter we get it starts out.
Follow after love Charities, Love and desire Spiritual Manifestations. In other words, we should be desires when we come together, that the Spirit of God would have liberty to use whom He will, and this is something that should exercise each one of us. God is not going to use everyone in any particular meeting of the Assembly, but we should sit down in the presence of the Lord.
In the attitude, the Lord, here I am. If you want to use me, I want to be ready. I want to give you the liberty by the Spirit to use. That's the liberty of the Spirit. Rather, it's not the idea of everyone has equal voice. No, it's not a democracy. There's not liberty for anyone who wants to speak, to speak. That's not the thought. It's the liberty of the Spirit. The Spirit should have liberty.
To use who he will word on this brethren as to the spiritual manifestations going back again to the 12Th chapter, it's been mentioned.
That true ministry glorifies exalts the Lord Jesus. And it's been mentioned too that the prophets to speak two or three, and the others judge, and so brethren, as we're together.
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The ministry is given or to discern what spirit is manifest. There is this truly the direction of the Spirit of God. It's easy just to speak for speaking's sake, but that is not necessarily the direction of the Spirit of God. And in the 4th chapter Paul gives 2 texts as to the correct spirit.
In assembly meetings that is to be manifested, the Corinthians were saved out of paganism and they were used to, as has been mentioned, to even perhaps speaking in tongues. Because Pagans speak in tongues. It's a known phenomenon.
Rather than that they speak in tongues, but he cares to tax now so that they would know what spirit was moving them in the third verse of the 12Th chapter.
I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God call it Jesus, a curse. There's anything that brings dishonor on the Lord Jesus that is not of the Spirit of God.
And then second, that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost, so that if I truly speak by the power of the Spirit of God, it's going to be giving the Lord Jesus His supreme place of authority and honor in our men.
The 14th chapter of John will you allow to add to your thoughts. You brought out the process.
The Spirit of God will glorify Christ and you refer to the Epistle, but I like to read in the 14th chapter, verse 26.
But when the Comforter it is the Holy Ghost between the Father and sin in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. So we see here that the Spirit of God is the power.
Spiritual understanding when it comes to the gospel that was the Lord mean of himself uttered when he was here on earth and himself said that they couldn't understand some of these things because they didn't have to hear it. But the Spirit would come. He would give them understanding of the gospel and whether the gospels are not that easy to be understood. Many times a lot of the bad news is made of the gospel.
I talked to a man once who belonged to one of the systems and I said, how do you pick your minister? Oh, he said he used the scriptures. He is the greatest of Martin, the European minister, and so we'll take the greatest. Now instead of understanding that he that wants to be great will be a servant, that's what that should be. System.
The Spirit of God gives us spiritual understanding of the gospel, But then in chapter 15.
Verse 26 But when the conference period come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me, and better have said that refers to the epitaph. Now in chapter 16 we have a statement. In verse 13 he shall show you things to come.
That's the prophetic scriptures.
Spirit of God is the power for the whole Word of God to understand and have spiritual understanding given to us by the Spirit of God. The intellect is only a tool. The power is the Spirit of God. We have to ever remember that, and it's the whole truth of God that is entrusted to us, and it's given us our own personal enjoyment, but also to help us.
We've moved off intelligently for the glory of God in a time that is left for us and is Saints.
Very first chapter of 1 Corinthians. I was just looking at the verse here.
Verse.
Verse six and seven, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, well, they were. They were going and saved out of my Dollar Tree, and they came behind in those jets, but they came short of love. And so in our character, verse one.
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Already followed after.
Charity and desire. The spiritual gifts, not just gifts to showy gifts, or to let others know how much we know, but to notice what it says, the Spirit.
Yes, but rather that you may prophecy of what is prophecy?
Ah, the spirit of God. And in prophecy we glorify the Lord. Peace, the Spirit of God the prophet, prophecy of the Spirit of his.
In the Spirit, explain the Spirit of God in the person of Christ. That's the key to practice, isn't it? So if that's so, then there's identification. There's a building up and there's not a it's not a show of how much we know, but it's a display of a person who we know, the person of Christ.
We'd like to come back to company instead of the beginning of our clients because I believe it's also in contrast to the old order of things in Judaism, Christianity, the old order of things, pastry.
Position. We see this in John 11, where Caiaphas said that he should die not only to turn the.
Verse 50.
Drives for 49.
And one of the main characters, being a high priest that same years, said unto them, You know nothing at all, are considered that it is expedient for us that one man should die to the people, that the whole nation should not perish not to distance, they cannot himself. But being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. I believe John has these words by the Spirit of God, and not for that nation only, but that he should also gather together in one of the children of God that are scattered abroad.
And so he was in an official position, and ministry came from that official position. We see that as an excellent all standing acts too, that he didn't know that it was the high priest when he resolved. And Paul respected that position because it was not yet set aside.
But in the end of the epistle, in the end of the book of Acts, we find that Paul quotes Isaiah and he says Acts 28, he says.
Verse 26 Go on to his people and see hearing.
Ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and not perceive. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull, hearing and their eyes they have closed. What they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts can be converted, and I should heal them, be it known therefore unto you, the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and if they will hear it.
And then the Jews departed. Believe that was the final setting aside of the Jews there. But I just mentioned this because the prophet Isaiah prophesied, but because they wouldn't hear, he would speak to them in another tongue and and in a strange tongue. And a double thing was accomplished. That Pentecost was that he spoke in a strange tongue, in a voice to speak to the unbelieving Jew, and at the same time will open up the floodgates of grace to the Gentiles to signify that God was now going to draw the people.
From many places. But now ministry was not an official thing. But as we see in Ephesians is that he that descended was also he that ascended far above all principality and power. And he gave gifts in men, that is, that he gave men as gifts to the church. Some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, teachers. He gave actual individuals for the edification of the body.
And in enrollments, we read that there's a measure to that shift is that one may well cook the meal for 10 or 15 people.
But they wouldn't attempt to do it for a crowd inside. And so there's a measure of the gift. And now here in our chapter we have the manifestation of that gift that would be in law and that it would be done in an orderly way so that the people of God to product.
00:55:10
And so there may be gifts, but the gift may be abused. It's just been mentioned. There may be fraudulent, the information, but the gift, but there may be real gift, but it may be abused. And so or I may seek to do something that I'm not gifted to do. And that would be confusion too. If we got on the airplane, we wouldn't want the stewardess to say, well, I'm going to fly the plane in the pilots trying to serve the food. We understand that. But in the things of God, it's so too.
But in the manifestation of the gifts here it's in love, and it's by the power of the spirits, and that the people of God might be edified enrollment as well. We had not to think higher of ourselves than we ought to think, and that is a check on the danger of always bending ourselves and trying to evolve ourselves, an aspect of the service of the Lord for which He has been qualified for us and we.
Very correctly exposed.
The one man ministry and the abuse of the tongue movement in the Charismatic and the causal movement. But the other president, I believe we have heard many times in abusing deliberate healing spirit and in trying to do something for which the Lord has qualified us, or trying to evolve ourselves in an area that is not our responsibility, that is the local responsibility.
Of local regulators. And so these are things that should speak to our country. We are as much engaged of abusing the liberty of the Spirit. Maybe not in the same direction as we see the prison though, but the scripture and 1St risk is well.
That's first speak to all of our concepts, not just the entire of ourselves, than we are. If I think I'm a teacher and I'm not, I've been tired of myself and I also if I think I'm evangelist and I'm not entire of myself and I don't think funny.
First Corinthians as well, we had the gift qualified or the qualification of the gifts or the importance of the gifts of given personally about secondary features. So the spiritual importance is given.
And this is what he is stressing in the 14th chapter, that which means of more benefit to the same Sir. And then speaking in tongues or in terms of this is what he's stressing here and that we should desire to begin that identify rather than gifts that is important to ourselves. So then the first verses here would you say they answered the.
Question that's raised in the last person trail.
Covered earnestly. The best again. Well, immediately the question is what are the best kids?
Well, are they not? Answered in the beginning of our chapter 14.
That which is for the education of the Saint, the body of Christ. He loves his people.
He does and have a company functioning in grace in good order. Big problem that we've been sort of circumventing, but it's a thoughts of man bans arrangement and our brother Greatman talked about idolatry and criticism and I say Amen. Really what it is is man's table, man's thoughts and man's arrangement.
That's thinking more highly themselves and not looking to God.
Of the spirit. That's what we have. And anytime that happens, it's not true. All fails in truth. And I'll just give you a simple verse in John Seven that gives the point and I'll have to read a part of another verse.
John 717 Very familiar. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself.
01:00:03
He that speaketh it should be from himself seeketh his whole Lord. There it is. If if we're really not exhausting Christ or fighting Christ, we're seeking our own. We speak from ourselves, not the Spirit of God, and that's what happens in prison. And we have to guard against that because our thoughts seem so good to ourselves, and let's don't ever think it isn't true.
Got a real good way. A real good thought. A better way to do it. Like a new ox cart. Oh, that's wonderful. It's faster, isn't it, than carrying it on their shoulders of the Levites.
Let him ride on an ox cart. The Lord doesn't want to ride on an ox cart.
He wanted to be carried on the shoulder of the Levite. That's his word true. So we can think of many things, but let's get rid of that. Our thoughts are always wrong. Message by the spirit of God, very strong verse about our thoughts in relation that if any man think himself be something when he is nothing, he deceived himself and the truth is not in him. I thought don't enter into the faith of God.
We approve this were to get his thoughts out of.
Hear them and obey them. I want to go away. Even beyond that. I think our thoughts could be wrong without a place. I think that's what the second. I think our thoughts can be right and it's still out of place. I think that's what the 2nd.
Telling her here and saying either speaketh in an ongoing tongue.
For no man understand with him I'll be at the Spirit, and the Spirit speaketh mysteries or covered things. Is that God enjoys the truth, and we can sit and enjoy the truth, even if it's coming from an unfaithful man.
And I don't really listen to it, but the truth is the truth. And yet here is somebody speaking the truth in an unknown tongue. I could get sit here and speak in French and nobody would perhaps feel in the room, would understand what I was saying, because ministry really has its object, the edification of the Saints.
And that's the point. In fact, they even speak the truth. But unless it's for the edification of the Saints and the states understand what's being said and identified, then really it's not a manifestation of the spirit of God. And that's important because if the spirits of a prophets are subject to the problem, and there has to be a discerning of that because the real object for which the gift was given that was that that the things would deedify. And it's not just a question of wrong things, but it's a question of right things. Is that the it's not just the point of everybody.
Nice thought, but it's really being directed in the power of the spirit of God to speak in such a way that contains identified and strengthened and faith and comforted in the midst of a confusing scene. And so I just say that because there are right thoughts that may be out of place and being. Or we might apply a principle to a given circuit situation which is not applicable, That happens frequently.
And we have to have wisdom.
From the Spirit of God to give us what principle lies in the situation so.
He speaks, intend to speak of the distance better. We need this stuff, you know, and we tend to go off the things. And I do a scripture that doesn't apply.
Let's be on our God. Isn't that what prophecy is? So is the prophecy speaking the Word of God.
In the past and present, the future. It's not just a matter of teaching, because we may be able to teach things, but that's not really the mind of God for the moment. But it could take the word of God to bring it to bear on the conscience in particular circumstances in which.
People are not buying themselves at that time. Whether the need for comfort or education or consultation, that's all these it's always the condition of the people of God, prophecy, even the foretelling of future events. Papacy always comes in when there is failure.
Or whether it is indeed, you know, so this kind of property, and we have the apparatus 14 is meeting me, and it might be correction, it might be ministry for a conscience, but it also might be other things to meet me that exists in a given time. Our celebration. Goodman, That is the question.
01:05:00
Sometimes we feel that there's one man Ministry, and we, you know that's not that. But I just wonder if we went back to the 12Th chapter and we read that verse again.
We might find that it says here that the 28th, 3rd the law has set some in church. First apostle, second prophet.
Now are we not guilty just asking somebody? Are we not guilty of doing the very same thing that's actually a gift that's not everyone's a profit. So we sometimes I ask finished years ago, how come we don't have more open meeting. That's rather because we don't want to assume more than what we are. We just don't have the gift for now there. But I I've been in a meeting where.
They don't have There was two drivers and they had an open baby.
So sometimes what we have is an overheating grad and we have to bowl becomes a sounding word for the flesh because there aren't those who are capable of talking. I, I, you know, we can tell you weren't wrong on that. But we are in danger of doing the same thing that we accused others of doing, and that is getting into a tradition of faith.
Doesn't match up with scripture.
Put that all God's people were problems. Let's go quit because we don't have a certain gift. We slide.
God is able.
Then this, then this, then this chapter. We have to throw out a window.
No, no. Just because there's the abuse of liberty and hopefully getting when there's a displaced flash, the end is not going out of the meeting but will correct the views. Just like I said earlier, let's turn to the scriptures and show this is God's order and this is where we break down. Nobody wants to be the bad guy.
To go to a brother.
Uncomfortably and say look brother, well maybe two or three brothers from the local and Nancy go and said brother we don't feel that what you have given here was of the law.
We don't want to be that anywhere. We don't want to really exercise. God gives a discipline to the assembly and.
Saw the abuse and healing for some deaths.
And the answer is that.
We do not only want the Prophet speak to a free understand the judge, and he had to judge, not hoping whether one is correct thought Finally, as I will need has pointed out, whether that is really of the law or whether it is a display of the flesh. So I like to stress again, better than eating this time I need it, you need it and we all need it one time or another to be.
Breakfast and wouldn't be.
And we have great respect.
In Heaven here the book writes to fool despisers and liberation. But the answer is not to send a test. Ignore golf order, go back to Gulf Order, reestablish it, and follow through as we ought to. And we hesitate there many times because we are afraid of the response.
From 1 to 72.
OK, just more.
Of my life.
Bragging.
Inheritance
Address—R. Bauman
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We'll start the meeting by reading a verse. It's going to be in First Peter.
First Epistle of Peter and Chapter One.
And verse three I'm going to read.
Four and five as well. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Which, according to his abundant mercy, has begotten us again.
Unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled. And that fate is not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith under salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
Going to be talking about our inheritance because it's so important we ought to be occupied with it. We're at the beginning.
Of a three day feeding. Well, really, we could say a feast.
When you open the word of God and allow the spirit to have his way, yeah, in fact, a banquet. According to the Bride, in the Song of Songs, it's a banquet. You know, the main course is Christ.
The salad is more of Christ.
The dessert? What else? Christ, no. Wonderful. That's our inheritance.
So we're going to sing a hymn #93 #93.
Trembling, we had hope.
For mercy.
Some lone place within his door, but the crown.
The throne, the mansion, all were ready long before.
Ere we were, was he rejoicing all he wants with us to share 93?
From the flowers of his.
Glory.
From the whole of joy and love.
Came by warrior himself to the sea.
And.
We'll look to God and seek help for this time, our gracious, loving God and Father we can.
00:05:11
Looking for the water? Boy will turn to Genesis.
Chapter 25, Genesis.
Chapter 25.
Verse 5.
And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.
You know, Abraham and Isaac typically are John 316.
The father sent the son to be the savior of the world. That's the type of Abraham and Isaac. But we go a little further. Everything Abraham had, he gave to Isaac. Isn't that precious? Well, that's the 4th. You know, Jesus said in John 16, we were reading in it. We didn't read that verse. I think it's verse 15. All things that my father has are mine. I just want to add 1 point.
In Romans, we are joint heirs with Christ, not heirs in common. That wouldn't satisfy me.
Joint air.
That's our inheritance, brethren. We were reading in First Peter. Now we read on.
Verse 21 And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife.
Because she was bearer, that was a problem.
That's a problem, especially in the children of Israel.
It's Old Testament importance because children were very important to continue.
The father's name and the inheritance in the family the birthright.
To the first born.
But to be barren.
Was really a reproach in a sense, to a woman of Israel. And and and Rebecca was Barry had no problem with God, no problem at all. Lovely, isn't it? You know, the mother of Samson, the Nazarite, was buried.
Oh, it's here. Thank you.
The mother of Samuel the prophet was barren, the mother of John the Baptist.
Was Barrett. I could go on. That's enough. No problem here.
And 21 And the Lord was entreated. And Rebecca his wife conceived verse 24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb, And the first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. And they called his name Esau, Shaggy, or Rough. That's what it means. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel. His name was called Jacob.
As the planter.
And Isaac was 3 score years old when she bear them, and boys grew. And Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, and Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison. But Rebecca loved Jacob and Jacob sod pottage, and Esau came from the field. He was faint, and he saw said to Jacob feed me, I pray thee with that same red pottage, for I'm faint.
Therefore, was his name called Edom.
And Jacob said.
Sell me this date like birthright. And Esau said, behold, I'm at the point to die. What prophet shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, swear to me this day, and he swear unto him, And he sold his birthright under Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and potty to lentils, and he did eat and drink, and rose up and went his way. Thus he saw.
Despised his birthright.
You can turn to Hebrews chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 16 I think and 17. Hebrews 12 and verse 16 and 17.
Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of bread sold his birthright, for ye know how that afterwards, when he would or wish to have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
00:10:18
Back-to-back to Genesis 25 at the end.
Two things about Esau. One in Psalms 10, Four God.
Was not in all his thoughts.
That's a problem, the real problem, and, as it says in the 14th chapter of Psalms.
He said For me, no God.
That's the fool for me. No God.
Esau never mentioned the name of God. He just cried out to Isaac.
No thought of God, only earthly thoughts. And his repentance he sought was not through repentance, it was the repentance such as.
The one who betrayed the Lord Isn't that terrible?
Class Judith, like Judas, repented.
Not because of his sin, but because of a bad bargain he made. That's not repentance, that's remorse. And so he he sought it, but with tears. But it wasn't right.
Esau's repentance was not for forgiveness.
It was for restitution. Now you exist by the grace of God. Everyone of us exists by the grace of God, and every Sinner is the object of God's love and bounty. You've got a wonderful thought, every Sinner.
But some despise that inherited. Some despise that birthright, like Esau.
Esau despised it.
You know what he settled for but a morsel?
A morsel? What's a morsel?
The dictionary says a morsel is a little bit of something.
But in context here in the things of God, a morsel.
Is a little bit of nothing. Esau found that up absolutely.
Nothing.
He sold his birthright for a morsel. You know, the natural heart raises no value at all on the things of God.
Because God is not known, that's why. Thus the natural man to him present is only is everything, Present is everything.
Without faith, sight governs now, Esau said. What prophet? This birthright, I'll say it. What about you?
What's life to you, young people? What's life to you? Is it like Esau? You know what he did? He ate and drank, rose up and he went his way. Is that life to you? That was life to Esau, because he despised the inheritance that God had for him. But, you know, it wasn't just Esau. Let's remember that.
The children of Israel despise the Promised Land, they believe, not God.
They didn't go in. They didn't go in. They died in the wilderness. They despised the inheritance that God had for them. It's a solemn thing, you know. The 2 1/2 tribes also despise the inheritance that God had for them.
They wanted a place that was just suitable for their cattle, their cattle. And so they said to Moses, bring us not under the promised land. Think about that. Well, you know, there's a lot of them that did that.
The Jews despised their Messiah Christ.
Why was that?
They didn't know him. That's why they didn't know him. Turn to Johnny John chapter eight. I think I'll give you a verse on that instead of just saying it. John chapter 8 and verse.
43 the Lord speaking.
Why do you not understand my speech? Because you cannot hear.
My word, verse 47 He that is of God, heareth God's words. Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. That's the juice when the Lord was here, and they crucified the Lord of glory.
00:15:04
You know, God is not in all man's plans, thoughts or purposes and feet, Esau preferred. A mess of bodies. Just a a morsel of nothing, bit of nothing to the title, to the promised Land. So that's the first thought I have Some despise it, you know, God's offering this to every Sinner, and they're wonderful to every Sinner in this world.
You can accept it, and I trust everybody here has accepted it.
You can neglect it, you can reject it, or you can despise it like Esau.
There are some I know I've met them, that despise it. Well, what's the what's the result of this?
Hatred and murder is the result of that they crucified the Lord, the glory. But look at chapter 27. Look at chapter 27 here in the Genesis and verse 41 he saw painted Jacob at the end and said I will slay my brother Jacob hatred and murder.
That's the result of despising the things of God and himself. Well, now I'm going to turn to another I'm going to look at several ways to treat this inheritance. Present Nehemiah, chapter seven, I think. Nehemiah.
Chapter 7.
Verse 61.
And these were they which went up.
Now what it means is they were in Babylonian captivity and when they had the opportunity.
They went up to Judah, to the promised Land.
To Jerusalem.
Desire. Wonderful thing, wasn't it? These are they that went up.
And at the end, but they could not show their father's house, nor their seed.
Whether they were of Israel.
Verse 64.
These thought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not.
Found therefore, were they as polluted put from the priesthood.
And the tirshatha, which is the governor, said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things.
Till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.
Is very important.
These were careless about their inheritance, not despising us like Esau, just terrorists about it. Oh, that's prevalent today. That is so prevalent today. It's truly a woeful group. They could not show their father's house or seat as a pedigree that they belong, you know?
There was included priests in this group.
And during their exile, they became careless about what was real, about what was their inheritance, their birthright. And so they could not show their pedigree. They could not take part in the work of the Lord, which they had been called. In the case of the priest, the consequences were even greater, it says, as polluted they were put out of the priesthood. Rather, that's the same today.
That's the same today.
And it ought to be, you know, criticism in the United States and Canada of this continent.
Started in a type, as a type in babylonish captivity. That's the way Christmas came over here. They were already in it. But then God in his grace and goodness gave light. They're wonderful Gave light. And the Lord's table was spread in this continent. What a wonderful thing. A Lord's table was spread in this continent. But then they found themselves in the exact situation as these in Nehemiah.
In Ezra's Day in Nehemiah's day, a question arose as title to break bread at the Lord's table.
That came up right away.
Everyone before the truth was restored. Who was a good person?
00:20:01
Was allowed, even invited, Encouraged. Anyone before who said I'm a Christian was allowed and invited, even if their walk did not uphold go up with their profession. That doesn't make any difference then. But now we have a problem. What did they do? They followed the principles in the word of God. Principles never change. They're lovely. It was already for them to do.
Only those that could show their father's house, Only those that could find the register, their genealogy.
Could be at the Lord's table. That's it. That's the way it ought to be. Peace with God.
And clear knowledge of our standing in Christ.
Our pedigree really, in our genealogy.
If not, they were like those of the of my time.
They had to wait for a priest to arise with Urim and Thummim.
Excluded from the Lord's state. Now I want to mention something you know.
For those that want to be at the Lord's table, the burden is upon them. The burden never shifts, it's upon them.
To establish their right to be at the Lord's table. Why? It's not our table breath.
It is not table, it's the Lord's table. It's just like Nehemiah state. It's no different.
At first it wasn't so difficult because at first they merely when they saw what the Lord brought of truth to their hearts, left what they were in and were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. At first it wasn't so difficult, but now it is very difficult. It is very hard, but just because something's difficult doesn't take away our responsibility to the Lord.
That's it. Our responsibility is to see that they control.
The pedigree that they can show their genealogy that they have a right to be at the Lord's table.
Today, we must insist on their genealogy. It has to be. It's not our table now. One who has no certainty of his salvation. Think about there's a lot says they're Christians. One who is feathered by systematized air in Christendom.
One who believes he can be saved and another day lost.
One who has or denies the eternal sonship of Christ.
And I could go on. All of these, all of these have no right.
At the Lord's tape they can't show the pedigree, but this.
Until the pedigree, but also anyone who's connected.
With any table of man that has these errors.
Is also excluded.
Why is the Lord's table? That's the only answer. It's the Lord's table and brethren. Let's don't get careless like these did about this matter.
Know your pedigree. Know why you're there.
That's so important.
And any that want to come to the Lord's table, don't reduce or deny your responsibility.
Well, there are those that were careless in Nehemiah's day. There are those that are careless today, and I'll go to judges.
Judges.
After first no chapter one of judges, I think.
Judges.
Won. What is that water?
OK.
Judges one verse 8. Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem.
Had taken it and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
And afterward, the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites.
And dwelt in the mountain, and in the South, and in the valley Lebanon. And from thence he that Judah went against the inhabitants of Deaver. And the name of Deber before was Keir Jazz Steffer.
I'll care, Jeff Seifer. I think it is means the city of the book, The city of the book.
00:25:04
There's only one book. Rather, and there's none other This is the book.
They named it Deaver. What's deeper? Mean the word of God. That lovely.
The word of God, well that's the side bone. The side goes here. And Caleb said he's a smideth pure Jeff Seifert and taketh it to him. Will I give AXA my daughter to wife and off? Neil the son of Kinaz Caleb younger brother, took it and he gave him AXA his daughter the wife. And it came to pass when she came to him that she moved him to ask of her father a field and she lighted off from off her *** and Caleb said under her What wilt thou?
And she said unto him, Give me a blessing, for thou has given me a Southland.
Give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs. Now we had one who despised the inheritance of birthright, and we had one who were careless about it. Now we have one who valued it.
How much do you value it?
Acts of valued it. I think it's the most beautiful portion right here, don't you? Right in the middle of judges. Of the beginning of judges. What Zach so mean, Anklet.
Anklet refers to a godly walk for a sister. Tonight she had a godly walk.
Tauna Songs, Chapter 7, verse one. I think it's How beautiful are thy feet with shoes. O Princess daughter. Who said that? The bridegroom. Who do you say it to? The bride? What's she talking about? She's in the royal family.
She has shoes on.
Got a godly walk that appeals to the bridegroom? That's AXA.
That's what we have here, AXA.
Orcible means strength of God. He was the first Deliverer.
Of Israel in Judges. The first one he was a judge. Now Aksar typifies the believer who has absolute confidence is a blessing from God.
That's exactly. That's who she absolute competence, no question In that clause, Art and AXA look for good. And she received it, and she had been given the Southland wasn't that wonderful. But she wanted springs of water.
A continual flow of the word of God. That's what you wanted. That's what we need. Southlands is nice.
But we need springs of water.
Continual flow of the Word of God.
How different was she from those who saw only difficulties?
At Katie's Barnier, the entrance to the promised land. Only difficulties. They searched it out. We can't take it. We are like grasshoppers and they're like giants. 38 more years in the wilderness. Well, that's not Axon. She values it. She really did. She wanted the springs and she got the upper and the nether. Now the upper springs can speak of the higher truth.
Like Ephesians 1/3.
And the Nether Springs can speak of practical truth like Ephesians 4 to 6.
We need them both for a godly walk. That's what she wanted and that's what she got. I hope you want it. Both are important. The Upper Springs and the Nether Springs. We needed both.
What I mentioned I read some health.
And two of them said AXA was a covetous woman.
Not in my book. Not in this book. She's not a covetous woman.
You know, covetousness as the heart of natural man is not actor.
The Lord says to us that we should covet. We've got it in the portion we're reading. Covet the best gift. Covet the things of the Lord. Covet to help the Lord's people.
She wasn't coveting, you know, Solomon reminds us in Proverbs of the horse Leech.
That great Leech has two daughters. Their names are gives, it gives. That's the heart of man. Covetousness. Nothing. That's all it is. But not excellent. No. You know, she wanted things of God. She wanted the inherited that is hers and her husband's.
00:30:14
Upper Springs, I think it could also speak of heavenly blessings and provision from God heavenly things. We need the upper supremacy. Another springs could speak of what we need down here. My God shall supply all your needs according to His.
Wait a minute, my God shall supply all your needs according to.
To his riches and joy, by Christ Jesus, thank you. I should turn to him, and you should never get it wrong. And I was getting it wrong anyway. That's the thought of another spring. Anything that we need will be provided. Not that we want. Anyway. I don't want to get off on a tangent. Now we'll look at another.
Will go to Joshua Chapter 7. We've seen those who despised it, those who were careless about that inheritance and one that cherished it and valued it. But now in Joshua Chapter 7.
I think that's what I said. Well, Joshua, maybe it's chapter.
I've been sick. No wonder. Top of the page, maybe it is 7/21.
No.
Hold it.
OK, 17.
1.
There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh.
For he was the first born of Joseph, to wit, for make her the first born of Manasseh.
The father of Gilead, because he was a man of war. Therefore he had Gilead and fashion. There was also a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh, by their families, for the children of Ibiza, and for the children of Helak, and for the children as real, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Heifer, and for the children of Shemaida. These were the male children.
A Manasseh, the son of Joseph by their families. And that's the way it was distributed.
But verse 3 But the Lopah had had the son of Heifer. The son of Gilead is the son of Maker. The son of Manasseh had no signs but daughters. And these are the names of his daughters Mala, Noah, Hogla, Milka, Tirzah. And they came near before Eliezer the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the Princess Saints.
The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore, according to the commandment of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father. And there fell 10 portions to Manasseh beside the land of Gilead and Bastion, which are on the other side Jordan, because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons.
And we're going to look at some who highly valued.
The inheritance, the birthright, not just felt highly valued, but turned to numbers. Numbers 26, numbers 26.
And verse 52 This is when the Lord commanded Moses what we just read about by Joshua. Verse 52 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, under these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance. To everyone shall his inheritance be given.
00:35:02
According to those that were numbered of him, notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers, they shall inherit according to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between the many and few. Now from verse 63 down to 65 it tells us.
That there was a better reader? No, I won't read it. Take too long. It tells us that many.
Fell in the wilderness because they would not go in when they had an opportunity to take the inheritance. Now only Caleb and and Joshua.
We're able to come in now. 27 Then came The daughters of the loafers have the son of He Fur, the son of Gilead, the son of Maker, the son of Manasseh, of the family of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. These are the names of his daughters. You know, the Lord just loves to do this. He loves to record the names of those of faith who truly believe and cherish the things of the Lord. He just loves to do that.
This second time, you know these are the names of the daughters. Mala, Noah, Hogler, Milka, Tearsa. And they stood. And they stood.
Now these are five young women.
Five young women.
And they stood before Moses.
Five young, determined women. I call that a formidable force.
Five young, determined women. All this pleased the Lord. They stood before Moses. They stood before Eliezer the priest. They stood before the Princess or rulers, and all the congregation by the door of the Tabernacle 3.
They made their plea. Our father died in the wilderness. He was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah. He died in his own sin. He had no son. That's their plea.
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family? Because.
He hath no son.
Now their request give us, Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our fathers. You know, that took a lot of courage to stand before Moses.
An Eleazar and all the rulers and the whole congregation.
At the House of God and demand this. That took a lot of courage.
To faith. To faith. They really wanted the inheritance. They really wanted it. Now notice the answer.
And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. Why did he do that? This was a case of first instance.
Like the one with the man picking up stones on the Sabbath day first instance.
Takes it to the Lord rather than. There's times when it may be first instance, but that doesn't mean there's no answer.
You know, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of me. Give liberally, I won't afraid you.
We have the We have the power, the Spirit of God. We have prayer.
We have a promise. No, that doesn't hurt. So Moses knew where to go, and so do we. So he says, Lord spake unto Moses, 7 The daughters of the local had Speak right, that a wonderful message from God. The daughters of Lofa had speak right. Thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren, And thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son.
Then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter, and if he have no daughter.
Then he shall cause his inheritance unto his, give his inheritance unto his brethren.
And if you have no brethren, and on and on, you know what we have here in the ninth verse and on.
The statute of dissent and distribution throughout the whole world.
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Is that wonderful? If you die intestate, that's how it's going to go.
Some small variation in different places because of adoptions and because of things like that, but this is really the basis of the law of dissent and distribution in the law today. All right, now I want to turn to chapter.
And we'll look once more at their names. Yeah, let's look at their names. Verse one of Chapter 27, you know, the faith of these five daughters of the Zopa had to claim the inheritance for themselves was so wonderful, how little the children of Israel ever thought of their inheritance when they died in that wilderness, they had the opportunity to go in.
But now the inheritance according to the families of the fathers they can inherit.
You know names are meaningful in the word of God. So Zalofa had. That's the first the Lofa had. What does it mean?
A shadow of fear because of First War. That's what it means.
All five of his children were daughters.
The Lofa had that's the problem, no son. Thus there's a shadow of fear on that family who shall inherit.
No, stop.
His five daughters stood bold. Now their names may like sickness or great disease, you know, may love brings to mind these five daughters. They had a real disability they couldn't inherit, pass through sons as a real problem.
Noah means agitation or commotion, fear.
The hindrance that they have in Mala cause of great anguish and anxiety, great concern for their future. They wanted the inheritance. Hogela means the feast has languished.
They were without any power to help themselves to obtain the inheritance, the feast.
As language.
Milka means a woman of consul.
They sought the console of the man of God, Moses.
That beautiful they sought the council of the Vanagon. Tirzah means his delight and well pleasing. Oh, how it is pleasing to the Lord when you look to him for counsel.
Look to God through Christ for counsel. That's what they did. So they stood before Moses and Eliezer the priest and before the Princess, the rulers and all the congregation and the door of the Tabernacle. And they got the word of God. They shall inherit. They shall inherit. Isn't that lovely?
Now we go to Chapter 35, Chapter 35.
I didn't know if I'd do this, but we have a couple more thoughts here to go to. I'll go fast. Chapter 35. Now this was the fathers of the family, of the children of Gilead, the son of Maker, the son of Manasseh, and of the families of the sons of Joseph. Now they came near to the whole congregation of Moses Neely either. And they said, if these daughters.
Maybe I should say verse 3. If they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe where unto they are received, so it shall be taken from the lot of our own inheritance. And when the Jubilee comes, it's all mixed up. You know what Moses said or the Lord said to Moses? Let's see if I can find.
I was trying to go fast here.
Well, I I I.
Well, I don't see it. 5 Moses commanded the children of Israel, according to the word of the Lord saved the tribe of the sons of Joseph has said, well, well, that's what I wanted. The tribe of the sons of Joseph have said well, the five daughters spoke well, said the Lord. Now the five sons who are complaining about the five daughters or the sons of Joseph, they speak well. How can it be well, He says this.
This is 6. This is a thing which the Lord does command concerning the daughters of.
Let them marry to whom they think best. Only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry. So shall not the inheritance the children of Israel removed from tribe to tribe. For every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his father. And every daughter that possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be wife under one of the family of the tribe of her father, That the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his father's, and neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another.
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But everyone of the tribe of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance. Even as the Lord commanded Moses, so did the daughters of the Lofa have so did the daughters of the Lofa have you know, to marry just. Any Israelite was not right for the daughters of Zelophehen.
Today, to marry just any Christian isn't right for one gathered to the Lord.
At the table of the Lord. That's the thought. It isn't right. Well, that sort of narrows it down, doesn't it, For the daughters of the Lopez? Sure.
All things, though, are possible with God. Don't forget that these daughters had faith. These daughters had great faith. You know, if one, it goes farther than that. If one is gathered and marries one who's not gathered, how can two walk together except they be agreed?
This is God's principle. Principles never change, brethren. He's always right. You can't change these thoughts.
Verse 11 for Mala, Tirza and Hogla and Milka and Noah third time I think God's so wonderful. The daughters of the opah had were married under their fathers, brothers son and they were married into the family of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph. And their inherited remained in the tribe of the family of their fathers.
Isn't that beautiful?
It's one thing, brethren, to be saved. It's quite another thing to come into the knowledge of the truth and walk in it.
That's the thought here. In this 35th chapter, our fellowship is outside.
Of the camp Christendom.
You know, there's no blessing.
Very outside. Oh, the Lord's gracious. I watched it. I marvel at it. He brings blessing in spite of ourselves sometimes. But you're very dangerous ground disease would have been. They would have lost their inheritance. And you may have. You may lose all the joy of the truth that you cherish. Now that's the thought.
One of husbands for them the same faith that gave them the inheritance.
Provide his husband.
The Lord took care of that.
If your young sisters think that could happen, Lord takes care of that.
All right, another one. These are those that highly value the inheritance brethren. Now, Jeremiah, chapter 3. I'm going to go a little different slant here. Jeremiah, chapter 3.
Verse one We've had those who despise their birthright.
We had one who was careless about the birthright and many others. We had one who valued that inheritance. We had one who highly valued that inheritance. Now we got some who lost sight of it.
Lost sight of them.
They say, if a man put away his wife, and she'd go from him another and and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? Shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet return again to me, says the Lord, verse 12.
Go and proclaim these words and say, Return Thou backsliding Israel, says the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you. For I am merciful, says the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever. Verse 14.
Turn or backsliding children, says the Lord. For I am married unto you, and I will take you one of a city, two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
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The Lord is married to the backslider.
I think that's a wonderful word, don't you? I am married to you, backslider. The Lord does not believe in divorce.
That's what he's bringing out here. He does not believe in divorce. You get that in Malachi. I won't turn to it.
You know, in the Song of Songs I'm going to flip to a chapter five. Song of Songs, Chapter 5. I'll go quickly. If you get there, fine. Verse two open to me. My sister, My love, My dove, My undefiled. Why did he say that to her? I should say. When did he say that to the Bride? The time, The second time She failed and got away.
Notice the words my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled. The word undefiled in the song of song is reserved for when she faked.
He still sees her in all the perfection of what he made her the bride. He sees us in all the perfection. Isn't that wonderful? Even though we failed?
Then he says, return backslider. I'm married to you. I'm married to you.
How beautiful that is. Well, how many who were once?
In the full enjoyment of all the Lord's heart of love.
For his old children.
Have left it for the beggarly elements of this world.
Forgetting, now, forgetting.
That he is the same capital F.
They're wonderful. That's his name. I love that name. I love wonderful. I love all the names. There's 700 of them. Same as a beautiful word for Jesus. He never changes.
He changes not. His love continues, and he's anxiously waiting for any to come back.
Come back back sliding the children. I'm married to you. I think that's the most beautiful thought. Now turn to Lamentations, chapter four. I think of Lamentations because.
Because my heart's heavy for those that have gotten away like these backsliders, we were reading them.
And the heart of the Lord is heavier still. Verse one of Chapter 4, Lambeth. How is the goal become dim? How is the most fine gold changed? The stones of the Sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. The precious sons of Zion comparable to find gold. How they are esteemed as earthen pitchers.
Isn't that a solemn? Aren't those solemn thoughts?
They were once a demonstration of the righteousness of God gold.
Most fine gold. That's changed now.
They were once precious stones in the sanctuary, living stones in the body of Christ where it could show, and now they're poured out upon the top of every street.
I think it was Carrie, John Kerry.
We had a prayer meeting, he said. Brethren, please pray for my son.
They said is he sick although?
You have a problem? An accident? No. What should we pray for?
He's degenerated into an ambassador for the Queen.
What He degenerated into an ambassador for the Queen. He was once at the Lord's table.
Down to verse 7. Her Nazarites were purer than snow. They were whiter than milk. They were more Ruddy in body than rubies. They're polishing was of the sapphires. These are the ones who really gave themselves to the Lord Nazarite ship. We ought to have it right now. Nazarite ship, the character of a Nazarite. There were those who are gone.
What do they like now?
Verse 8 Their visit is blacker than darkness.
JND their village is blacker than darkness.
You know these are these are solid thoughts to me. Consider Demas.
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Demas.
Who walked with Paul? Think about that. Who's the disciple of the Lord?
Paul called him. My fellow laborer. My fellow laborer Demon.
Who, just a few years after that, forsook the apostle Paul and his doctrine.
Having loved the present world.
The stones of the sanctuary poured out on the top of every street.
Demas lost his life for Christ.
He can't lose his soul. I'll see him in glory. He lost his life for Christ. Oh brethren, how much do you cherish the heritage?
And the inheritance that's yours.
Dimas lost sight of his inheritance, turned to Jeremiah 6. Got tightened for one more, I guess maybe Jeremiah 6. You just. This is worse than we do our reading. Can anything be worse than we were reading? Yes, this is worse than we were reading. Last verse reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them. Who are they? Those are those that were professing.
That didn't even possess any vitality of Christ at all.
Reprobate silver? That's worse. They're rejected. They're castaway. They're refuge.
You know what Paul said in Two Corinthians. I'll turn to it. Second Corinthians. I know the times about a chapter 13, Second Corinthians 13, verse five. Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. Prove your own self, though you're not your own selves. How that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobate.
You know Paul did not call the Corinthians Reprophy.
I'm glad he didn't, but he's issuing A solemn warning. It's an awful thing to have been where the word of God and the truth is proclaimed, and to have experienced the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to have escaped the pollutions of this world for a time, and then to return to the filth of corruption of this evil world. The end is worse.
Than if they had never known.
The knowledge of the truth.
We must not deny their profession, Brethren. Paul didn't. He was very careful, just as Job, when Job's wife said Job cursed, God had died.
He didn't consider her a foolish woman. He knew her, he said. They'll speak as one of the foolish women that's like Paul, except to be reprobate.
That each of us rather cherish and rejoice in this inheritance.
Which is reserved in heaven for us and which the Lord wants us to enjoy right now.
Like the daughters of the loaf I have. Let's see.
70 in the back, 70 in the back.
We sing all the realms of the blouse.
That country so bright and so fair.
Love glorious birth.
But what must it be to be?
We.
Shall of this surplus of love.
The rule which the glory thy word.
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Of all.
We got all this freedom from sin.
From God.
I feel.
From God.
What it is to be proud.
Caution 3 One, since ye then be risen with Christ.
Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections, your heartstrings, on things above, not on things on the earth. Let's pray our gracious, loving God and Father.
1 Corinthians 14:10-29
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99.
Oh Christ, salvation.
No, no, Nor can I take my head.
Hear, Hear.
From the next day in the fire.
Of God.
Live behavior.
I wonder if we might begin with the 10th verse and read through the 29th. I don't have so much time in these conference meetings that would be nice to cover quite a bit here.
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First Corinthians chapter 14 beginning at verse 10.
There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh A barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye for as much as ye are zealous spiritual gifts, seek, that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue, pray that he may interpret.
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit, how shall he that occupy at the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks? Seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest.
Will thou verily give us thanks? Well, the other is not edified.
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all. Yet in the church I have rather speak 5 words, with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue. Brethren, be not children understanding how be it in malice feed children, but in understanding be men in the law it is written with men of other tongues and other lips.
Will I speak unto this people, and yet for all that will they not hear me, said the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. But prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them that believe.
If therefore, the whole church become together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievable, will they not say that you're mad? But if all prophecy, and there come in one that believeth not for one unlearned, he's convinced of all, He's judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is in you of the truth.
How has it been, brethren?
When you come together, everyone of you have the song at the top, at the tongue, at the revelation, at the interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course, and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church, and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak.
Two or three and let the others judge.
Notice the 22nd verse to connect with what we had this morning.
It clearly says that tongues are for assigned not to them that believe that if they were given to be used in the assembly of believers, they were to the witness to the unbelievers out in the world.
And then what is given for the believers is the rest of the verse of prophesying.
Serve it not to them. Believe not you. Don't go out and reach.
Eternal security.
And all the heavenly things to heathen people. But the believers need the present mind of God that a prophet can give for our prophet using the word PROFI.
One who prophecies speaks for our prophet. Like a businessman, he has something for to gain by and.
Back in.
Earlier in our chapter.
The 12Th verse.
Even so ye for as much as ye are zealous of spiritual.
Manifestation. Is that right, Bob?
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Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church. God wants that result. We have in verse three He that prophesied speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort. That's the result.
Prophecy that comes from God giving his mind for the assembly.
On the day that he gives it.
Then there are four things that are quite excellent, it seems to me, in verse 6.
I don't think we've got that far, but at the end of verse it says. Except I shall speak to you either by revelation.
Or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctor.
All of these communications from God to his people.
Therefore are building up for our excitation and for our comfort. And that's what Christ, in the midst of His gathered Saints, ministering by the Spirit, wants for us here this afternoon.
There was a real place for tongues, and I think it's good to understand.
Where tongues were profitable, and Paul even says here in the end of the chapter, forbid not to speak with funds. Remember her late brother Jimmy Smith saying referring to the verse in Acts where when Paul went to Corinth he went first as his was his custom into the synagogue of the Jews?
And when the Jews refused to listen to his message, he separated the disciples and went into the House of one justice.
Whose house was joined hard by the synagogue was right next door Means. And he suggested that the reason that tongues were used and regulated in their use here in the Corinthian assembly was that perhaps Jews from the synagogue came into the assembly meetings, and therefore tongues were used as a testimony to those that believed not, and that was their purpose. It was to the Jewish people very clear in verse.
21 With men of other lips, tongues, and other lips will I speak unto this people. It was the Jewish people, the people who were used to signs and wonders in all their history. And God gave those signs and wonders, as it was mentioned this morning, to show that this was a movement that was truly of God.
But I say sometimes how shall we compare what is called the tongues movement today with what we find in Scripture? We cannot directly contradict it. We must go by what Scripture says in connection with it.
And I say, does it correspond with what scripture talks about as tongues In South America oftimes Brethren. In conferences like this, the brethren often used to or often 3 languages, especially in Bolivia where.
They have two Indian languages to cope with, and sometimes the brethren, realizing that there's a certain percentage of the brethren who do not understand what is being explained in Spanish, will take time to explain after a certain length of time. And they catch what tongue? Or the aimata tongue.
The point is that there is need of edification understanding.
And so tongues are in use. It's not the tongues that were mentioned here. That was a miraculous gift.
That was given so that people would realize that the work was of God, but today what is known as the tongues movement.
We compare it with Scripture. There's a number of things that I've found helpful, and I give this for the young people that in Scripture, when you see tongues spoken, they are actual languages that people spoke. They're not just a garble of words, they are actual languages. That the person who spoke understood what he was speaking is clear in Acts chapter 2 That those who were speaking understood what they were speaking.
And there were those who understood that language, who received the message.
In their own language.
Here in the 14th of First Corinthians we have a little further down. I'd just like to refer to it because if it is truly of God, it will correspond with what Scripture says.
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And in verse.
I'm just going ahead a little bit just to point this out. Verse 27, if any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two or at the most by three.
And that by course it means taking turn. Not everybody is speaking together, and let one interpret, in other words, so that there will be edification for the whole church. Someone was going to have to interpret what was being said in that tongue, so that all could be edified. And it also goes on to say, if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church, let him speak to himself and to God.
Is that the way the matter is handled in large meetings where they profess to show?
This gift of tongues, I say, if it is not that.
If that's not the way tongues are used in those gatherings, than it is not by the Spirit of God, because the Spirit of God inspired this book and he will never lead you nor me to contradict what is written in the precious word of God. It's mentioned also a little later in this chapter. Speaks of the women keeping silence in the churches. Is that?
Evident in the tongues movement.
These are questions that you and I must examine to know whether the movement is of the Spirit of God, or perhaps it is another Spirit that is involved.
I have a question here Bob from verse 13 that is evident that the one that speaks in an unknown tongue might himself interpret what he has said in an unknown tongue, but the words that you just quoted?
If there was nobody to interpret, he should keep silent. Does that suggest that a person might speak in a tongue and he himself doesn't understand what he's saying, and then somebody else might interpret it?
Yeah, that's a verse that is used a lot in religious circles to justify the use of tongues, and I think it is an important verse. Let's just read that 14th verse. Or if I pray in an unknown time or a time, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. The way I understand that is simply that I could pray in Spanish here.
But my understanding of what I am praying is unfruitful in all the rest that don't understand Spanish and they cannot say Amen. And that's the way I understand that. I don't know what that's the point you were making. Well, what I'm saying is it possible that somebody might speak in a tongue and the one who speaks in that tongue doesn't know what he is saying, he doesn't understand it, that there has to be another person to interpret.
I always have understood that the tongue would be understood by the person speaking. It says I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding. Also I will pray sing with the Spirit and sing with the understanding. So I always thought it was with the understanding of what he said. And so the 14th verse means.
His understanding, he understands what he's saying, but it isn't profitable to anybody else. That's right.
Verse 12 I'd like to read it Even so, ye who blesses ye are, tell us, spirits at the margin.
Seek that you may excel in the inner mind of the church. I think that's the same way as a good translation gifts. There is an account being invaded by the translators because they thought that Asian to get the sin, but I do believe that the driver drops that out.
And he speaks on this in his writing to the effect that.
These drip ends have just came from mechanism where they have given themselves over to this phenomena known as pump. It was evident they were doing the same thing again only so sad to say in the assembly.
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There was there was a difficulty. They wanted to give themselves.
Something that shouldn't be there. This effort that is going on today is not new.
It's been going on as our brother, another brother says. In meetings, The Greek philosopher had spoken of contagionism, a phenomenon.
Even before we can say what we know is the church era of time, so I have witnessed comes.
And to me, it wasn't Hillary. But it was always done completely out of order and I didn't come to a place to try to be there. My wife is Christians in the book room to pray and the three of them spoke in tongues. 2 of them were sisters.
Yeah.
There was no interpreter.
Well, I pray, and I call Lord, and I pray to the Lord Jesus. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. They stopped thinking pretty much in times, and listen to what I had to say in the prayer of that tonight. And I own the authority of the Lord, the very name of God. I did not feel liberty to challenge that spirit.
Well, I didn't have any learners to assist you, but it was elegant. But these people wasn't doing it was gibberish, out of control, like an epilepsy fit. It was something that took over there and gave it the ability to do that. It was a another spirit to recognize an intense rule. There was another scare. This manifestation is that other spirits because it is the work of the enemy to to grave Christianity.
And the truth, as you put change on the personal price, those doesn't change.
Because our Lord is Lord of the discovery and the superior God, as we are gathered under the name of the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus is in our midst, is the Spirit of God that has liberty this other Spirit.
Is challenging to work in the whole. That's a challenging work of the Holy Spirit of Christianism today. Is that spirit No spirit you're not of the Lord.
It is one of the thing about one other spirit that when we read verse 26, it says that all things do not identify. I have a spiritual soul and body, each of us do I have a spirit that is interfere in ministry, in the assembly? It has to do with my idea of things. Maybe I sometimes might have campaigned in mind.
But this spirit of life has to be brought into subjecting to the Lord in the assembly. That we assembly is the place of liberty for the Holy Spirit drive, strength gets all into the doctrine and truth, and that man is not assaulted. It is footnote Mr. To that verse Mr. Darby plainly states that it's a contest between the demons action and that of the Holy Spirit.
That as Gentiles they were in danger of confounding that action as being that of demons, and the Apostles obliged to point out the difference between demons and the Holy Spirit. And there's another thing that seems to go along with that. Those who practice these tongues nowadays is that they don't believe in eternal security, nor do they practice the rest of this chapter. As already pointed out, they all speak at once, and we get that right from people who.
Have been there, not part of it, one sister said. You're supposed to pray, but there's such confusion with everybody speaking at once, you can't think.
That's a testimony from someone who's part of it.
They were not from here.
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That was a very large manifestation of signed gifts there in Acts Chapter 2. I wondered about that. And that's about all you can do. How here we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born. Now, I've been one person speaking all the rest of them here in their own language. It's an undoing of the Tower of Babel. No problem with God.
So he brought in the Church in all the manifestation of undoing the bagel of tongues.
And he doesn't want to become another Babel. And it's amazing that the confusion that has been generated.
In the church ends up being called Babylon the Great. She heads right back to that Babel of voices and every wind of doctrine.
Well, in our chapter the Lord by the Spirit sets a clear.
Way of carrying on in grace without rules and regulations without official appointed.
People to maintain the truth of God.
And.
We must follow this chapter in order to.
Have that wonderful result of the power of the Holy Spirit. The whole kind of concludes about this speaking in tongues in verse 18. I thank my God I speak with tongues more than ye all. Then what do you say? Yet in the church? Again, in the church I'd rather speak 5 words with my understanding. He understood it. He understood what he said.
That by my voice I might teach others also than 10,000 words in an unknown.
The chapter is very simple when you get to it. God wants an order to carry the Revelation.
The prophesied the exhortation.
And the comfort to his people so that we get the message.
From him, and so that we're built up in that most holy faith that he has brought to us.
But they say that may I may I question the statement, if I understood you right, that in Acts 21 spoke and all those different people heard it in their own dialect, is that how you read those verses and see what we get out of them in Acts 2?
Beginning verse 6.
Through eight, then, it lists a whole lot of those times we ought to get something out of this.
At 267 and eight.
Yes. Now when this was noise abroad, the multitude came together and was confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
And they were all amazed and marveled, saying, one to another, behold, are not all these which speak so? There's more than one speaking Galilean? And how here we every man in our own tongue.
Wherein we were born Parthians and meats and Thalamides and.
How do you understand that? Well, I had thought, and I'm willing to be corrected if it is wrong, that they were not just one person speaking. They all received the gift of tongues, and the one was speaking in this dialect and the other was speaking in that dialect so that they all heard.
The wonderful works of God.
That's how I understood it. I remember my father saying it was a gift of tongues not appearing. That's it. Verse four seems to confirm that. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak. They began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. So they were sworn in once speaking. And the Spirit of God saw to it that all these different people.
With their different dialects all heard the message. Now how this was practically carried out, you know?
They probably were indifferent corners, you might say. Or maybe they spoke at different times. I'm sure they wouldn't all Babble out at the same time if they were in one room, But it seems to me that the correct understanding is that different ones spoke in different dialects and received that ability from the spirit of God and in verses 12 and 13.
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You get different.
Responses.
Amazement.
And doubt and mocking. And the mocking seems to be from those who probably were local views and didn't have any of those foreign tongues. And they said, well, they're full of wine, but then let's notice too in Acts Chapter 16.
In Acts 16.
Paul.
Being part of us have come to.
Well, no. It's version 9. There's a vision and a man of Macedonia.
Stood there.
And prayed him saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us.
Verse 10 After he'd seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
So they come to Macedonia in verse 12, but Lydia hears and she shows the hospitality #16.
They came to pass as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination menace.
For 17 the same bowl of Paul in US, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High. God would show unto us the way of salvation. And this she did many days, or did she many days?
Could all be agreed, turned, and said to the Spirit I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
I'll just point this out.
That it's not uncommon in the work of God for the enemy to try to join himself to it.
And I think that's what you're getting in the Corinthians assembly.
That it's the effort of the enemy to join himself to the work of God.
Now.
All by the spirit never says directly to the Corinthians. This is the work of demon.
He's giving them the tools to discern what is of God.
They might have taken a quantitative, said this is the work of deep, but he says I'll just lay out this matter of order and you give it the test and if it's not edified and it doesn't bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ of drought, because that's what's important.
You know there's one.
Great heart in all the universe I should go beyond in all existence.
That heart desires to be known.
That's the heart of God.
There's nothing salt pleases you and I, as in someone truly understands.
We seek God, the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. He wants his heart to be known by Adam and the enemy comes in when he introduces the church.
He wants mankind to know his heart in the fullness of the gospel.
He is pleased to use signs.
To prove to the Jew.
This is God's doing.
And here you have a Gentile church.
Now there are Jews in that area, and so those signs at times would be of God.
And at times even science today for the Jew.
And the question is.
Is it terrified? Does it glorify the Lord Jesus? Anybody speaking by the power of the Spirit of God will never blasphemy Jesus.
00:35:09
Those tests are put to it. The tools are put in their hands, are wonderful that he by the marvelous spirit of God.
Has not left US rules and regulations, but he has left us a way to test.
Along with what it applies.
When that spirit of divination tried to join itself to Paul's work, it didn't take them long, but it took many days. But finally he recognized, you know, that the enemy seeks to join himself to the work to spoil it.
And if we can see God's purpose is that his heart might be understood by man.
That's certainly not going to glorify.
I'd like to ask in Two Corinthians Chapter 11 to support what our brothers just been saying, or at least to bring in the thought of what we've been speaking. In the second verse of 2nd Corinthians 11, it says, I am jealous over you with the godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. That's communion, isn't it? But then he says, I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety.
So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, Or if he that cometh preaches another Jesus whom he have not preached, Or if you receive another spirit which you have not received, or another gospel which you have not accepted, you might bear well bear with me. So the apostle was giving them here some more explicit opinions or advice, if I could put it that way, in these verses about what we've been speaking.
About this other spirit, but I think it bears up the thought of another gospel. It's not the gospel of the heart of God, as our brother has touched on. It's the it's that false thing coming in. Satan beguiled our first parents through his subtlety, and now he's seeking to intrude with this false system of another spirit. I like to add to what Brother Lamoyne said, You know that is even possible.
That the enemy uses a genuine gift given to an individual who exercises it in the flesh to cause division and harm among God's people. I think that's a very solemnizing thought, beloved brethren, because a gift in itself is not enough. That gift has to be exercised in the power of the spirit of God, and God does not take away a gift.
You know, the gifts taught us the verse to often get the throwing of daughter without repetitive repentance. So we have seen that among brethren how gifted men have left many Saints of God into serious error. Their gift continued. Their gift was misused. It was no longer the.
Under the direction of the Spirit of God. And so we ought to cry to the Lord for help, that we will not lose our sense of dependence, that the Lord needs to be in control, and by his spirit to guide and to direct the individual servant in the exercise of his gift. Peter in Matthew 16 said made a tremendous confession of the Lord Jesus his person.
Saying thou art to Christ the Son of the living God and the Lord, Jesus said, Blessed art thou Simon, son of Johnson. It was a wonderful confession he made. But in the very same chapter from the Lord, Jesus announces he's going through Jerusalem, but he's going to be killed and raised again. The 3rd day Peter says have pity on himself. This shall not be to be. The Lord had to turn around and say, get behind me Satan.
So, brethren, we don't have to lookout into other groups of Christians.
In the great House of Christendom, of which we are apart, we have to look at ourselves. These things are written for us because I can be used by the enemy if I do not have a right spirit, and so it's a continual exercise for each one of us. Britain. These things are written for our exercise.
It's a very practical portion too. I believe it can apply to us apart from tongues. And some of this is direction to us also. You know in verse 15, what is it? Then I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding. Also verse 17. For thou verily give us thanks. Well, but the other is not out of life. Now. The thought here is that others are listening in our prayer meeting. We should take that to heart.
00:40:31
Verse 16 Else without shall bless with the Spirit. How shall he that occupy at the room of the Unlord say Amen, and thy giving thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayeth. Well, we should have more amens in our prayer meeting.
I feel it as I go around. It's hard for me to have several brothers there and no ones Amen. Why? Well, they're not. They're not praying in the spirit or we're not of 1 spirit or something's wrong and I think this is bringing that out. You know they'll verily give us thanks. Well, but the others not in a fight. He doesn't say man. He doesn't adopt that prayer as his prayer. I think we could take a lesson on this practically.
From Nehemiah and the chapter and verse 6, Nehemiah 86.
And Ezra, thank the Lord. Bless the Lord is the same thought exalted him the great God, and all the people answered, Amen. Amen. We're lifting up with our hands. We get that in Timothy. And they bowed their heads and worship the Lord with their faces to the ground. Well, I believe our prayers ought to be said audibly.
Apart from talks audibly, you ought to be able to hear what they're saying. Or how can we? Amen.
How can we really be to agree? That's what our prayer meeting is about. And I believe you ought to pray in such a way they not only hear, but they can. Amen. Your prayers. You know, we don't have to give a lecture to brethren in our prayer. That isn't the reason of the prayer meeting with different times. For that we don't have to tell God what his word says either. There's a lot of that going on. But let's just lay before him the burdens of our heart. And let's hope our brethren Amen. We ought to pray that way.
I think there's a practical part here as well, apart from the top. Thank you brother, for saying that because I felt the difference ever since I came to this country and it's a national problem. It's not a good custom that we have. In Europe, where I grew up, there was a loud and strong Amen every time somebody prayed. We don't have that in the English language, but the scripture suggested, and maybe this is a time where we can start.
Changing a custom that is not supportable by scripture. I would like to hear more of an Amen in the assembly. One of our sisters, brother, can the sisters say Amen? The Lord reads the heart, brothers, they can not. I was going to say if you've ever been to Trinidad you'll hear some hearty amens from the brothers and the sisters and I was thinking of the 34th verse here. Has also set the law and was just read to us in Nehemiah.
That all the people answered, and Amen.
So it's not like a a sister coming out with some doctrine, but to say Amen is agreeing what has been spoken and I can't see anything wrong with it.
Thinking of the practical side of that, and our brother Gill lived with us there for a number of years in Vessel, he said to me one time. You agree with your brother.
At the prayer meeting, when you when they prayed, you agreed with their prayers, I said yes, he said. Why don't you say Amen then? That was his comment about and you know what vessel we hear a lot of amens.
That's a real word for us, beloved, in this simple statement, the letter killer. But the spirit gives life. So if the letter of those words that your women keep silence in the assembly is applied and we silence the communion of our beloved sisters and our prayers.
We are the great losers, but if we speak in terms that all can enter into and understand, I believe we will have more. Amen to our prayers of the brothers from all the assembly. Thank you. Could we say that just to drop someone and loose ends here, that a gift is always given never to a grand eye and never for his prophet, but it's always given for the prophet of the assembly?
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So even if I could pray and come in my closet, it would be a misuse of that gift because that gift is given to the body for the identification of the assembly.
Let's just don't Amen for the sake of Amen either. If you can't Amen. Your brothers prayer don't Amen. I mean the Spirit teaches that way too. We had a brother pray not in the Spirit. It was his spirit Castig castigating his brother. There wasn't an Amen.
But other all the others, there was a lot of Amen. We should let him know when he's not praying according to the mind of our Lord.
And I believe these same hands are important.
There is a theme that we have had mentioned, but I do not believe that it has been adequately explored, and that is this expression that was used earlier as to the manifestation of the Spirit. And I believe if we examine the 12Th chapter in connection with this chapter, we are going to understand that the Spirit of God is bringing before us the manner by which the Holy Spirit who inhabits the assembly.
Manifests himself through various individuals who speak and the thought more is to occupy us with the the manifestation of the Holy Spirit than with the gift. There are gifts that are resident in individuals, as we all know from the Ephesians chapter 4. There are those who are evangelists, pastors, and teachers, and one who has given been given that gift is an evangelist regardless of how ever.
He may abuse his evangelism, but what we have before us here is the manner by which the Spirit of God manifests His presence in the assembly through various ones. Whomsoever He as sovereign elects to use, we ought to be more occupied with the Holy Spirit in our presence than we are with the use of the Gift. And He is the Holy Spirit, and He's the Spirit of truth, those two things so that what comes out.
Will manifest.
Whether the Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of truth, is getting that kind of a ministry out, and there is this instruction for us also that has been pointed up. The difference between the spirits to which the Corinthians work, with which the Corinthians were familiar, and the extreme difference in the operation of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the gathered Saints. So that having been adequately pointed out, we should be concerned.
With occupation with him, because we are.
Inhabited. The assembly is a habitation of God through the Spirit, and I am aware that that is the entire Church of God the Holy Spirit inhabits. But as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in this day of ruin, the local expression of the assembly has the character of the whole, so that he is present when we come, and we need to be aware that it is indeed the holy Presence of the third person of the Godhead, and the presence of the sun in the assembly to which we come.
We never have to pray that he might come. It's lack of faith to pray for the Spirit to come. He is present, and the Cardinal Sinning Christendom is that this truth is set aside. They act as if he isn't here, and so they do not allow him in a sovereign way to use whomsoever he will. They set up their own system, and this is what is wrong. But isn't it possible that we also might?
Fall into habits and customs which quench the Holy Spirit and beloved brethren, we ought to ever be willing to allow the Spirit of God to take control one way how we tend to control or to interfere with the activity of the Spirit. Quenching the Spirit. We don't like prophesying. You know what I mean to say is we don't like ministry directed to the conscience.
You know what, we try to suppress that type of ministry.
That's why we have the condition that we have, among other things, of God, the world's meanness increasing on every side. It is because we have successfully suppressed the voice of the prophet, the director himself, to the conscience. Not that that is the exclusive work of the Prophet, but it is a great part of the work of the Prophet. Like that has been said, the teacher directs himself to the intelligence of the believer, the shepherd to the heart.
00:50:27
The prophet to the conscience, let us not suppress prophecy, beloved brethren, we need it very much. We need it at this a day of the churches history more than ever before.
Another word that used a lot in this chapter is the word understanding Again and again and again. You see that word understanding edification is used quite a few times too, and I suppose there's something that relates there. But how important that there be understanding in the scriptures rather when?
In our reading meetings, seek that there be understanding. Have a sense of whether what we are saying is getting across to the young to have a sensitivity in our souls, whether it is being understood in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 13 in connection with the parable of the sower. The one that receives the seed on good ground is that one that.
Heard and understood.
And brought forth fruit, and so understanding is important.
To have a sense.
Whether what is being said is being understood, and I just want to in our local meetings, encourage. Sometimes younger brethren are not understanding. To ask questions in a proper way, certainly, but to ask questions sometimes I know perhaps to ask questions we're afraid to show our ignorance. But it is interesting in the Gospels when the Lord Jesus.
Took up his upper room ministry in chapter 13 through 16 through 17 that in the 14th chapter there are two questions from two of his disciples that you hardly hear of otherwise. And the questions resulted in something that came forth from the Lord that was very extremely precious. So a question can be very helpful.
At times. And so I'd just like to encourage the younger brother. Don't think that we're going to all look at you and think.
You're don't understand anything. Think that your question is dumb. If you have that question, there's a good chance that there are many others that have that question too. So ask a question in the proper spirit, but ask it, and the Lord can give real help through that question. There's a proverb that says.
Understanding is like waters in the well of the heart of a man, but a man of understanding will draw it out. I didn't put it right, but a man of understanding will draw it out. So a good question is, is drawing out those wires. I'd also commend the young man not only to ask questions, because I would try to keep those as as few as we can.
The Spirit of God ought to take over.
And I and I really feel it. I know you said good questions, but the young men can return. As our brother Burn said, last bus to the Yellow Pages. You ought to give back to the old writers. You ought to do a little bit of feeding yourself and chewing the cotton. You'll get the answers, and you'll get so much more searching for it.
It's wonderful. You know, we've gotten all that treasure and you're not supposed to have it always given to you on a platter. Take it out. I think it's really right. The young man should get back at it. I'm still reading the same stuff I was reading 40 years ago, and I'm getting new stuff. Wonderful, isn't it? Not new truth, but I'm getting things I never thought of before. And those Yellow Pages, as our brother Burton said, are precious, which we should really do a little bit of that ourselves.
And I believe in the reading meeting, it's the spirit guiding. And #1, never direct a question to a brother. I don't believe that's right. I really don't. I don't believe that's right. That's taken the place of the spirit of God.
Maybe I'm going too far. I'll leave this for now. I mean in the assembly, don't you?
What? You mean in the assembly? Yet after meeting when the Lord was answering questions, he wasn't in a reading meeting. He was talking one-on-one to groups. Now so young people can get their answers that way too and go to any problem. Rather what you stand in connection with answering questions, you can get asking questions. It can be a real ministry because there's an appropriateness to a young man asking questions. When we find the Lord doing that. And he had to say to his parents wife thought she'd be sorrowing, was she not going to be about my father's business?
00:55:31
And how was he about his father's business? By teaching those ones? No, By asking questions. And so perhaps even a younger brother might hear an older brother in the assembly say something that's not really quite on. And there's an appropriate way to deal with that. And the Lord dealt with that. Here he was sitting in front of these doctors of the law, and he asked a question. And by that means, I believe he brought out the truth.
He was. He was the Son of Man as he asked those questions, wasn't he? And we're men too. But you know, he was also the Son of God.
We're not. When he was the Son of God, they marveled at his answers and understanding. Same moment. He never ceased being the Son of God. He was the teacher.
And then verse 18 says that Paul well says I spoke in tongues more than you all. Now was this the purpose of Paul speaking in tongues because he was traveling about in different areas where there were different languages? Further questions during the tribulation period, particularly the first half of it. Will that remnant of Jews be given the gift of tongues in order to carry the gospel of the Kingdom?
Throughout the whole world.
I'll let somebody else answer. The secret things belong to the Lord, but that which is revealed is for us and our children. But to someone else. Know that secret? Paul Wilson was asked. Do you think the age of lyricals is fast? He said. No, I think it's coming.
Well, we have. In Hebrews we have.
The statement.
How is it worded of the world to come?
World to come, Yeah. So that shows that there will be in the coming day a similar display. And also in the proof of Acts when the spirit of God is given, reference is made to the book of Hosea and we do not have a complete fulfillment of what Hosea prophesied and said. It is of that character, you know, So we do from that, no.
There is going to be a pouring out.
And most likely in connection with the remnant going out with the gospel. So we have some indications in the word of God that there is some future display of the power of the Spirit of God as similar to what we find on the day of Pentecost and what we have even in the early days of the Church. I was wrong. Yes. Thank you. Thank you.
George 26 How is it been? Better than just together? Everyone has to call.
At the doctor, at at the revelation, after interpretation, but all things be done.
I think this is the guide to each of us, brethren, When we come to the assemblies that would take part, come with a drop that we have contained to support doctrine or position or change any assembly or redistribution. We get something that is a law of spirit, that is not the spirit of Christ, that is not the spirit of edification. In a sense it could come to the assembly. It comes to the meeting that let us know and talk about it. We don't come with a doctrine with all.
Of revelation or an interpretation.
Come to see here. The Lord has to be a help to the resident.
This is where misuse of any misuse of questions.
Well, as misuse, yeah, Or misgiv issues that are all obscured because we've gone to some kind of campaign for our own, some little dad should we want to drive.
Off your mom and enjoy what you read. These verses you can read the word of God and this person is together in the assembly as brethren take apart.
01:00:05
Thank you, Brother Isaac, because you give the right God here. Because many times people turn to this verse as a pattern for our coming together and it is discouraging the display of the flesh and is not a pattern for our coming together. We were warned about two things after the Spirit. Questioning the spirit and grieving the spirit. We've already spoken about it, questioning the Spirit.
And the allowance of the flesh is what grieves the Spirit, and apparently that's what he's referring to as the allowance of the flesh, that they all get up there and they play all the gift.
It's very instructive for us that the spirit of God, who has been clearly distinguished from other spirits.
Puts the display of his manifestations under the same control of the control placed on prophecy. It is to be done.
In order and by course without confusion.
To the edification of the assembly. So whether it is a word spoken Reg.
Exhortation, encouragement, or comfort.
It it has the powerful manifestations of the spiritual, has the same control placed upon it.
Let all things be done. It says at the end of that 26th verse that all things be done unto edifying.
Edifying. That's the key to that verse, isn't it? I don't come with preconceived ideas or thoughts or plans of my own. You come in dependence upon the Lord. Knowing the Spirit of God is in is in the midst, and you're capable of well capable, or you should be capable of recognizing the work of the Spirit of God. If it's done in edifying or building up or encouraging, really, that's.
We find so much that is.
A tearing down and and discouraging. But the beautiful thing is to see.
As he says here that all things be done unto edifying it.
And that's beautiful when you think about this. We don't become short in it, That's true. But this should be our desire to be a help and an encouragement among the people of God. But it's not us. It's the work of the Spirit of God in the believers when He's given his rightful place.
I would just like to ask if we get back to the first phrase of our chapter, it says follow after love. And then I go back to chapter 13 and it says in verse two. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love on nothing. I think rather than the motive of love would bring a different character into our meetings rather than sometimes.
How expressive we may be. Or and and I think it's the word intimidation that we might refer to because I can look back on times when I wish that I didn't have maybe a strong voice but rather would use entreaties with my brother rather than try to be a staffing mill to stamp it out. So clear it's like 1. Brother says well he's as clear as a crystal and cold as an icicle.
And I think an illustration that I've heard that might relate a little bit. Using an illustration of these three chapters, in chapter 12 we get all of the ingredients and it was likened to all the parts of an engine. You know, you have all the parts of an engine and the mechanic who puts it all together, and I used to be a automobile mechanic. We put it all together and it all fits just perfectly. And then if I if I was to jump to the 14th chapter.
And try to start the engine without the 13th chapter. You know what would have happened, It wouldn't work.
But you know what the ingredients and the engine is with the mechanic, He puts oil in the engine and that lubricates all the parts and makes them work so nice and smooth. And you know, that's the ingredient of the motive of love. When I come with my brethren in the assembly, and if I forget that brother and I forgot the most important thing, it's his love. Love suffers long and is kind. And I've been in an assembly where some brother would rebuke another brother.
01:05:01
And you would say, Oh no, he lost his motor. What is his motor that should be loved? The love of Christ flowing out of a heart that's overflowing with the joy and goodness of the love of God. And so we take the motor. We put the oil in it. And then the 14th chapter. Now you start it up.
And after the motor starts up, all she runs maybe a little rough. So we adjust the carburetor and the ignition and we make it once smooth. And that's the illustration that I like to leave, especially with some of the young. We need the practical approach as to how in the ways of God, these wonderful things can be illustrated by some of these natural things that are commonplace to us. Why do these cars run so good down the freeway? Well, if they didn't have oil, they wouldn't work.
And if we didn't have the love of God as this 14th chapter starts out and says follow after love, follow after love, If that was repeated 100 times, it wouldn't hurt would it? For my own heart I need it brother and desire a spiritual gifts. And then we have all of the rest that works and how nicely it functions when love is an exercise in the Assembly of God and we look at one another and we say there's my brother for whom Christ died.
And this gives me the right kind of an attitude, because, let's face it, people read our attitudes oftentimes more than we they read our doctrine. Is that right?
Questions 314 Don't turn to it. Above all things put on love the bond of perfectness that I say Amen. Thank you.
296.
Call.
1 Timothy 2:3
Gospel—R. Thonney
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Sing number six to begin with this evening Gospel meeting number six, God in mercy send his Son to a world by sin and done. Jesus Christ was crucified was for sinners, Jesus died.
Oh, the glory of the grace shining in the Savior's face, telling sinners from above.
God is light and God is love.
God in Mercedes and his Son.
To our world by sin and Son Jesus Christ.
What fruits are?
A start. Oh, the glory.
Of the.
Shining Lasagna.
Lazy.
God is Lord and God is love.
And that no more will reign.
Jesus died and lives again.
In the.
Highest.
To bring me life, all the glory.
Of the great.
Giant Las Vegas.
Telling Sinner.
From above.
And.
God is love.
All the way his name may leave.
Every was in life.
Receive, Lord of all.
Gives me the smell.
Every day.
Must fall.
The Lord will come again.
He will suffer it once will reign.
Every.
Time that life will all Jesus Christ.
Is Lord alone.
All the glory.
Of the great.
Shining.
Will say you're saying.
From above.
God is work and God.
Let's pray. Gracious Father, we're so thankful.
Sing also #19 on our hem sheets.
00:05:05
O Christ, in thee my soul hath found, and found in thee alone.
The peace, the joy I socked so long. The bliss.
Till now unknown, now none but Christ can satisfy.
None other name. For me there's love and life.
And lasting joy, Lord Jesus found in the.
Oh Christ, and lay my.
Full effort and found in the alone.
The people Joy.
For so long, Lovely.
Till now unknown.
This part none other day for me there's love and light and.
Los Angeles.
Lord Jesus, Father.
I saw it forward.
And happiness.
Are you more than nothing but?
While I pass my savior.
Past his love.
There's love and light and Los Angeles.
Lord Jesus.
Founded me.
I tried the broken.
Sisters like.
But all the Wanderers failed.
This was not another name for me.
There's love and life and life and God.
Lord Jesus.
Founded Sleep.
00:10:03
Let's begin the meeting this evening by reading in Second Timothy, Chapter 2.
First Epistle of Paul to Timothy, chapter 2.
Beginning with verse 3.
And.
Paul was instructing Timothy about prayer to be made.
For all men, and he says in verse 3, this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator.
Between God and men, the man.
Christ Jesus who gave himself.
A ransom for all to be testified into time.
Permit me to read verse five and six once more. This is the focus of what I want to speak on this evening.
There is one God.
And one mediator between God and men.
The man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time.
We are living in this due time.
This one God.
Has revealed himself in the person of his own beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And there is one mediator between God.
And men, the man Christ Jesus, it's like to stop and look a little bit more in detail at this verse.
And its implications for each one of us who sits in this room.
Sooner or later, the awful truth has to be recognized on the part of each one of us that we have to do with God. You cannot escape this as much as you may try to deny any responsibility toward God, or perhaps as much as you deny the very existence of God.
That does not change the fact that there is a God with whom you must have to do. There is no escaping of this. Every boy, every girl, every man and woman that has ever lived on the face of this earth, sooner or later will come face to face with the person of Jesus Christ the Lord. You cannot escape it. You must do with God.
What kind of a God are we talking about? What are his characteristics?
If we must meet him, if we have to do with him, what kind of a God are we talking about?
People say sometimes that God is the fabrication of man's mind.
Well, that may be some sort of a God that people adopt, but I say we're not talking about of God. That is a fabrication of a person's mind tonight.
We're talking about the God of the Bible and the God of the Bible.
Is an eternal God, a God who never had a beginning nor will ever have an end?
He is, He always was. He is eternal. That's the meaning of the word eternal.
Is infinite in his power.
He is holy, He cannot have.
Sin in his presence, but at the same time that that's the kind of God we're dealing with.
And it's a very serious thing to consider, given the fact that you and I are sinners.
God cannot have sin in this presence, not the least.
Pain of sin will he ever allow in his presence Moses, who is called a mediator in the Old Testament times.
00:15:11
Was called up into the mount of Sinai to meet God, and he said, so fearful was the sight, that he was exceedingly fearful and trembling. That was his response when he saw.
The God that he was dealing with.
But my friend, in Moses time we do not get a complete revelation.
Of who God is. Yes, God is holy. God is light.
There is nothing in your life that can be hidden from his eyes. All things are naked and open.
Before the eyes of him, we have to do it. You cannot escape him. He knows every detail of your life.
But now we have the complete revelation in the New Testament.
In the coming of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, that God not only is light, but God is love.
And at the same time that he knows every detail.
Of this sinful life that I have lived over on this upon this earth.
He loves me with a love that nothing can stop.
And eternal love. Oh my friend, this is the kind of God we are talking about.
There is one God. What a tremendous statement.
And you and I must deal with that. God, I wish you. Dear young people, so often we come to a conference like this and we act pretty good at a conference. But I wish we could block out the vision of everybody else here and realize that you.
Have to do with God and God alone. That's my desire here.
You don't have to do with me.
You happen to be here and I happen to be speaking.
You can listen to what I have to say. You can refuse what I have to say.
That in itself is of little consequence, that what is of consequence is.
That you have to do with God and you will not escape that matter. You will not escape. Absolutely impossible to escape dealing with God. And so I wish you could get alone in your minds eye to shout out all the rest. Those that you can act pretty nice in front of when your life perhaps in another area is pretty messy. Shut out everybody else. You've got to do with God.
And God knows the full history of your life. He knows those secrets that you do not open up to just anybody.
They're all open and naked before him.
There's one God.
And then the scripture goes on to say there is one mediator between God.
And men, the man Christ Jesus, a mediator, is one who goes between 2:00.
Who mediates? He is the one that.
Can bring perhaps we can say it in this way, two parties together that are estranged. God has done nothing to a strange man God is good and God did everything he could to give Adam and Eve, our first parents in the Garden of Eden, every possible commodity, everything for their own comfort and enjoyment. But it is.
Man, that is, distanced himself from God.
By his sin. And every time you and I sin, we get farther and farther away from God.
In our nature.
Naturally speaking.
We're estranged from God.
People get so far away from God that they say there is no God.
And scripture says that the fool says.
There is no God. I hope there's no one that falls into that class here tonight. I'm not calling you a fool. It's the God of the Bible that calls you a fool if you say, even in your heart, no God.
So there's one God, there's one mediator between God and then.
00:20:02
The man Christ Jesus. And to me this is tremendous. There is a mediator.
There is a way to get back to God.
And the truth of the matter is.
God has come in the person of the Lord Jesus to seek and to save.
You. Oh my friend, this is the kind of God we're talking about.
He wants you, He loves you, but He can't have you with that sin on you. There's a popular idea today that's all right to believe in Christ. Sure, go ahead, but you can kind of keep on with your life more or less like it was before. You don't have to change that much. I say, my friend, that's not the gospel that the Scripture gives us in the Bible.
The gospel that the Scripture gives us calls for.
Repentance. A change in your way of thinking.
And faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It talks about conversion.
Turning around.
That's the gospel we have in the Scriptures.
So you can't go on just like you used to. You can't go on accommodating.
Your sinful life and say that you are a believer in the Lord Jesus.
Those two things don't go together.
You may be trying to do that, but I say I see so many that try to do that and I can see the emptiness painted all over their faces.
I'm here to ask you to stop that kind of hypocritical living.
And get to God in all seriousness.
And settle the accounts once and for all. There is one God and one mediator between God and men.
The man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified of.
In due season, yes, the Lord Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all.
The end of his 33 1/2 years approximately of life down here, he was taken by those Jewish leaders and condemned before their own counsel and then taken to Pontius Pilate's judgment Hall and Pontius Pilate, even though he was determined to let him go, he could not deal with the people, the will of the people, one out.
We glory in democracy, but it was the will of the people that went out and nailed Jesus to the cross of Calvary. They took Jesus outside of the city of Jerusalem.
They took his hands that administered so much blessing.
During his life they nailed him to the cross, and they hung him there between heaven and earth.
And very hung for three hours, suffering from the hands of man.
From 9:00 approximately in the morning until 12 noon, he hung there.
Suffering all the abuse that his creature man could heap upon him. Think of it, friend, God the Son, hanging on that cross, suffering for us at the hands of his creature. What a story, what a story.
Then at 12 noon, everything got dark, the scripture tells us for three hours.
Till 3:00 PM it was all dark scripture.
Tells us what happened in those three hours in the prophet Isaiah.
It says He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. It was in those awful hours of darkness that God took those sins that I had committed, and laid them on the head of his own spotless holy Son on that cross, and let all his judgment against my sins fall on Jesus there.
Jesus bore it all. He died. He shed his precious blood.
The soldier pierced his side and out came blood and water. The ransom has been paid for. How many does it say here the ransom for all? No exception here. The ransom, as far as God is concerned, has been paid for all. No one has any reason to stay away. The ransom is paid. Jesus paid it all.
00:25:13
So the Lord Jesus is that one mediator between God and men. If you want to do with God, you must do through the Lord Jesus, that one mediator between God and Him. Necessarily a mediator has to understand both sides of those parties that need to be brought together again.
Necessarily, the Lord Jesus had to be God.
Necessarily, he had to be man, and Jesus is God.
The Son, the eternal Son of God, and every sense of the Word, He is God.
And at the same time, he is man. There can be no other, my friend. There is only one that you must deal with. That is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is one God and there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. I'd like to go in the Gospels now to.
Deal with a few individuals that came to Jesus in all their need.
And you might say, as you look at these individuals, how could they ever get to God?
In the state that they were, in the condition that they were. Let's go to Mark's gospel chapter.
One first chapter of Mark's gospel, we're going to talk about a man.
Who is a leper?
Mark One verse 40 and there came a leper.
To him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him.
If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him in Seth. Unto him I will be thou clean.
And as soon as he had spoken, immediately.
The leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed, and he straightly charged him, and forthwith.
Send him away.
Here we have a poor leprous man. Now in the Old Testament, if we would go back to the Old Testament, you read the law that God gave concerning lepers. When a sore appeared on a person, the priest had to determine whether that was leprous, and as soon as it was determined that that sore was leprous.
Whatever way it appeared, it could appear in different forms.
That person had to go outside of the camp of Israel.
And he had to stay away. He had to lay his hand on his upper lip. And if anybody ever started getting close to him, he'd say unclean, unclean, stay away. I'm a leopard. That's the way he would have to go. Poor person.
And here's a leper.
But here's the mediator between God and men. Does God?
Interested in lepers?
But this awful disease that literally eats away the members of his body? Is God interested in lepers?
Well, here's the mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ. And this leper came to him, beseeching him. Certainly he must have.
Have heard that Jesus could cure the harness diseases and so he comes to Jesus.
And he kneels down, he beseeches him, and he says, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Notice he doesn't.
Question the Lord's ability to cleanse him from the leprosy, but he questions his willingness to.
Oh, I love the response of the Lord Jesus here.
I will.
Oh my friend, are you here without the Lord Jesus tonight? Listen to this word from the lips of the Lord Jesus. I will. He wants you saved wherever you are sitting in your seat. God wants you saved tonight.
00:30:15
And So what does the Lord Jesus do? You know, like I say, in the Old Testament, the law was that nobody could even touch that leprous man.
That was prohibited, and if a person would touch a leper, he would be.
Unclean and need to have to go through quite a process to be able to live in the camp of Israel again to cleanse himself from the defilement of touching that leper. But here's the holy Son of God. Here's the mediator between God and men and this poor leper, he doesn't run away from Jesus. To me this is tremendous how Jesus attracts these poor people.
That have such need.
And he doesn't run away, comes to Jesus, and Jesus puts forth his hand and touched him.
Any defilement in touching absolutely impossible that Jesus could be defiled.
That disease left that man before the touch of Jesus.
There is no defilement in touching him.
You have a disease that's far worse than leprosy.
It runs in your veins. It's called sin. Everyone of Adams race is afflicted with that disease and it kills. The wages of sin is death.
How important to deal with this matter of the sin disease?
Not try to deny its existence, but to deal with it frankly and openly.
And that disease?
Will my friend kill you? Will bring you to ruin?
It's awful to see how sometimes young people who live in sin.
Looked like in early years of their life like old people.
Because sin has terrible consequences.
Do we need to go very far in this country to see some of the awful diseases?
That are ravaging the youth of this country.
Sad, extremely sad. But my friend Jesus.
Is the mediator between God and men, and he attracts souls.
He can touch you tonight. He will simply look to him by faith.
You will call upon his name that sin disease will leave you.
You can be gloriously saved just like this, like there was.
Like to go secondly to Luke's gospel, the next person.
That came to Jesus, the Mediator.
To Luke Chapter 7 this time.
A poor woman.
Who didn't have a very good reputation in the city where she lived.
Luke Chapter 7.
In verse 36.
One of the Pharisees desired him. That's Jesus.
That he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisees house and sat down to meet and behold a woman in the city.
Which was a Sinner when she knew that Jesus sat at me in the Pharisee's house.
Brought an alabaster box of ointment and stood at his feet behind him, weeping.
And began to wash his feet with tears to wipe them with the hairs of her head.
He kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisees, which had bidden him aside.
He spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a Sinner.
And Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master Sayon, there was a certain creditor which had two debtors, the one owed 500 pence and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered, and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most.
00:35:13
And he said unto him, Thou hast greatly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon.
Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house. Thou gavest me no water for my feet.
But she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Thou gave us me no kiss. This woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
My head with oil thou it's not anoint. This woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much to whom, but to whom little is forgiven?
The same love as little. And he saith unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
They that said it neat with them began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee, going to thee.
Here we have another.
Person a woman.
That have the reputation of being a Sinner. I guess you can imagine what kind of a person.
That this Pharisee thought she was, and I suppose it was true. She was a woman that didn't have a very good reputation in the city.
But think of it. Here's the Lord Jesus sitting at me at the table of this Pharisee.
Having a meal, the Pharisees, and into this house comes this foreword.
There was real power drawing power in the Lord Jesus.
To draw to him. And I say, my friend, there's drawing power.
If you feel your need, you can come to Jesus just like you are.
Tonight, right where your city, you can come to him.
And that woman, I'm sure, must have known how that Pharisee was going to look down his nose at her.
And still she came. Why? Because she knew something about Jesus.
Oh, what a tremendous picture this is. There she stands behind him.
Evidently, the way I understand the kind of reclined at the table and his feet were behind. And there she stands and weeps. Not one word does she say in this whole record that we have here. Now, my friends, it's not a question of words. It's a question of the language of the heart. And this poor woman stands there, the tears coming down her face. She wasn't enjoying her sinful life.
Do you enjoy your sinful life?
This woman had repented. There had been a change, perhaps before she enjoyed her sinful life.
Now she doesn't. She's weeping.
And she lets her tears fall on the feet of the Savior Rose, precious feet that carried him so many weary miles through the land of Israel. And she washes his feet with her tears. She takes her hair, her glory, and wipes his feet with her hair.
And then takes the ointment and anoints his feet with the ointment.
The Pharisee not only looks down at her, which was to be expected, but now he's looking down at Jesus.
This man, your prophet, thought he was a prophet.
I should have known kind of woman this is. She's a bad woman.
Here she is behind it.
Oh, but drawing power in the Lord Jesus.
Is there a need that you feel in your soul right now? I want to encourage you to come to Jesus.
You won't be turned away if you come in true repentance to Him.
And so the Lord Jesus puts a parable to Simon.
Here and he isolates the problem that Simon thought.
That he knew nothing about. He saw the problem far better than Simon did. And he then turns to the woman and says her sins, which are many, are forgiven. You think you didn't sin very much?
No wonder you don't love very much.
00:40:02
But this woman received that afternoon.
In that Pharisees house three things, the forgiveness of our sins.
She received salvation. She received peace with God.
So tremendous blessings from simply coming to the One who is the mediator.
Between God and men? Is God interested in that kind of low down?
And out woman of the street, yes, he's interested and he's interested in you. You may be a respectable citizen or you may be like this woman, not very good reputation. Whatever your condition, I say if you come in true repentance to the Lord Jesus, he will not turn you away. God's interested and there is a mediator to bring you back to God.
Oh, what a wonderful story we have in the Gospel. There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
Next one I'd like to go to briefly is John chapter 4, where we have another woman.
It was perhaps something of the same sort of a woman.
As the one we've just read about.
But what a story this is, my friend the Lord Jesus.
Verse three of chapter 4 of John left Judea and departed again into Galilee and he must needs go through Samaria.
There was an appointment he had in Samaria. He was interested in one person in a special in this city of Samaria, and that was this poor woman. He cometh verse 5 to a city of Samaria, which is called Sikar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob Swell was there, Jesus therefore being wearied with his journey.
Sat thus in the well, and it was about the 6th hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water.
Jesus said unto her, Give me to drink, for his disciples were gone away into the city to buy meat.
Then set the woman of Samaria unto him. How is it that thou being a Jew, askest drink of Maine, which I'm a woman of Samaria? Do the Jews have no dealings with Samaritans? Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, give me to drink, though it's the vast of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep, from whence hast?
Then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself and his children and his cattle?
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh, of this water shall thirst begin.
That whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never.
Thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
The woman said unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hit her to draw.
Jesus said unto her, Go call thy husband and come hit her. Woman answered and said, I have no husband.
Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband, for thou hast had five husbands.
And he whom thou hast, is not thy husband in that Sinstou truly.
Woman said unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet our fathers worshipped in this mountain.
And you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
A little further down, verse 25, the woman said unto him, I know that Messiah cometh.
Which is called Christ. When he has come, he will tell us.
He will tell us all things Jesus said unto her, Eye that speak unto thee, am He?
And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with a woman. Yet no man said, Why seekest thou, or why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and said to the men, Come see a man. Which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city and came to him. Here we have another poor woman, a thirsty soul.
And every soul is thirsty.
Until they come in truth to the Lord Jesus.
00:45:03
Oh my friend, have you come to Jesus? I can assure you, if you haven't come to the Savior.
You have a thirsty soul. There are so many ways that this poor world.
Offers to try to quench the thirst of your soul one way and another. Entertainment, sports, whatever it may be.
Things that are not necessarily bad in themselves, but things that keep you occupied.
So you don't think of your real need with God?
The world is full of it.
But it will never satisfy. And here comes this poor woman out of that city that day.
Little realizing that everything was going to change in her life. Little realizing.
That God in the person of the Lord Jesus was sitting on the edge of the well. Here she sees a man who she perceives to be a Jew, sitting on the edge of that well, and she goes up, probably without any.
Thought of initiating any conversation with him and he says give me the drink and they begin to talk.
And he says instead of answering your question, he says if thou knewest the gift of God, then who it is that's after thee? Give me the drink. Thou it's the vast of him, and he would have given me living water.
Here was the fountain of living waters, the one that could truly.
Fully satisfy her soul. She didn't know about it.
Is God interested in this poor woman? Yes. See, certainly yes. The Lord Jesus, the mediator between God and Him, is waiting there to take her back to God.
But there's something the problem here.
There's sin in the picture, and remember that sin question must be dealt with. You cannot ignore the matter of sin in your life. You cannot. Absolutely impossible.
And so she begins talking and listening and hearing about this living water, and she asks for it.
Oh, how gracious God is in drawing this poor woman back.
Threw himself through the Lord Jesus, that one mediator between God and men.
And she asks for this living water, the Lord Jesus said. And it's so precious in verse.
14 Whosoever drinketh of this water.
Excuse me, verse 13. Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, referring to the water of that well.
And we can write this over all this world's wells.
Some of you young people like sports.
Some like cars, some like dress and it occupies you.
And you go after it till now, one thing or another, as if it will satisfy.
And perhaps for a moment, there's pleasure in it. Scripture speaks about that.
But I say it will leave you with a more burning thirst than ever before.
Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again.
It will not satisfy you, but verse 14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him.
Shall never thirst, and I understand that that.
Word is a very strong negative. We could read it.
Shall never thirst forever.
But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Oh, not only will that person be satisfied, but we will have.
In himself that springing well of water.
Forever to be satisfied.
Dear friend, this evening, dear young person.
Do you want to be fully satisfied? I see so many, even believers professing believers, I say.
That I can tell are not really truly happy.
Want to ask you to be sincere tonight, not to me, but to God.
Before whom you stand right at this moment, are you really happy?
Or is there a deep current of sorrow in your life?
00:50:01
I say.
You can be fully, completely satisfied tonight. You come to Jesus to drink of that living water, that water that satisfies forever.
This woman wanted it, but there is one more matter that had to be dealt with and that was her life, her sinful life. And the Lord Jesus puts his finger right square on the problem. He says go call your husband and come here.
She says I don't have any husband. She told the half truth.
And that's the way we like to get around with God sometimes. Just kind of tell half the story. But I say, friend, if you want blessing from God, you've got to get the whole of your lifeout into the light. Nothing can be hid from Him. He knows it all anyhow. But quit trying to hide it. Get it out into the light, confess it and be done with it. And I assure you, and then the Lord Jesus will give you that living water that satisfies forever.
She tells this poor woman, Thou hast had five husbands.
And the one that you now have is not really your husband. She was living with another man. What a way to live. But that's the kind of world we live in today. People think they have to be free, that they can determine their own path, that they can ignore God's claims when God the one that made us.
Sets the guidelines. People think they can go their own way. I tell you, you cannot without serious consequences.
Sin has its consequences, but the Lord Jesus is waiting here tonight.
He is the mediator between God and man, and He can take you right back to God.
Tonight, if you will only come to him by faith.
Well, the Lord, this woman immediately proceeds to talk about religion.
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain.
With the Lord Jesus.
After dealing with her, reveals himself to her as the sent one of God, the Messiah. And then comes the response on our part. What is she going to do? Is she going to cling to that old water pot, that thing she had used to try to quench the thirst of her soul?
The disciples come, and while they're talking to Jesus, she leaves the water pot, She goes into the city.
She tells those men come see a man that told me all things that ever I did.
Not just the Christ that Jesus told her every detail of her life, no, but the light had shone into her life to such an extent that she knew that there was no use trying to hide anything. And that's the way it is if you want true blessing in your life. You're a young person, dear older person that's here tonight, but you know that things are not right in your soul with God. I say open up your heart. Bear it before the God that knows all your life anyhow.
Confess it to him, be done with it, and come by faith to the Savior.
There is one God. There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
One more point before I close.
This is salvation's day.
You have the opportunity tonight to accept Jesus as your Savior. He is still the mediator between God and men. He is still being testified of in this due season. But it will not be always that way. God has warned us that salvation's day will end, that the door of salvation will be shut.
And then there will be no salvation.
For you that have heard this gospel message and refused it, it tells us in the Book of Revelation.
Of a great white throne that is going to be set up in space.
After this world and the heavens that we know today are gone forever.
The dead will come out of their graves and stand before God.
An awful.
Nakedness in all their sins.
00:55:02
On that great white throne sits the same one.
Who is the only mediator between God and man, The man Christ Jesus?
Only he will not be a mediator in that day.
He will be judged.
There will be no mercy in that day of judgment. It's a great white throne, God in all His Holiness, in all His purity, to give the awful sentence of judgment to those that have refused the Savior and died in their sins.
And it says the books are open. All the record of your life will be read out.
And then there is another book, the Book of Light, and it says at the end of that chapter in Revelation.
Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.
It's a reality, a lake, a confined place of fire, of torment.
Where the worm never dies, where the fire is never clenched and.
There is the place where the person will go who refuses to deal with God.
Through that one mediator between God and I warn you with all my heart that this is God's only way of salvation. You may have your other thoughts, but I say this is what God says very clearly in His Word.
You cannot escape Jesus.
You may not want to deal with him as Savior now.
But you will meet Jesus.
Soon, early.
My friend, I plead with all those that are real believers in this room, you know who you are.
Sitting there and not really got the account straight with God yet.
Quit putting on a front. Get out, in all sincerity, that life of yours into the light.
Confess it.
And come to the Lord Jesus.
That only means between God and.
There is one God, There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified of. In whose season?
Spray Gracious Father.
The Heart
Children—J. Bilisoly
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Girl, nice to see you all here this morning and I'd like to just say if any of you other boys or girls would like to come up to the front while we're singing, why don't you just do that? Just feel free to come right on out to the front. There's still some seats here available. So who would have a song for us this morning to begin with?
Does anyone have a song that they'd like to sing? You might be more familiar with some of them on the very Backpage of the little hint sheet that we're using.
Yes.
#45 was requested.
Too little.
And glory.
And Lord Jesus and when we.
Always, always.
Bring up and through through the very good. Who has another one that they would like to sing this morning?
OK.
#40 Thank you.
Turn out again.
Yes, it's right for me.
Yes, I'm supposed to be.
Love, you come from sleep.
The Bible.
Tells me some verse 5.
Yeah.
You know, boys and girls, yesterday evening as I was up in our room at the motel, I could hear all the boys and girls playing in the swimming pool. And our room is just up from the swimming pool, so I could hear pretty well. And, you know, I didn't hear any arguing. I didn't hear any discordant sounds. It sounded like everyone was having a nice time. And I heard a lot of laughing and saying, Mommy, watch me. How do you watch me? You know what just made my heart glad to think of all your little kids being together.
To have each other to play with. What a wonderful thing it is to be able to come to a conference like this, isn't it? And I was just thinking of what our brother Bauman told us yesterday about the heritage that we have. And, you know, children, you certainly do have a wonderful heritage. I know you don't enter into it very deeply now, but you will more as you get older. And that's kind of along the lines of what I want to talk about this morning. And maybe we'll sing just a few more. But before we do, why don't we fold our hands and close our eyes and let's ask the Lord Jesus to help us, OK?
00:05:43
OK, who would like to pick a number to sing?
I don't believe we've heard from a boy yet, OK #11.
Would it be OK if we sang the 1St and the last verses of this song? Is that all right? OK, thank you #11 and verses 1:00 and 4:00.
Will your anger?
Unfold their rings of stride when you come from time.
OK, who has another?
I think we have time for a couple more.
OK, got #14 #14.
Again, why don't we sing the 1St and the last? Is that all right?
#14 verses one and three.
Have you been to Jesus?
Are you lost in the blood of the blood?
How are you, Father?
00:10:19
How are you?
In the world.
In my soul and take blood.
Gardens of this early blindness? No. Why? You are in the blood of the blood of the earth.
OK, why don't we have one more? And I saw him that went right up.
46 All right, 46.
Gladly I happier I be alright.
And.
We have to have a first time, so you're going to let us say.
And see all that we call all the tree that I are eldest and I have to be one of all the real quiet schools. Driven teeth are you?
Very nice, Thank you. Boys and girls. You know, there's a little statement made in one of these hymns that we sung on the Backpage #45 and in the second verse it says one little heart for him. Now in my youth, and I'd like to ask you a question that I asked a little girl backward. We live.
And the question was?
Where is your heart? You know, sometimes what was that inside? He said. Good. Sometimes we take for granted, we use these expressions so, so frequently and we take for granted that we all understand them. But I just wanted to talk a little bit this morning for just a minute or two about our hearts because I think it's important that we understand what that means. I asked this little girl back home.
Someone was speaking to us and I she was sitting beside my wife Carmen and I and I wanted to see if she was following so I said to our whisper to her as her daddy was speaking. I said where is your heart and she said it's at home and it's pink.
And I don't think she understood what I was asking. She was thinking of some little toy that she had at home. It was shaped like a heart and it was pink. Well, boys and girls, that's right. It's it's inside of us. And we can't, it's hard to describe.
Just where it is. And I don't think that that's so important. The important thing is that, like we said earlier, to receive the gospel, we have to receive it through our hearts. Someone has said that the heart is kind of the seat of our passions, our affections. It's the part of us that can love. It's the part of us that can be angry. It's the center of man's being, someone else has said. And that's kind of hard to understand, even for me. I, I don't really understand what that means.
But anyway.
Let's look at a verse in Romans chapter 10.
That would bear out the thought that we have to receive the Word of God into our hearts in order for there to be blessing. Now I know it comes into our ears 1St and into our minds, but then if it stops there, we're not going to get the blessing from it as God would intend us to have. But if we look at Romans chapter 10 and a familiar verse, verse nine, I'm going to read this verse to us and maybe the 10th verse as well.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Oh boys and girls, it's so important that when we hear the gospel as.
We're hearing this morning that Jesus died upon the cross, that he loved us, and that he paid the penalty for our sins. If we will have him as our own Savior. Oh, if we believe that message from God, if we believe that he's Lord and.
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That God hath raised him from the dead. It says here thou shalt be saved. But we have to believe it in our hearts. We have to believe it inside, not just hear it and make a a confession that's not real with our mouths.
It's easy to say things sometimes with our mouth, but when it comes to the heart, from the heart out of our mouths, it takes more effort, doesn't it? It certainly does. Well, you know, I was just thinking of how much you boys and girls have to be thankful for that. You can be here at this conference, even at your young and tender age. You can be here and listen to the gospel and listen to the word of God and be with friends with other boys and girls, too. What a wonderful thing that is.
What a wonderful heritage you have. You know, it reminds me of what the apostle Paul said to Timothy, and I'm just going to read that in Second Timothy chapter 3.
Verse 15.
It says and that from a child that has known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. You know, boys and girls, Timothy had a wonderful heritage too, from a child he had heard the Holy Scriptures. And can't you say that too? Yes, you can, because you're sitting here this morning as a child and you're hearing the word of God.
And so you too can say, like Timothy said, that you from a child have heard the Holy Scriptures. But what are we doing with them? Are we receiving them into our hearts? Well, that's the important thing. That's what we want to get across this morning, that we need to receive it, the word into our hearts, you know, it tells us in Psalm 119.
And verse 11.
The psalmist there could say thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. Thy word have I hid in my heart, and am I not sin against Thee? Oh, I hope you boys and girls are doing that. And I, I have a feeling that some of you have learned a memory verse that you could have stood up and said this morning. And I wish we had time for each of you to say your verse.
Because it's so encouraging to hear you say it. But you know, I want to encourage you that even if you don't get that opportunity today, the Lord Jesus knows that you have spent some time and energy to memorize that first. I hope you've hit it in your heart. Because if we hide His word in our hearts, it will keep us from sinning against Him. And that's what He wants. He wants us to take His Word and hide it in our hearts. And maybe you won't need it.
Right this minute. Maybe you won't, but you might too. Because thoughts come into our minds that are wrong thoughts.
And the word of God can correct those wrong thoughts or sometimes after meeting, between meetings, we're tempted to do something. It's just not very good. Our conscience says I shouldn't do this, but I feel like doing it. That's our will at work. So the word of God get in our hearts can correct that action before it takes place. That thought of doing something that's not right. And so how wonderful it is and how important it is.
That we hide the word of God in our hearts. And then another verse in Proverbs chapter 23.
And verse 26.
It says, My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe thy ways.
Of dear boys and girls, I'd like to apply this as if it were the Lord Jesus that was speaking to us. Give me thine heart. He wants our hearts, He wants our hearts affections for Him. And you might think, well I'm so little, I'm so little, can I really do something for the Lord Jesus? Well, let me ask you this, do you know how to pray?
How many here know how to pray?
Yeah, I think everyone there is a chance they gave us some thought. That's something you can do. I want to share something with you. Not to point to our family, but we've had a burden for a neighbor for some years that has lived next to us. And we just had a feeling that this neighbor wasn't saved, but we wanted him to be saved. And so we pray for him as a family and just the couple like a week or so ago.
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My wife Carmen was talking to this neighbor's wife and she said GAIL, that's his name. She said Gail's getting saved. He got saved. And you know, that was such an encouragement to us because we have been praying for that dear man and now he's the Lord's and it's so wonderful. The Lord delights hands. Our prayers voices are also so you can pray. You know, we're just commenting some of us lately on how we keep changes from year to year.
And you know how many days are in a year? How many days in a year?
365 of those riot. You know, it's amazing to me that a 365 days almost ago we were here in this room and some of the same people that were there then are here now. And yet there's some changes, some changes. Time brings changes, doesn't it? We're getting older, each of us. We're a year older now, 365 days older. And I was just commenting to my wife, Carmen.
How many Saints among us are getting up in years? The boys and girls? You know, it's wonderful to see these seats here filled up with boys and girls. And this thought comes to mind, that if the Lord were to leave us here, I don't feel like he's going to leave us here this long. But if he were to leave us here for a number of years, you boys and girls would have to be the ones that would start filling in the ranks. Do you ever think about that? Did you ever think about that?
You have to kind of take over some of the responsibilities that we've depended on some of these older ones to do for so long.
And now it would be your responsibility.
Well, you know, the Lord Jesus wants to prepare you even now for that responsibility. And I'm sure that if I were to ask each of the daddies and mommies in the room here, and I were to ask him, what are you the most concerned with about your dear voice and your dear children? I think they would say, like John said in his third epistle, I have no greater joy than to see that my children walk in truth. And does it say that my children know the truth?
Because that would be true, a true statement too. No, it doesn't say that. It says that my children walk in the truth. Oh, that's a little different, isn't it, than just knowing the truth. It's good to know the truth. We can be thankful for sound ministry. We can be thankful for a sound doctrine. The things that we hear that are true, but we've got to hide them in our heart. We've got to hide this word in our heart in order for it to enable us to walk in it, to practice it to.
Be able to walk in that truth.
Boys and girls, how important that is. Well, you know, there's something that that kind of kind of burdens me very much this morning. It's, it's a joy to me to see you here. But you know, there's something else that burdens me and that is that I know that we have an enemy. We have an enemy and he wants to lead us away from the Lord Jesus. And I believe that in every one of your lives, everyone of your boys and girls lives, there comes a time in our life when this enemy is going to make a bid for us. He's going to hold out things to us.
We're going to have to make some decisions. Are we going to follow the Lord Jesus or are we going to listen to what he's holding it up to us? Oh, that's an important thing, important question to decide. So, you know, boys and girls, I, there was a lady down the street from where we live and she was telling us not too long ago, she was not saved in it. I mean, she was not brought up in a Christian home like you have been. She was saved out of the world.
And she thought she was so happy that she was saved. And she was just saying, you know, there's nothing out there. It's emptiness. It's emptiness. And I want to bring that across with a little object lesson this morning, if we can, that this world doesn't have anything satisfying to offer us. You know, we sung last night when our brother gave the gospel. We sung the the words of that hymn. Now, none but who?
Can satisfy? What was it now? None but.
Christ Jesus, let's write. None but Christ has satisfied. But you know, boys and girls. I wondered if there's anyone here this morning that likes chocolate.
00:25:05
Does anyone like chocolate? You do, Huh? Who else?
Looks like just about every hand. How about on this side? Looks like about every hand here likes chocolate, you know.
I wondered if I could offer something to Caleb. Could Ioffer something to you? Caleb, if you'd like to step up here, I'd like to give you something. I think you'll recognize what this is.
Do you know what that is, Caleb? What is it? A Hershey's bar. Hershey's chocolate bar. Would you like that? I'd like to give it to you, so I'm going to give it to you.
Now, is there something wrong with that, Caleb?
Let's let's just see so everyone else can see.
I think Caleb's right. I think that candy bar is is empty. You know, boys and girls, there's nothing inside of this candy bar. As appealing as it might look, there's nothing in this candy bar that can satisfy.
It's gone. It's empty.
There's nothing there.
You know, that's, that's sad, isn't it? Because there are so many things in this world that are like that. They look appealing and they look good, but they're it's emptiness. It's emptiness inside. And that's the point we want to make this morning, boys and girls, that this world has nothing to offer you that can satisfy your heart now.
It would be sad if that was the end of the story because we live in this world.
And what are we going to do if there's nothing to satisfy our hearts?
You know it says that he filleth the heart with goodness. Who's that Speaking of? Who fills our hearts with goodness? Who can tell us?
God does, the Lord Jesus does. That's right. And He wants to abundantly bless us. And so I would feel bad if I had Caleb go back to his seat and all he took back with him was an empty rapper with nothing inside. Wouldn't that be disappointing, Caleb?
It would be. So I'm going to give you something and I want you to have it. And this boys and girls, the Lord Jesus wants to abundantly bless us. So I have something for Caleb and Caleb, maybe you'll do me a favor and and you'll let your daddy and mommy help you with that and maybe you can even share it so that others could enjoy it. That would be nice. Thank you.
The Lord wants to abundantly bless us. It says in John 10 and verse 10, I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. Well, boys and girls, I want to quickly look at an account of someone that turned to this world and found that there was emptiness there. Let's look at Genesis chapter 13.
Genesis chapter 13.
We're just going to read a few verses starting at verse 10 and Locke lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Even as the garden of the Lord like the hand land of Egypt, as thou comeest them to Zoar bin Lot. Here's a decision, boys and girls. Bin Lot chose all the plain of Jordan and Lot journeyed east and they separated themselves. That is Lord and Abraham.
Heather and Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent towards Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. Now turn over to chapter 19 and verse one.
And there came two angels to Lot at Even, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom, and Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them. And he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. Now he's in Sodom. He's in the gate now. Verse.
12 And the men said unto lot, Hast thou hear anything besides son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters? And whatsoever the host in the city, bring them out of this place, for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxing great.
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Before the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out and spake unto his sons in lock, which married his daughters, and set up. Get you out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city. But he seemed as one that mocked, or I think Mr. Garvey and his translation says, as one that jested, that is, is one that just spoke foolishly.
And so he seemed as one that mocked or jested unto his sons in law.
Verse 24 And the rain. And the Lord reigned upon Sodom, and upon Gomorrah, brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and all that which grow upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt, the boys and girls. Here's the story of a man that chose the world. He left Abraham, and he left Abraham in a lofty place.
Up on the mountaintop where he could see all around him. And he went down and he got closer and closer to Sodom until he was living in a wicked city, a very wicked city, a type of the world. Oh, it's a terrible place. And it, it says here that he seemed as he mocked. How could he speak to his sons in law when he was carrying on in a city like that? You know, it just seemed like he mocked to them. He lost his testimony before them.
They just, they, they thought he was being foolish when he told them to flee. And his wife, oh, his poor wife, what happened to her? She turned and looked back. Her heart was still there. And she looked back and she became a pillar of salt. So he lost his wife. And if we were to read on about this man's history, we would find that he lost his dignity, he lost his honor. He did some terrible things. And he became the father of two children, two boys, one's name was.
Moab and the other one's name was Ammon, and they became.
The parents of peoples, of a race of people that became a terrible, terrible plague to the children of Israel, God's people. Now just think about that a minute. His, his children became the cause of much grief and sorrow to the Lord's people. That's sad, isn't it? That's sad. Well, boys and girls, these are warnings for us in the word of God. Now I have something else in here and I'd like to give it to someone.
Does anyone like chewing gum?
OK, on the end, would you like to come up and have some chewing gum like to give it to you?
There you go.
Something wrong with it?
So what's wrong with it? Don't you tell?
Me that. That is so disappointing.
Can you do anything with that?
Not really.
You could wish that it were full.
Or you could throw it away because it's not really good for anything else, is it? But it looks good. It looks like the real thing, but it's empty inside. Again, just like the things of this world, boys and girls, Emptiness inside. Nothing to satisfy. What's your name? Sadie. OK, Sadie, I don't want to leave you with an empty package of gum because that's that's not really something that you would get any enjoyment out of, is it? So I want to leave you with something better than that.
Just like the Lord Jesus, boys and girls.
Wants to give us so much more than what this world can offer. So why don't you have that instead? Is that better?
OK. Thank you. You can sit down now.
That's just like our Lord. He wants to give us so much more than what this world offers. You know, our hearts are too large to be filled by the emptiness of this world. Boys and girls, let's read about another individual that found that this world could only offer nothing, emptiness. Look at Ruth's the book of Ruth.
Ruth And this is a story about a man and his, his wife and their two sons. Let's just read verse one. Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land. And a certain amount of Bethlehem Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Naylon, and Chilean epithites of Bethlehem Judah. And they came to the country of Moab and continued there.
00:35:29
And Elimelech Naomi's husband died, and she was left and her two sons.
They took them wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orphan. The name of the other was Ruth. And they dwelled there about 10 years. And Nylon and Chilean died also, both of them. And the woman was left of her two sons and her two husband and her husband, you know, boys and girls. That tells us in the first verse that they sojourned in the country of Moab. That just means that you're not really intending to stay there very long. You're just going to be there a little while you're passing through kind of they've gone down there because.
There was a famine and in the land of Bethlehem, Judah. But, you know, it really was an act of a lack of faith that took them down there because the very name Bethlehem Judah, Bethlehem means House of bread. Judah means House of praise. Oh, that doesn't seem like a very good place to leave, does it? No, they shouldn't have left.
And first they sojourned, but then it says that they.
Continued there or? Yes. And the end of verse two they continue there and then in verse four it says they dwelt there. Can you see the progression? First they sojourned, then they continued and then they dwelt. And how long were they there? Does anyone remember?
About 10 years. It says the word of God. Now, do you think that they had intended to be there 10 years? I don't. I don't think they had any attention at all of being in Moab for 10 years. The boys and girls, that's what happens.
We listen to the enemy, we get into the things of this world and sometimes it's hard to get away because He wants to get advice on us. He wants to get advice on us and hold us there. But listen to what she says in verse 21. And this is the point I want to make. I went out full and the Lord brought me home again empty.
You know, you might, she might have, we might think, well, she had to go because her husband went. But you know, I think the word of God would give us the liberty to say that she was influential in this decision too. I think most husbands and wives, when it's a decision like moving, they confer with each other. But not only that, she says, I, I went out full and the Lord brought me home again, empty. Boys and girls, listen to that word. She said I had I was full when I left. How did she leave?
Well, she'd gotten discouraged.
And she went down into Moab and the Lord had to empty her as a word. He removed everything from her and brought her back empty so that he could fill her again. Oh, boys and girls, you know, the Lord can restore our souls and oh, he doesn't want us to depart. He doesn't want us to go into this world and.
The taste of this world, we might be there for 10 years, we might be there longer. And so the Lord Jesus wants you to be kept. I have one more thing here I want to talk about. I see our time is almost gone and I wondered if there was any boy here that likes raisins.
Is there a boy that likes raisins?
Do you like braces? You don't. OK, You like braces. OK, You want to come up and have some lasers? What's your name? Stanley. OK, Stanley says he likes raisins. And I wonder if Stanley kind of has a feeling of what's going to happen here.
Stanley, do you think you know what's happening here?
He thinks I'm going to give him another empty box. Well.
Not this time, Stanley. This one's full, doesn't is it? Feel full?
Would you like to? He says it's something else other than raisins. Let's see. What is it, Stanley? He says it's full of sand.
Well, he's right.
It looks like raisins, but it's not. It's full of sand. And you know, boys and girls, not only are the things of this world empty, but they can be harmful and damaging, too. I wouldn't want to give this to Stanley. I would be afraid of him eating this, and I know he wouldn't anyway. You know, boys and girls, this is what Satan has to offer. And you know, I want to tell you a story that was sad to me, but it left an impression. But before I do.
00:40:04
I want to give Stanley something because I don't want him to go back to his chair with that box of sand.
That wouldn't be very nice. So I want to give him something to take with him. Thank you, Stanley. The Lord wants to abundantly bless this dozen boys and girls. This. I was walking downtown one time near where I work and I saw a man and he was digging in a trash can. Has anyone done that, you boys and girls? Probably not. This man was digging in the trash can and he pulled out some food and he began to eat it. He wasn't the least bit ashamed. He just began to eat them food. Now, someone, can someone tell us why?
This man would do that.
He was hungry. He was hungry.
That's right. This man was so hungry that he began to eat that food. He didn't care who was looking. But you know, boys and girls, as he did that, as he ate that food, there were lots of nicely dressed men and women like us this morning walking by that street, walking right by this man. And this thought came to mind as I watched that man. I thought, how many men and women and boys and girls are feeding on the things of this world that cannot satisfy the heart?
Because they're hungry, but it's a different kind of hunger. No, they would never be caught getting in a trash can like that man was.
Their heart is hungry. That's a very good answer. Their heart is hungry. The boys and girls who can satisfy the hungry heart.
Who is it, the Lord Jesus? That's right. And so I trust that you boys and girls would remember that, that it's only Him that can satisfy our hungry hearts. And He wants to do that this morning for each of you. And I want to close with singing a verse of that same hymn that we sang that our brother had us sing last night in the gospel #19.
You know, verse three says I tried the broken cisterns, Lord, but ah, the waters failed. And boys and girls, I want to just leave this with you, that you don't need to try the broken sisters. You don't need to. Lord Jesus wants to preserve you. If I had a bottle of poison sitting on this table and I would never do this, but I said don't drink that, that that poison could harm you. You could lose your life.
I know that there's not a boy or a girl here. I don't believe that she would come up and say, well, I just want to see. But you know, that's what we're doing when we, the word of God so plainly tells us that this world has nothing to offer but it can harm us. And then when we turn and we choose it, aren't we saying, well, I know better than the Lord?
I think I can handle things. That's what we're seeing in our hearts. It's like we're reaching out and drinking that poison and a lot of foolish thing to do. So let's think about this. We don't need to try the broken sisters. This is the experience of someone that had and had been saved.
And they could write this for two boys and girls don't need to do that. The Lord wants to preserve you and be able to use you as you grow older. And even now He can use you. Now let's sing verse one only of #19 in the course.
Revelation
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.
We'll ask God's blessing.
Revelation chapter one.
Verse one.
The word is singular.
The Revelation.
It is one complete.
Whole.
Let us read the first verse and comment something on it.
The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him.
To show unto his servants.
Things which?
Must shortly come to pass.
And he said and signified it by his.
Angel unto his servant John.
Now the origin of this is gone.
And the way he brings it to his servants.
Is through Jesus Christ.
And.
Then he gives it to an Angel.
Who gives it to John?
Who bears record verse two of the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ of all things?
That he saw.
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.
Now that little phrase in the.
First verse.
Things which must shortly come to pass.
Is stated again in the last chapter.
And that little statement at the end of verse three, the time is at hand, also comes out.
In the last chapter, it's doubled in this book.
That impresses upon us, beloved brethren, the nearness.
What is going to be fulfilled?
Of which we have the prophecy in this book.
The book is very largely future.
Very much of it is prophecy. I'll comment that prophecy always has.
The Indian view.
Of Christ.
It always points to that, even as we had yesterday.
In Acts 2, as in the days of Joel, there was, as we noticed, a partial fulfillment in what is finally going to be fulfilled in this speaking in town, I still think the Age of Miracles is yet to come.
But this book is so very interesting and the way I think of it.
Is that most of it is just around the corner. It's just that close to us.
00:05:06
But who are these servants?
These servants are mentioned in the last.
The chapter as well.
And there it says, his servants shall serve him.
And they shall see his face. I'd like to add a little bit more.
To the privilege and responsibility of being a servant, of which I believe every person here is going back to Luke's Gospel, chapter 12.
We're just start with verse 34 to catch a few things. 1234 of Luke.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also let your loin.
He girded about, and your light burning, and ye yourself like unto.
Men that wait for their Lord to come. This says men who.
Wait for their Lord to come.
And then we go to the.
The 37th verse and it says, Blessed are those servants.
Now the named servants that occupation comes in. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I send you that He shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them.
Now Peter asked the question about what the Lord had put forth in verse 41 and says.
Lord, and speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to others?
And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward?
A steward is kind of a chief over the servant.
Humans Lord shall make ruler over his household and give them to give them their portion of meat in due season. Now blessed is that servant whom his Lord shall be found when he cometh shall find so doing so the word servants.
In revelation that we've taken up.
Brings before us three things.
Waiting for the Lord.
Watching for the Lord and working for the Lord. Are you one of those servants? Am I one of those servants?
Really sent and signified by his Angel unto his servant John.
This book is.
Not intimate.
The message comes through an Angel.
There's a reserve and a distance when God enters into the subject of judgment.
Because there is much of judgment in this book, and it is his strange work. He has no delight in it, my dad used to say.
Man has forced God to be something he never wanted to be. That is a judge. Through sin. Man has forced God to judge.
And he slowed, and he's patient and he's gracious. He's waited these 2000 years in grace.
But what impresses me so much is that we're almost at the end.
So we go on down because we want to speak of many things.
To verse 19 we ought to pick up a little of an outline.
Of the revelation.
This verse gives 3 debaters.
Revelation 119 Write the things which thou hast seen.
That turns out to be.
The first chapter.
And the things which are.
That turns out to be chapters two and three. We can especially say so.
Because the prophetic history of these churches has all been unveiled.
As an actuality in 1995.
The things which are we are in 1995 still.
00:10:05
In chapter 3, right at the end.
Then it says the things which shall be hereafter.
Now notice in chapter 4.
The very first words.
After this, After what, beloved brethren, after the history of the Church has passed away, It's what it amounts to.
And the revelation goes on. I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven.
And.
The first voice which I heard was, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me, which said, come up, hit her. I think it's all right to use those words which are spoken to John to transfer him from earth to heaven for the visions to the time when you and I will be transferred from earth to heaven.
And running on in anticipation.
This corresponds to the rapture.
Now we read in Titus.
Looking for that blessed hope.
And the glorious appearing of that great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
And think of it as the second coming of Christ, and correctly so, I believe.
Having two aspects is coming for the Church, His bride, His heavenly company, and His coming with.
The Church to take possession. The manifestation.
And.
As we go through the book, I'm going to state to you now that the timing of His manifestation in this book comes at chapter 19 and verse 11.
And all that takes place between chapter 41 and 1911.
In heaven or on earth?
Takes place.
Between the Lord's coming for us, that blessed hope, the rapture, and His coming with us.
To take the throne of the earth.
In a way.
Revelation is quite simple to get the outline and to enjoy it, and because we're so near to the Rapture.
And that God has made known these things that are going to happen.
In heaven and on earth in that interval between the rapture.
And the manifestation, I think we should be exceedingly interested in it. I'm thankful that a good deal of Revelation Four and Five was read to us this morning. We won't have to read it, but in this chapter we've begun to read.
It's in heaven and these things take place in heaven, and it's exceedingly bright.
I said that this book is filled with judgment.
But you can't get anything more glorious.
In chapters 4:00 and 5:00.
Was a company there in heaven, with the Lamb, the center, and his praises being stated and sung.
Brethren, we could arrive there tomorrow, if not today.
The future is exceedingly bright for the believer.
But God has made unknown to us.
Also, what takes place in chapter 6?
Up to 19.
Let's go, then, to Chapter 19.
And notice.
We stated in heaven and in earth the events.
Most of it from chapter 6 to the end of Chapter 18.
Is on Earth.
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And I find a lot of complexity there in those judgments and the details of them. But God has made them known to stir our hearts.
And so let's read a little bit.
I want to go back to Chapter 17 and pick up a little bit before we come to Chapter 19 because we've got the church identified.
Down here as Babylon the Great, the Mother.
Of harlots and abominations of the earth. These are in capital letters in chapter 17.
5.
But in the first verse of chapter 17.
It says come hit her.
Again a statement, I suppose to John, I will show thee unto thee the judgment of the great ***** that setteth upon the waters. Notice the reading of this. He doesn't show John the great ***** He shows the judgment of the great *****. We're going to find a tremendous difference when he gets to see the true church.
But these chapters take up Babylon the Great.
Which is the Church as man has brought it into confusion.
Outwardly left down here to the very end time.
To be judged fully.
We estate that the false church, the church here that's left on earth after the truth caught out, is never restored. She is completely judged. In contrast, my brother read in Jeremiah 3 yesterday concerning Israel at Jehovah's going to marry her again.
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, not only applies to a gift given to a brother.
To help us down here. But it's the promise to Israel. God has set her aside.
He's given her a bill of divorcement, but he's going to come back and pick her up and bring her into blessing for the millennial day. Perhaps we'll get to that. But the serious thing is that the false judge, so false churches wholly wiped off of the earth.
In view of what we've just stated, let's turn to chapter 18. Well, I want to finish the 18th verse, the 18th verse of the 17th chapter to identify who Babylon the Great really speaks of.
The woman connected with that great city, The woman this is.
Revelation 1718. The woman which thou source is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
She has taken that position, she gets this full judgment and it's completed.
And it's completed in Chapter 18. Then we go.
In chapter 19 verse one back to heaven.
After these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying, Hallelujah, salvation, and glory, and honor and power under the Lord our God. For true and righteous are his judgments. Why, What does it say? For he hath judged the great *****.
He gets it over with, He gets it done which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenge the blood of his servants at her hand. But I wanted to get a warning out of chapter 18 and verse four, which I take to be a present day warning for any who are caught in the system that men have set up and made it great. And if you want to count the number of times that great.
Is used in referring to Babylon. I think you'll find it 11 Times.
Now, God never intended the church to be a great thing.
And she would never have become that great thing outwardly before the eyes of men.
If she had been faithful instead of that, she would have ended up wholly and true.
So if anybody's caught in that system, get out of it.
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That you don't become partakers of our sins. That you receive, not of our plagues. Now in chapter 19 again.
There's this Alleluia and this chapter we get Hallelujah.
And the smoke of her rose up forever and ever. Verse three, The four and 20 elders and the four beasts fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne, saying Amen, Hallelujah.
The scenes in heaven.
And the voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God on all ye his servants, ye that fear him both small and great.
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters.
And of the voice of mighty thundering, saying Hallelujah for the Lord omnipotent reigneth. Now look what it says.
Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come.
And his wife hath made herself ready. We're getting.
An order of things that will take place and in the.
This bride.
Has made herself ready.
It means that she has passed the judgment seat of Christ.
Because it goes on and says and to her was granted verse 8.
That she should be arrayed in fine linen. Clean and white were the fine linen is the righteousnesses. It should be plural of Saints.
So after the judgment of the great poor, the false church, then in heaven.
There is the marriage of the lamb.
And she has passed the judgment seat of Christ in heaven, and is arrayed in everything that can reflect glory and honor to Christ, who has bordered with His precious blood.
Verse nine he said unto me, write, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
We want this because there are others.
There that marriage who don't pertain to the bride, the Lambs wife.
We will refer to John the Baptist as being one of them.
He said He that standeth and heareth the bridegroom's voice, He that half the bride is the bridegroom, but he that standeth and heareth his voice, this my joy is fulfilled. So there'll be others in that heavenly company besides the bride, but there will be the bride. That's special relationship which we will try to get through to develop a little later.
So there are others that are cold. Well, John fell at his feet to worship him.
That's the Angel. And he said, see thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant.
Angels are servants too. Are you a servant goddess?
Giving to Christ by His Angel is showing to us things that must shortly be done.
Are we interested? Let's try and get it a little out of it.
But this angle says I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus worship God. We had that this morning worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Now this little key that we have read here just now come just before the manifestation and it teaches us how to read and apply this book.
You could turn that around and say.
The Spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus, therefore, I said.
Prophecy always looks on to the glory of Christ. He is the fulfillment of it in God's thought. Christ Himself is that God has determined that His Son shall be the center of glory in heaven and on the earth.
It will be done, and God's prophecy is not over with until it is done.
Now we're going to get.
The way it comes in and it comes in with the coming.
Of this writer on the White Horse, verse 11. Now this is the time of the manifestation, and I saw heaven. Oh heavens open, what's it for? For Christ to come out this thundering is this platform down here. I heard it yesterday and wondered why.
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Let's not let it disturb us. We get thunderings and lightnings in this book too. Maybe it alerts.
I saw heaven opened, and behold a White Horse, and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true.
In righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. His name is called the Word of God. There's no doubt about the writer on this horse.
The word of God.
Now notice verse 14 and the armies which were.
In heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Brethren, if Christ is going to ride a White Horse in the symbol, you and I are going to ride white horses too. You come out and share in His victory. He's going to lead on the victory, and we won't have to do one thing. He puts everything down by the word of His mouth, the sword that proceeds out.
Oh, what a God we have.
And God is here showing it out and out of his mouth to go with a sharp sword.
That with it he shall smite the nations, he shall rule them with a rod of iron.
He credits the wine Press of the fierceness and wrath.
Of Almighty God, let us clench to who it is. Verse 16 He hath.
On his master and on his thy name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Now, this is one vision. There are eight of them. We're going to get here and they are appreciated with these words. And I saw verse 11 and I saw we're going to count those out 11 Times. They are in sequence, They happen.
Following one another, they're in order. God's a God of order. Even if he wants order in our assembly and is provided for it, God is always a God of order. He's going to bring Christ out and put down his enemies in order until the whole thing is done.
But he brings us with him. But he does all the battle now.
What's the next one? Verse 17 and I saw an Angel standing in the sun.
Supreme Author And he cried with a loud voice, saying To all the fowls that fly in the midst of the heaven, Come and gather yourselves together under the supper of the great God, that he may eat the flesh of kings.
And the flesh of captains.
And the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses.
And of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bomb.
Both small and great. Here's the next vision.
Tremendous judgments.
Executed by the one who has come to put down.
All authority and a judge.
And to consume it so it mentions.
The Supper of the great God.
And.
In.
Looking back, we had the marriage supper of the lamb.
There are four suppers particular that are mentioned in scripture.
The Gospel Supper, of which I hope everyone of you has already eaten and partaken.
And there is the Lord's Supper. Did you partake of that today?
And if you're at the marriage of the lamb, you'll partake of that marriage supper of the lamb. The rest of the people are going to come in and the supper of the great God be consumed off the face of the earth. That's the symbolic language of this book. Now we have another anti saw in verse 19.
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse.
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And against his army.
And the beast was taken.
And with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him.
With which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast.
And them that had worshipped his image, These both were cast alive into a lake of fire.
Burning with brimstone. This is hell, this is Hyena, the lake of fire. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse.
Which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Judgment, judgment, judgment. God is in the person of Christ, going to cleanse the whole thing.
Before he takes it in glory. Observers of this.
Then we get the 4th and I saw in chapter 20.
And I saw an Angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit.
And a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil.
And Satan bound them 1000 years.
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal upon him.
That he should deceive the nations no more.
Till the 1000 years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed for a little season.
Now Christ catches.
He's already taken care of the two beasts, the false prophet and the Antichrist. Now it catches the arch enemy, the dragon, that old serpent and the devil and Satan, and he binds him. He doesn't do away with him yet. He he puts them in prison in the abyss for 1000 years.
In order to.
Bring in a scene of blessedness for man on the earth.
With no deceiver to tempt him. And we shall see. With a perfect government, there's going to be one more thousand years of the flesh being tested in the millennial day. We're going to that.
Now verse four. And I saw a throne. Then they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.
And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded, for the witness of Jesus were the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark in upon their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years, but the rest of the dead lived up again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first.
Resurrection.
We'll go on. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on sex the second death.
Hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him.
1000 years and when the 1000 years.
Are expired, St. shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth. Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the bridge of the earth, encompassed the camp of the Saints about, and the beloved city and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire.
And brimstone, where the beast and the false proven are.
And shall be tormented day and night forever. We have read the 5th vision beginning with verse four and it begins with the first resurrection. I hope we can get peace about this fourth verse.
For it goes back to First Corinthians 15, the verse that says.
Christ the first fruits.
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Afterwards they that are Christ at his coming.
So the first fruits of the first resurrection is already there. Those verses we had in the end of the last meeting brought it before so gloriously. There is a man there. The man Christ Jesus is there. He is the first fruit. If the first fruits is there, the rest of the first fruits will get there. Kind of divided up into little companies that get into this.
But first of all, I saw Thrones and they sat upon them in furs.
That we.
Are in the first fruits of that first resurrection.
Already they are seated on Thrones and they have been there.
For some little time.
Waiting for the judgments.
Which will kill.
A few of God's faithful remnants in the Tribulation, and yes, in the Tribulation period, who lose their portion on the earth.
And so they get into this first resurrection, 2 little companies, the first half and the second-half, and they lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years. That finishes up the first resurrection. Nobody else gets into heaven after that, but some of them are left in faithfulness to go on on the earth, because God is going to have an earthly company blessed down here for 1000 years under a perfect government with no devil to bother them.
Then we're going to save. There's going to be a new heaven and a new earth in the day of eternity.
So we're getting on in these visions. Let's go a little farther. Verse 11, chapter 20. And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. This is just a vision of a great white throne out in space, no foundation there it is.
The final judgment.
Of all the wicked dead takes place then and goes on set so and I saw the dead.
Small and great stand before God.
It's kind of a resurrection, but it's the second death and the books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of the things which were.
Written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it. Death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.
And they were judged every man according to their works, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
A new server was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Second proof. This concludes all judgment.
All judges, it's all over him. All the wicked dead judge what's left. The day of God, the day of eternity.
And that's #8.
And I saw verse 21, I'll refer that in creation there were seven days of creation, and there is a reference to the 8th day, which is new creation. You'll find the same number in Leviticus 23 in connection with the Feast of Tabernacles. There was an eighth day. We have read 7 and I saw we've got one more and it's the day of God, it's the day of eternity. We read 7 verses here.
And I saw a new heaven on a new earth, where the 1St heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, Holy city. Notice that New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Now this is 1000 years later.
And she still looks like a bride. There's no aging in heaven.
All the best is yet to come, brethren, and we're getting close to heaven.
Actually, I don't think there's any time in heaven, but we can't think apart from time.
But this is the day of God. This is the day of eternity and after the 1000 years of the millennial reign.
She still appears as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with me and.
And he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them.
They're gone, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.
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He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new or brand new. He said unto me, Right for these words are true and faithful. He said unto me, It is done. I am helping Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give it to him that happened. That is the thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Finally, brethren, the inheritance is every created thing. That's the heritage that's coming up for us. All that belongs to Christ is ours.
And we be fully overcomers. Then there is one more verse.
That has to do with eternity. I'll read it.
Interesting. It's the eighth verse. But the fearful, an unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers and ************ and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part.
In the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.
This is the second death how some is the word of God. Now we get a change. We've had a coming down in sequence of all that lies ahead. Now in the ninth verse he takes us back and he shows us.
The bride, the Lamb's wife, How glorious it is. Verse 9.
There came unto me one of the seven angels, which had the seven miles full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come, hit her, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife on that verse I want to point out.
A little interesting thing about I will.
That's the determinant will of God.
I will, and this is the last time it's mentioned in the Bible. Let's go to the first time in Genesis.
Because it has a comparative sense.
And it's in the second chapter of Genesis.
And here we have Adam.
He is alone on the earth.
In verse 18.
When God takes an interest in that lonely man.
And the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone. I will.
Make him and help me for him. This is the first I will. It has to do with the bride of the first man. Now back to our channel. This I will has to do with the bride of the 2nd man, the man out of heaven, Christ Jesus.
Come hit her, I will show thee the bride, the Lambs wife.
Now let's try to get from Scripture an indication which I think is good enough to tell us who the Bride is over in the next chapter.
22 We'll read the beginning of verse 17.
And the Spirit and the Bride say come.
I believe that's going on right now.
And we'll go back in thought without reading it.
To Abraham.
Wanting a bride for Isaac, his son.
So he gets the servant and sends him to get the bride.
For Isaac and he goes to Abraham's people.
And he gets Rebecca.
And he brings her.
And as they close up that chapter.
The journey is just over with and it says Isaac.
Went out into the field to meditate at evening time.
That's Christ.
Coming for.
The bride.
00:45:02
But the two were there, and the Holy Spirit is here.
A picture of the servant and no St. No one St. is the bride.
Every St. is in the bride.
And here the Spirit and the Bride say, come it.
Is the church.
And when he sees her?
In the next verse.
He carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that.
I'm going to leave off great. That city, the Holy Jerusalem. Great does not belong here. Holiness is the characteristic of the heavenly Jerusalem, not greatness.
Descending out of heaven from God, her origin from God, and her character.
Out of heaven.
So it's again, it's Christ coming.
With the Church to take the throne of the earth. And she has.
The glory of God having the glory of God.
Now let's go back to Isaiah chapter 65.
We had that part of that third of Jeremiah read to us about.
Israel.
And I believe the earthly Jerusalem is the center of.
Israel on Earth.
And in the 65th of Isaiah.
We have the earthly Jerusalem.
If we can go on in our 21St chapter, we'll find the heavenly Jerusalem.
Now, in that coming day of the Millennium.
There will be a heavenly city over the earthly city.
Intimately connected.
That the heavenly people can look down and see what goes on on earth.
The earthly people know a little of what's up there. I say this because of Luke 16.
At the mount of Transfiguration.
And the Lord took the three Peter, James, and John.
And it was transfigured before them.
There appeared unto them.
Two men which were Moses and Elias talking with them.
And their conversation was about the cross, his decease, which he should accomplish.
Now the Lord in that Transfiguration scene has given us a millennial picture.
With the heavenly city over the earth. Peter, James and John on the earth.
Seeing the Lord in His glory.
Seeing and talking with apparently Moses and Elias.
Well, the scene doesn't last.
It's going to last 1000 years when it's fulfilled with the heavenly city over the earthly city.
But lastly, it says they feared as they entered into the cloud that is Peter, James and John.
They saw men going into the glory of God.
And they couldn't see any further.
Well, these are terms that are put in the Bible for us to enjoy.
That heavenly city and there's going to be government in it.
As long as we're in Isaiah 65, let's go to 66 and get.
The last two verses. You all may read these two chapters.
To get a picture of the earthly Jerusalem, I'll say that Christ is going to have two brides. He's going to have an earthling and he's going to have a heavenly, but it gets the heavenly first.
That could be any day now.
We're going to be.
Adorned as a bride, adorned for her husband when we're caught up there.
And he's not going to take up the earth until after he cleanses with all those judgments. And when the 1000 years are over, then he's going to bring in the Millennium. And this is what we see in heaven, in Revelation. This is what we see on earth.
00:50:11
In Isaiah, and they're going to be a company that go up to Jerusalem in the last two verses of the book. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, when one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. This is going to be a regular thing on the earth for Israel to go to the earthly Jerusalem to worship.
And as blessed as a scene as it is, it is not an absolute perfection in which God can rest.
There is going to be daily millennial judgment. I recommend you read Zephaniah 3 to get something more about that.
Till we read the last verse, Christ is going to reign in righteousness. Behold a king.
Shall reign in righteousness and Princess in judgment. You and I are going to reign with Christ. That's Isaiah 32. What's going to happen? They shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me. I say God is going to test man another thousand years with a perfect government and no devil to deceive, and the flesh is going to come out this way.
They're going to be sinners.
And they're going to be judged.
Then the bodies are going to be there to warn the others that are still on the earth.
Those that have transgressed to me for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring unto all flag.
But in the heavenly city she will be over the earthly city.
And it will be perfection, and we shall be there.
An understanding the righteous reign of Christ.
And his glory that comes out that way.
We won't.
Take any further in Revelation 21, but I'll mention a measurement that's there.
Uh.
I don't see the measurements.
But it's a distance that is equal to.
Vancouver.
Crossed the northern border of the US till you get to the Great Lakes, then S that far.
Then back West that far. Then back N that part to the point of beginning and that high.
That's the measurement that's given of the heavenly city.
Now God gives us these things to understand the grandeur.
Of the glory that is coming for 1000 years on this earth.
Then Christ sat up there. I say the end of prophecy is the glory of Christ and us with Him sharing in that ring. Can we sing the next hymn in the book? 312 soon.
Righteousness shall rule. Oh yes.
The king shall reign in righteousness. Satan's power restrained, he won't have any power for 1000 years.
Jesus, Jehovah be the King, or Jews and Gentiles reign. I want to say a little more about Jews and Gentiles.
To bring out the picture of the plan of God that God began with.
Adam and nations formed.
And then?
The call out of one man to form another nation in Abraham.
So that we may say God began with men or nations or the Gentiles.
Then he brought in. That went on for about 2000 years because Abraham was born in 1996.
BC.
And then Abraham's race, Jacob's race, Israel.
Went on up to the cross under the test, which lasted another 2000 years.
So it was first Gentiles, then it was Israel.
Then the church comes in on Pentecost. We have been referring to that, and our history on earth has been another 2000 years.
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Brethren, that completes the six days of creation.
Before the 7th day of Sabbath, which was a kind of rest.
We're just about to the end of another Millennium, but at the end of this time the church disappears before the next thousand years. But Christ reigned, as this hymn says.
Or Jews and Gentiles reign and then we have carried you in the day of eternity. Behold the Tabernacle, the habitation of God with men. God gets back to God and men in perfection. He started with God and man, innocence and all this history in between. God forgets nothing. How interesting is this plan? Let's sing #313 please.
Some righteousness shallow.
My love.
Our God, we thank thee.
Worship
Open—T. Roach, A. Kinnaman, H. Brinkmann
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276, 276.
May make us pray to thy side.
Yeah, no way. I'm still in the heart.
Of our Father's Day for love.
We still bring on Earth.
And I waited before.
Oh, Lord Jesus, come, Lord Jesus.
Take my baby.
Oh.
Just a few thoughts on the 4th of John in connection with worship was read a little bit this morning.
John 4.
We will read from verse 22.
You worship, you know, not what we know. What we worship for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father and Spirit, and in truth.
For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit.
And they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit.
And in truth.
It was one of the hymns we saw this morning. I couldn't find it again.
But there was a line there to the effect that.
Our worship wasn't broad enough for long enough or long enough.
Somewhere it came short anyway, the thought of the hymn, and I was struck with a thought here in this.
00:05:00
In this chapter that it says.
The Father seeketh such to worship Him. In other words, he's not looking.
For worship or even a special quality of worship.
But he's looking for worshippers.
He's looking for those whose hearts overflow with Thanksgiving and adoration.
And that is very simple and it has nothing to do with.
Quality. I don't want to be misunderstood. There certainly should be equality to that worship, but it's not in how we say it.
For how well we can.
Phrase it and bring it out. But if there is that.
Occupation.
That sense of what the Lord Himself is, who He is.
Of what He has done and our hearts have been touched.
Whale come from our hearts.
And I was thinking about this earlier during the meeting this morning.
It doesn't even have to come out loud.
Have you ever visited somebody? Maybe somebody is very ill in the hospital and they're not able to converse, but they appreciate the fact that you sit with them?
You're there.
To think the Lord appreciates the fact that we have full hearts.
When we come to remember him in his death.
Even before anything is said.
The meeting was quite busy this morning, but sometimes when there's just a few at home, there are pauses.
There were some young fellows a while back that were keeping track of the pauses and they said at the end of the meeting how many minutes we wasted.
I think they were way off. We didn't waste it if there's a pause.
Think of the words of the hymn You are just for singing.
Enjoy them and enjoy.
What they brought before us of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If someone has prayed, think of those expressions that were mentioned.
Or of scripture read. Ponder it. Ponder it because this is worship. It's just the overflow of a heart that's occupied with the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The woman here was having quite a discussion about where they should worship and how they should worship, and the Lord Jesus had to say, you don't even know what you worship. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But then he says, the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such.
To worship him.
Did you worship this morning?
Sometimes the meeting is referred to as a worship meeting.
And it ought to be, but you can't manufacture worship.
You can't make yourself worship, it has to come from a full heart.
How does your heart get full? Well throughout the week. Throughout the week, it should be building up. The basket should be getting filled up.
So that we have something to bring the next Lord's Day when we have that special privilege.
For coming into the very presence of the Lord Jesus.
And remembering him and his death. And as we do that, it just draws out from our hearts those things that we've gleaned through the week, maybe in our own reading, maybe listening, listening to what someone else said, maybe at the reading meeting or even the prayer meeting. We've accumulated some things that we can come and rejoice in when we sit in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
And that's part of it, I believe.
Think about the last four words of the book of Ezekiel.
Some of you may know what that is.
The Lord is there, the Lord is there, just to come and sit in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
Is a wonderful thing, the privilege that we have being gathered to the Lord's name.
Where he is in the midst and you know one of the common comments of folks that leave.
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Often is we miss the remembrance of the Lord Jesus.
They may be so full of activities and lots of going on, things going on.
But they miss the remembrance of the Lord Jesus.
Sometimes.
We don't miss something until we don't have it. If the power went off now, we'd sure miss it, but we're not even thinking of it. We weren't until I mentioned it.
But when someone does mention it, we begin to value it and I hope that.
We can appreciate and value the presence of the Lord Jesus in our midst.
And appreciate and value what we have in that very special meeting.
It's sometimes may just become a routine for us, and I hope it never does. It should be fresh every Lord's Day. It should be something that we look forward to. It should be something that as we are sitting there in the presence of the Lord, whether it's two or three hundred or whether it's two or three, that we know that the Lord is there.
And that the reason I'm there and just putting it in the singular because you can say that too.
The reason I'm there is because he is there and because he asked me to come.
And show his death, and remember him in his death till he come.
And again, I have to say, it isn't what we say or how we say it, but it's what comes from a full heart. The Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit. They that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
So it's a wonderful privilege that we have to come simply as believers in the Lord Jesus.
Worship requires no gift.
Requires no gift because it's just that which overflows out of our hearts. We may love a person, have love for a person, and you can't make yourself love that person, but there's something about them, a quality there that draws out your heart to them and their heart to you. Well, God's heart is drawn out to us, certainly. And it'll be a shame if there was no, no return from us.
But I was thinking also, I didn't intend to speak on it, but John 12 might just look at it briefly because.
It's often remarked that this is a picture of worship.
Particularly with Mary.
First verse, then 6th Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with them with him.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair.
And the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.
If you notice, three people are mentioned there being with him, with the Lord.
And not a single word is reported of what any of them said Martha, Lazarus or Mary.
They said not a word, and the ointment was for the Lord.
We compare with the other gospels. She not only anointed his feet, but his head and his body. He was anointed for the burial.
It was for him, and we just had brought before us how that John mistakenly worshipped the Angel. Perhaps so overcome with the revelation that he got, he fell down to worship the Angel, something that was not for anyone but God. And he was told that see thou do it, not worship God.
And if you went to the 30th of Exodus, you would find the preparation of.
The incense and the way it was to be done, like amounts, no quantity, no amount given, but like amounts of balance. And none of it was to be used for anyone but the Lord. It was a holy incense.
And so when we come together to remember the Lord and our hearts are filled with worship.
An adoration for him.
Don't we go away feeling we've had a great blessing? We didn't come for a blessing. We didn't come to learn something like at the reading meeting or to ask for something like we do at the prayer meeting. We came to remember the Lord Jesus and He is the one that was before us. And we always come away with the blessing because without contradiction, the less is blessed of the better. And the house was filled with the odor.
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Of the ointment. You know, sometimes it's a shame that the meeting is over and you find yourself still here. You kind of wish that while you were standing to sing that last hymn that the Lord would come.
And he leaves us here a little longer.
But it's just wonderful, isn't it, to realize that it doesn't require?
A special gift. This is my main exercise of coming up here. It doesn't require any special gift. It doesn't require any special words. But worship is the overflow of a heart that's full of Christ, full of himself and his love and his work. And I trust that this might help us to enjoy.
The meeting even more if we realize that we don't have to put on a show. It's just a simple, the simpler the better. You know? It would be so nice if even some, maybe some young brother would stand up and pray haltingly or whatever, but just let his heart pour out. I'm sure we'd hear some loud amens to something like that. Well, I just trust that this is an encouragement and a help to us.
I'd like to read a few lines out of one of the hymns that we had sang this Lord's Day at the break. We should read.
I have to look it up here 136.
In relation to worship.
I was thinking somewhat.
On the lines of the thought of Occupy till I come, and of the Lords coming, What do we do till he comes?
But with worship.
An adoration of him.
This line fills my soul.
In the 1St 10.
The merits of the Lord appeared.
They fill.
And when, when we think on the Lord Jesus, when we remember him, that's what it is. The merits of the Lord appear. They fill the holy place, and they draw out of our hearts to Him.
Let's turn to 1St Thessalonians correction, First Corinthians Chapter 11.
When I was.
First saved, I went to a place to worship with a bunch of other people.
He was on a military base. It was a Navy Chapel. And the chaplain that conducted the service was a real believer and he loved the Lord Jesus. He looked for the coming of the Lord Jesus. I have a lot of respect for that dear brother. And he conducted as a the Lord's Supper that time, the first time I'd ever had it as a believer. And I said this thought in prayer to God. I said, where do we worship?
Where do we worship? We always come to hear men speak in a matter of time as I withdrawn the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus by the work of God.
God brought me to the place of the name for the Lord Jesus, which is in the minutes he answered that prayer. Now there's another prayer that took place on that naval base.
And the prayer was Lord, what is the truth about the Lord's coming?
And to him, there was a reverence in the request that one wouldn't get.
Not, not that I understood what bad doctrine was, but one that I wouldn't get opinions of the Lord's coming wrong. I just wanted to know the truth. I think this was on a large day, evening. I was by myself praying. Tuesday another man got brought into our cubicle. We didn't have rooms, it was open Bay. We had cubicles.
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And Roger jokes was his name. Jose is where he spelled it. Big blonde headed young man from Maine his labor. He loved the Lord Jesus.
And he told me the truth as we hold it today of the Lord's coming. How good of the Lord to bring us the truth.
I'd like to read with verse 23 here. First Corinthians Chapter 11. For I have received the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you with the Lord Jesus. The same night in which he was betrayed, took prayer, and when he had given thanks, he break it and said, Take thee. This is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also He took the cup when he had subsidy. This cup is a New Testament in my blood. This do ye as often as you drink it.
In remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you to show the Lord's death till he come.
That's amazing. I was gathered for a number of years before I realized that the apostle Paul, in writing this portion, received this from that risen glorified man in the glory of the Lord Jesus. It was different than the than the other apostles receiving the truth what the Lord's Supper?
He received it from a risen Christ.
For the church which takes on Gentile characteristics and him being the apostle of the Gentiles to call out a heavenly people to the Lord for himself.
This is a heavenly truth, and it reflects back to heaven because it says.
In the last verse of 20 verse 26 here we read you do show the Lord's death.
Telecom.
Silly cough.
You shall the Lord's death till he comes.
What wouldn't we want to be doing?
If the Lord is coming, what influences wouldn't we want in our lives if the Lord is coming?
First Corinthians chapter 14, verse 12.
Electra agent verse. It's one of those things.
Leaving so ye for as much as you are zealous of spirits.
Seek that you may excel to the edifying of the Church. I I do have just a King James here.
It's a Cambridge Bible and the margins are pretty good. I usually check them with the new translation and the margin says of spirits and the word gifts is an Italian. Those are two helps for us in our King James Bible.
We wouldn't want to be in the influence.
Of other spirits in the Lord is coming.
If the Lord would come, we wouldn't want to be under the influence of another spirit, if another spirit.
Influences one to speak in tongues. We wouldn't want to do that.
There is another thought comes from spirits and scriptures and in first epistle John says try the spirits who comes up. And this is a word. I heard it from a brother in the camp, a man in the camp, and I trust he's a brother. And I heard that a man that was once gathered made a statement very similar to this. Now I'm not really quoting him very good, but they say that if you have a revelation.
From the Lord you have this revelation you'll be coming from.
A spirit that goes above and beyond the revealed Word of God that we have today.
That is an error and it comes from the enemy. That statement is a wrong statement. There is nothing that we have that goes beyond the revealed written word of God that God has given us today. That is another spirit. I'm surprised though, that that spirit is is so active today.
Let us turn to go look at verse.
26.
How is it then, brethren, when you come together, everyone of you hath a song.
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At the doctrine, at the tongue, at the revelation, hath an interpretation that all things be done unto edifying. Now here's another spirit, but it would be my spirit, and I don't, I trust, I hope that I don't want my in spirit, my spirit, because I have a spirit, soul and body to influence what we say and do in the assembly. It shouldn't be.
Of me other than experience walking on the path of faith in the power of the Spirit of God, Do I have an axe to grind? Do I find fault with my brethren? Do I have a doctrine that I want the brethren to adapt and I start bringing it into the assembly?
It says, how is it, brethren, when you come together, everyone you have see, It's telling us there that we shouldn't have.
Something we shouldn't have an axe to grind, we shouldn't have a doctor, shouldn't be something from self.
Other than a full heart, you know, this is the only time that we can really say to have an open mind.
It seems that way. You know, they tell you have an open mind. Well, you know, there's spirits and we worry about the evil spirits. But to have an open mind, we could come to where the Lord Jesus is in the midst and the Spirit of God is here and we can have an open mind.
That the Lord would be exalted in his people.
And glorified in them.
That his prayer in John 17 would somewhat come into effect too, where he says that they might know leave the only true God in Jesus Christ to God.
Let's turn to 1St Print to 1St Thessalonians, chapter 5.
This is what one had before himself.
Was the Lord's coming?
Let's read it. We will start with verse 15 verse Thessalonians chapter 4, verse Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 15. For this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
One's desire was that we be comforted with these words.
The Lord Himself.
It's an Angel would come and catch up the apostle John, and he would say he would hear these words come up, hit her, and they would have meaning to us, reminding us of that. But when it comes for this hope of the Church, it is our Lord Jesus Christ himself at the command of the Father would come and take his people apart.
He shall descend from heaven.
With a shell, it's an assembling shell.
To the voice of the trumpet, first sentence 15 trumpets your sound.
We will be caught up together.
In the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
Well.
In the sense of the necessity of hearing the gospel the last night.
Young children during.
My brother, speak to them this morning. You know the Lord Jesus is your favor.
If that shout would take place, if we would be caught out of the scene, would you be left behind?
And if you're a believer, would you be left in shame or would you be taken in shameless?
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Would you be taken in shame in a sense of seeing the Lord and our eyes on Him and everything passing away? It wouldn't be really in shame because His coming will go over and exceed that. But if there is failure?
We wouldn't want to be in a position of failure at that moment.
Revelation chapter 3.
First part of verse eight. I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shudder, for no one can shudder.
Verse 10.
Because I was kept a word of my patience, I also keep them from the power of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Before.
Before the millennial day that we've been talking about.
Is that terrible day the hour of temptation cometh upon?
All the world, the Great Tribulation.
The terrible day of Jacob for the Jews during the tribulation period. If the Lord had come today and would be caught out of the same thing of tribulation period.
When the 10 tribes were caught back, taken back to Israel of the Jews, let's say Judah and Benjamin have tribe of Levi.
2/3 I think will die during tribulation.
Of the 10 tribes that come back.
It's either 80 or 90%, I forget.
80% I think in the judgment on the world that God being fair and just and all he does is going to be compared with figure and all the Gentile nations that will die during tribulation, a very terrible time.
And those that have not responded to the gospel, have heard it and have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior shall be left to go through the tribulation and will not accept the Lord as their Savior. They will never believe the gospel and they are lost, lost for eternity. He would have us, The Lord would have us.
To your desire to keep the word of his patients. He would want us to be Philadelphian in our spirit.
We are on Philadelphia ground. You judge ourselves on the judgment self often in that other church. The next month. Indifference, Laodicea.
Has to be judged.
But.
Verse 11. Behold, I come quickly.
Hold that fastest thou hast, that no man take thy crown He would have us occupy till he come. Blessed is that servant that is so found when the Lord comes watching.
Hold that fast.
Which thou hast that no man take thy crown. That's what the Lord has to do. It isn't much.
But if we do that, we're barely doing what we can do. We can work a little bit in the gospel, I suppose, but that's part of holding fast at which we have.
All that fast. Why? Because the Lord's coming quickly.
He's coming quickly.
I don't know what quickly is normally.
The Lord's coming is said to come in the twinkling of an eye. That's very fast. But he has given us this, that He is coming for us quickly.
If the Lord is coming quickly.
That does mean today. That puts today in perspective.
We have a tendency to think, well, maybe.
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Sometime after August 1996.
I know a young couple that's waiting for that day because they're hoping to get married in August of 1996.
And we have perspectives and things that we plan and we think that we're going to get those things done.
The Lord willing, if the Lord would tarry, those things transpire. But the Lord says I come quickly.
It does bring today into perspective has turned to Revelation 22.
These are the words of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is speaking in verse 20.
Revelation chapter 22, verse 10. He which testifieth these things save surely I come quickly.
And there is an Amen there.
Talk about saying Amen and the prayers Amen means, so let it be.
Can you say for the Lords coming so let it be when he says surely I come quickly. Can we saw you Amen.
Even so, in the nutrient it isn't in the new translation. But Brother Darby Even so isn't in the new translation. It's because the church is so weak. She just says come Lord Jesus.
She just says come Lord Jesus.
She doesn't say quickly come.
She doesn't say eating so with energy and excitement. She says come with you.
And so that's what we say in our state.
Come Lord Jesus.
But he has not only said, Do I come quickly? He has said, Surely when he says, Verily, verily I say unto you, I think this is the same sentence. Surely I come with you.
It's like fairly very great emphasis.
And he said quickly.
Let's turn to John chapter 3.
We read Somewheres 1.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night and set up with him. Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God. For no man can do those these things, miracles that do us, except God be with them. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Nicodemus.
Him How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of spirit, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. I don't have the intention of.
Going into a lengthy discussion on new birth only to point out that this is one of the passages in John's Gospel that speaks of the activity of the Spirit of God.
And that this is so important for us.
To remember that this is where everything begins. Due to technical difficulties, the volume and the rest of this one side of the tape will be very low.
Will be some of the same on the next slide. I'm sorry for all this problem.
There has to be a work of God by the Spirit using the Word of God to communicate new life, and that's the beginning of blessing in our life. And it's a sovereign work that the Spirit of God accomplishes in each one. We cannot take credit for it. It's a sovereign work for God.
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Without it, we have no capacity for divine things that we cannot enter anything that God has for us, whether that be Kingdom, truth or any other truth that God has for us in His Word. The only way we can benefit from it is if the Spirit of God gives us first of all the capacity for it by communicating life.
This he has done, as we do well to remember. This is where everything begins.
And it is not anything connected with the old cell, with the flesh within us.
Now Brother Tom has been recurring to worship.
The spirits of worship.
You know, and he's worshipping the Father again. We have the Spirit of God brought before us in chapter 4.
And here now he is the power of worship. It's not the Lord Jesus that is the gift of which the Lord Jesus spoke. That is the Spirit of God.
Which will be in the believer and is in the believer. The power of coalition, The flesh doesn't profit anything.
In the old men, the Jewish order.
Had a good voice and you could be one of those that would sing in the choir. That would be your benefit. You know, it wasn't necessary under the old order of things that you would have to have new birth first of all, before you could be in the position of a worshiper.
In Christianity, before you can be a worshiper, you have to have first of all a new life and beyond new life.
You have to have the Spirit of God dwelling within you that spring that spreads into up into eternal life. Worship is.
The revelation that God has given of himself.
True worshippers today are those who know God.
That is my concern to the Father. And how much does he like the heart of the Father that sees in some of his creatures beyond her now that appreciates it from the sun. The one that has been the delight of his heart are all imperative is now our development. It enjoys his abortion and by the spirit.
Protected, at least to the comfortable issue of that person.
With the bottle she stayed on the road that we had something where I said the revenues in probably the bottle had an option like the bottle and the shed is done with us so that we can rejoice with him over his son and that you can bring that to him when you have found of the sun.
Appreciates in our own soul the works of himself.
What necessity?
We have in these days.
In order that we have something to do.
Northern is the problem, as much as I'm interested in a lot of time.
Maybe sometimes some things that fit the energy has to do only without coming together.
Every day of our life and people virtually environment so the person to us.
He is the object of.
Power of coercion is the Spirit of God and on me spirit.
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You know.
Who participated in each day on a good spiritual state?
It's important that everyone that comes together, good spiritual state, the sisters as well as the brothers. And if I come there and I'm an advanced spiritual thing, I'm a blame. I'm playing down.
The lifting up of the soul to worship the Spirit. Remember when we come together, Remember the Lord is dead to those who hold their mouths.
I will be holding the mountains of the assembly, and we cannot really rise to read by the Spirit above the state of all.
So we are all.
To the spirit of and we can get it takes place, but how wonderful we have spiritual sacrifices to bring each spirit that keeps our spiritual text that we bring and that is in the power of the spirit that we worship and that we can draw nigh.
Now sometimes.
Measurements look fun about this club. We find that there is more excessive observable, so we try to push out a new farmer into preaching the gospel and starting to serve the Lord. They hardly feel comfortable. One thing has been brought into what they expected to speak to the gospel. Well, that is not Broadway.
Remember in John chapter 10, because the statement in central all I think you're going in.
God will join us.
Then you go out the service and now 20%.
Again the Spirit of God, but this time now it is not worship.
Verse 37.
In the last day, that great day of the feast.
Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man cursed, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this big He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
Here we have again.
The Spirit of God spoken of as a river of waters which will flow out of the bellies of those who have drunk from that living water. How important, beloved brethren, to remember again any service that is done for the glory of God, for the glory of the Lord Jesus, for the blessing of man according to God's thoughts, is the activity of the Spirit of God.
In the believer.
It's the Spirit of God that alone can enable us to be a source of blessing when He moves us, when He uses us.
Then we can be a source of blessing for others.
I believe this is not limited to when we are together in the assembly. I believe the 4th chapter predominantly has the coming together in a collective way before us.
But here I believe that refers to our individual lives in our service in the gospel. You know, the evangelists service is predominantly outside with the purpose of bringing them in, but it has to be the Spirit of God that moves the servant in that activity.
And we have to remember again.
The flesh positive nothing. That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
Isn't it sad to see so often the flesh entering into what is called the preaching of the gospel? You know there's arthritis, a deceptive way of how things are presented to the Sinner. An appeal is made to the flesh in the Sinner.
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Be it that beautiful choir singing, emotional.
Speeches.
And then we expect spiritual results.
The flesh prophets, not they, that which is born of the flesh is flesh and remains flesh and is to be kept in the place of death. If there is to be anything in our lives for God He had worshipped or be IT service, it's the Spirit of God that is the one that should control us and control our activities and direct us in our activities. And then there will be lesser.
And we do not.
Found the blessing believe that to the Lord, but we are responsible to serve him in the prescribed way. It is not left us up to us how we serve in labor for him. In second Timothy two we have this principle brought before us that if anyone contend in the game he has to strive lawfully, otherwise he is not crowned and certainly.
That has to do with how we carry on even in the preaching of the gospel or in ministry for the people of God.
You know there is such a danger that the flesh shows itself in these things and spoils that which could be used of the Spirit of God through us. Now let's turn.
To Peter first Peter.
First Peter 2.
Chapter 2, verse one.
Therefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and enemies, and all evil, speaking as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. If so be ye hath tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming is unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious.
He also is lively stones are built up in spiritual house and holy priesthood.
To OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion at chief cornerstone. Elect precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious, or is the preciousness. But unto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallow, the same is made the head of the corner.
And the stone of stumbling, and the rock of offense, even to them which stumbled at the word, being disobedient, were unto also they were appointed. But ye are chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should force. Show forth the praises of Him for the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness.
Into His marvelous life, which in time passed were not the people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Here again we have spiritual sacrifices mentioned acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, but how important the two?
First verses are.
Laying aside all malice, all kind and hypocrisies and enemies and all evil, speaking as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow that by. Don't you say that the first verse speaks of the manifestations of the flesh. It's still possible that the flesh manifests itself in this way in the believer, because the believer still has the flesh.
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But if this is so, and it has not been laid aside, then you can see that this is a tremendous hindrance in our.
Exercise of our holy priesthood, which is Godward. Worship Godward. But verse two is also important. You know, we are all newborn babes.
And the desire for the milk, the word of God should remain throughout our lives. Milk here is not used as it is in Hebrews where it is connected with babes who have not grown according to the time. They should be teachers, but they needed to be given milk. Again, they had not grown. They were stunted in their growth because they were clinging to the types and shadows. Here milk is mentioned as something that the believer threw out his life in this scene should be desiring.
And if he desires it, and if he feeds on it, then there will be something there that he can bring as a holy priest. But how important it is to see that it is broad and is made acceptable through the Lord Jesus.
You know who would be so bold as to say that there's never anything in that which we bring to God a desire to bring to God, even in worship, that is not according to God's will.
But how wonderful and comforting the truth is, that the Lord Jesus assists us in our feeble praise and worship, and that which we feebly present.
That goes through him to God, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
In Hebrews we have the Lord Jesus presented as a high priest.
In connection with our pilgrimage journey, now we're seeing in Hebrews on a pilgrimage home, we're seen in the wilderness, and the Lord Jesus as high priest is there to help us in our weaknesses, in our infirmities, but he's also presented as high priest, as the minister of the sanctuary.
And isn't that tremendous, beloved, to realize when we come together, gather to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that Himself is there, that He, as the minister of the sanctuary, assists us in our feeble worship, and that which we present feebly goes through his hands, as it were, and He presents it perfectly before God? It's a wonderful truth, beloved, and that we have this privilege of being holy Christ.
The universal priesthood of all believers. Is it true that is known beyond the circles of brethren?
Other believers speak of that, but beloved, the system where they are doesn't allow them to function as holy priests. You see, there is a puppet standing there in front, and he leads in the worship. I'm Speaking of what is generally true. I'm not saying that they are not some Christians who do not have a man standing there who leads in the worship, but I'm Speaking of what is generally true in the clergy systems that we have.
In Christendom he leads in the worship and.
He might graciously call on somebody to lead in prayer, but the Spirit is not free to lead and to guide. So what benefit do such questions have from their truth that every believer is a priest?
You know that truth is really of no value to such.
And how wonderful, beloved, this truth is still preserved for us today. And you have heard me say that before. And allow me to say that again.
Don't wait on your brethren who minister the Word when it comes to worship and prayer. We are setting up a clergy system of our own. If we do, we do not meet, as our brother has said, a gift to teach in order to worship and to pray.
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Avail yourself of your priestly privilege. All you need to be is close to the law and that an ungrief spirit can lead you in worship. And it doesn't matter how well phrased the worship and prayer is. What does matter is whether it comes from a heart that is in the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus and that it is not just a learned thing that we bring, that it really flows from within.
The enjoyment of the Lord Jesus.
And his work is what is expressed and comes from these lips. That's the way it should be. So, dear brethren, don't wait on your brethren whom the Lord has raised up to teach and to instruct the Saints. You have the privilege to utter praise and worship and to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. We are all holy priests.
Now the sisters, I'm sure many times in their quiet way, sitting there on Lord's Day morning, will present worship to the Lord Jesus. I believe in the prayer meeting many times.
There is, there are prayers going up.
By then, in quietness, can't you see what it does to a meeting when the sisters sit there in this spirit and attitude?
By It's so important that we realize this, although we can't as sisters express anything out of plate. But the spirit of prayer can be there, the spirit of worship, and quietly worship can ascend to God.
And to the Lord Jesus, you know, we had in John four that the Father seeks such to worship him. And we must not conclude from that that the Lord Jesus is not an object of worship. The Lord Jesus is an object of worship. And the Lord Jesus is worshipped by His own. You know, he was even worshipped as a bake in Bethlehem's Manger. You know He is to be worshipped.
You know about how wonderful we also worship the Father. Sometimes we perhaps forget that and we correct all of our worship to the Lord Jesus. But remember, the Father seeketh touch to worship Him, you know, and to see an appreciation in the hearts of His own that we are before Him in a Son's place, that we are His children, sons of God.
And you know, as sons, we are LED into the holiest of all.
The Lord Jesus has opened the way, and now we enter and we worship.
I don't think anybody would discourage a young believer.
To pray in the meeting.
And to worship, I think it's a real thrill to my heart when I hear you hear a young believer to express worship and praise and to pray at the prayer meeting. Remember, we don't go to the prayer meeting to hear somebody pray. We go to the prayer meeting to pray.
And young brothers and prey. I even believe that they are members in the body of Christ, and that they might even have something to contribute even as young brethren in the readings.
The question was raised whether they should be permitted to ask questions. I would go further and say we would not forbid them to contribute to the edification of the Saints. That might not be as deep.
As one who is longer on the way. But remember, there might be lands in the audience that need exactly what these newly saved people have to contribute. Because they can take that in. You know, because it doesn't go over their head.
When we receive somebody to remember the Lord with us, we receive him as a member of the body of Christ. And that does not only mean that he can pray and praise, that also means that he can function as a member. When it comes to edification, of course, you can't expect that young, newly saved soul to be able to contribute much, and it would be out of place if you would give the impression that he speaks with authority and so on and so forth and takes a dominant place.
01:05:00
But beloved, he is a member in the body of Christ, and we have to remember that we have received him, recognizing that he is a member in the body of Christ. But then we also have the.
The royal priesthood.
And I like Mr. Darby's translation.
To show forth the excellencies of in that has called us out of darkness increased marvelous.
Light. I believe this is something that is displayed before men. I do not believe there is a sound accurate interpretation of these words to say that this is worship. Also, I believe the royal priesthood is man. Word.
You know that people see in us a feeble demonstration of what is true perfectly in the Lord Jesus. I like to relate the story that I have related before of these missionaries that came to Africa.
And we settled there by a river, and preached the gospel to these hidden natives.
And after he has preached for a while, one man says, I know that man, he lives up the river. You know, he was referring to another missionary that had settled there. And when this missionary had newly come there, helped them of the Lord Jesus, he recognized this was true of this man up there. You know, that man had succeeded to show forth the excellencies of him that has called us out of darkness.
Into his marvelous light.
Isn't that wonderful, brethren? No, Christianity is not just that.
The Lord has saved us from health and is going to lead us to heaven. Christianity also means that while we are on this earth, we are epistles of Christ and that Christ is our life or we would live Christ. That is the challenge. That is a privilege that we have as believers now, any honest Christian would say.
Oh, I lack far behind.
There is so little comparatively seen in my life of the Lord Jesus, but that is what God's purpose is for us. God's purpose is to conform us to the image of His Son, and that is a present work going on in our life.
You know, and the Lord Jesus is not here anymore, but we are here. And if we walk with Him and in the power of an ungrieved spirit, there will be in our lives that which will reflect that which is perfectly seen in the Lord Jesus. It's like the sun.
The supreme power and glory, it's the Lord Jesus. We are like moons, you see.
Where does the moon get his life? From The sun, you know. So we have to be, as it were, in the sunshine of his love, in his presence, and then it will be reflected in our lives.
You know it's true of the Jew, especially that.
In time past they were not a people, they were set aside lower my was pronounced upon them. But now that they had come to know the Lord Jesus, they were His people again. Not as the Jewish nation as such, but as the leaders on the Lord Jesus. And you and I, we certainly never had any part of God's blessings for man on earth.
You know, we were without hope, without God in the world. We were not a people. We were those beggars, you know, those had no home that are invited to the Gospel feast, to the wedding feast. And now we are a people. You know what a honor privileged position we have as Christians and the grace of God has given at us. But how important again to emphasize.
01:10:02
The.
Fact that is given in verse five to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Don't you see how important it is that we make sure that He is in the midst of His own, that we gather to His name, that He himself is there, and that we realize that by faith we are not looking at the building where we need as the sanctuary that we're entering into the sanctuary of His presence?
And that He is there to assist us in our worship. Now let's turn to Hebrews 13.
Brushed hand.
We have an author where they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacles.
For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is drawn into the sanctuary by the high priest, for sin a burnt without the can. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. For here have we no continuing city.
But we seek one to come by Him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
We know that in the early days of Christianity.
The Jews.
Those who first were saved and brought to know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior and became the nucleus of that church on the day of Pentecost.
They for a long time continued in connection with the temple. It's true that they remembered the laws in their homes, but they still went to the temple. And when Paul.
To Jerusalem.
After Acts 15 were delivered to you of the Gentiles was established, he's told how many thousands believe and are jealous for the law. You see, the liberty was established in Acts 15 for the Gentiles, but the Jewish believers were still under circumcision.
And adhering to much of the Jewish system.
You know, if the liberty for human gentile would have been established in Acts 15, Paul would have done wrong in circumcising Timothy in chapter 16.
That he was doing that not going contrary to what was established in Acts 15, because the liberty for the Jew was not established their God at that time. Although Paul and Peter understood Christian liberty. That's why Peter when he withdrew in Galatians chapter two, he was rebuked by Paul. Peter had apparently lived according to Christian.
Principles delivered to your Christianity was understood by him.
But when those from James came, he withdrew from the Gentiles, and God bore with his people. But the Book of Hebrews is written to loosen them, and to wean them from these beggarly principles connected with Judaism, and after he had shown them that all that they had in Judaism was nothing but types and shadows.
And they had no more value that they had the real thing in the person of the Lord Jesus.
Now we here fall by the Holy Spirit, make this statement.
We have an altar, the Christian altar.
Where they have no right to eat, which serves the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is the temple.
There were Tabernacle is used because the people of God have viewed on the pilgrimage journey. That's why the temple is not referred to which speak of permanent fixed conditions which would answer to the millennial day. But here we have the Tabernacle.
01:15:04
And Paul is saying now, if you're going to continue in connection with the Tabernacle, you have no right to eat of the Christian altar.
And he shows.
That the Lord Jesus suffered without the gate, outside of this Jewish system.
He was cast out by that system, and we who love him and belong to him, who go to where he is outside bearing his reproach.
You know, one of the Lord's servants was told in one of the assemblies out West that that was a subject He was not supposed to speak on the camp because apparently those in influential position at that time, they're no longer with us, those brethren that forbade him to speak on the camp.
Didn't like to hear about the camp because I believe the right application for us today about the camp is this. The principles of Judaism have been carried into Christianity.
You have a clergy system. Where did he get that idea from Judaism. They have an earthly sanctuary. They refer to a certain corner up there in front as the sanctuary. And they have ropes, they have choir singing, they have musical instruments. Where do they get these things from? Judaism?
So we have the principles of the camp in Christendom.
And we who want to be faithful to the Lord Jesus.
Ought to leave the camp. Christendom itself has taken on the character of a camp. Nowadays, too, not all the principles of Judaism are in all the systems of men, but in all the systems of men are the principles of Judas.
And if you want to be obedient to the instructions given to us here in Hebrews 13, we go unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. And again in that position we can by Him offer our spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. You know our brother Tom already mentioned.
Those some of those who have left.
The Lords Table have gone their own way. They realize in their own souls that they cannot do what they were privileged to do when they were at the Lords Table, where the Spirit of God was free to lead and worship and praise. Don't you see? The Lord Himself loses out. Not only the people will lose out that they no longer can function as holy priests. The Lord Himself is shortchanged.
Because they are not permitted to utter praise and worship and adoration to the Lord Jesus. Well, beloved.
We ought to have more of this in our individual lives, you know. I believe you ought to sing hymns in our own homes, and we should have times where we are over His word and where we enjoy the things that we have in Christ the Lord Jesus Himself as an object occupying our hearts. And that makes all the difference, you know.
And you can tell, can't you, whether there is a brother in the meeting.
That isn't just always making the same prayer every time he opens his mouth and the meeting unlocked the morning, you know, He has something different to bring, but it is all Christ that he brings. He isn't always repeating. Learn prayers, you know. And beloved, the Lord Jesus has done so much for us and the only thing that he has really asked us to do for him is to remember Him, you know?
To remember him and.
Think of it, there is something in the heart of God that can only be satisfied by His redeemed people and that is seeking worshippers. Well, what we bring is what we have come to see and appreciate of the Lord Jesus, His person and His work. So, beloved, especially brothers, remember you are a holy place.
01:20:03
And the sisters.
I believe show the character of royalty without doing much talking. So we as others here, you know, we all can show forth the excellencies of him that has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
131.
Praise lead to the Father, give praise me to the first born. Brink raises for the Holy Ghost 131.
John 9
Gospel—L. Renaud
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Could we begin our meeting tonight by singing #4?
Christ is the Savior of sinners. Christ is the Savior for me. Long I was changing sins darkness. Now by his grace I am free Savior of sinners, Savior of sinners like me.
Shedding His blood for my ransom. This is a Savior for me. Now I can say I am pardoned, happy and justified. Free, saved by my blessed Redeemer. This is a Savior for me.
Just as I was, he received me seeking from judgment to flee.
Now there is no condemnation. This is the Savior for me.
Loved with a love that's unchanging. Blessed with all blessings so free. How shall I tell out His praises? This is the Savior for me #4 Christ is a Savior.
Dry ice is the savior.
Long I was taken since.
Now why is Grace I am free?
Save your Sinner, save your sins, like me.
Share your blood for my friends.
Now I can say I am.
Violent, I began. Justified.
Free, saved by my blessed.
Redeemer.
Blessed is the Savior for me.
This is the savior for him.
To play.
Now there is no condemnation.
This is a shaker for me.
Savior 40 love that's unchanged. Let's pray all blessings are free.
How shall I tell his Grace?
This is a savior for me.
Shall we look to the Lord together?
If you sing with me also #15.
Oh, blessed gospel sound, yet there is room.
00:05:05
It tells to all around, yet there is room. The guilty may draw near, Though vile they need not fear with joy they now may hear, yet there is room.
God's love in Christ we see.
Yet there is room. Greater it could not be. Yet there is room.
His only son he gave. He's willing now to save all who in him believe. Yet there is room.
All things are ready come.
Yet there is room. Christ, everything hath done, yet there is room.
The work is now complete before the mercy seat. A savior you will meet, yet there is room.
God's house is filling fast, yet there is room. Some guests will be the last, yet there is room. Yes, soon salvation's day from you will pass away.
Then grace no more will say, yet there is room number 15.
Oh, blessed gospel song.
Lord.
In verse three it says.
All things are ready come.
Christ, everything hath done.
Then in verse 4.
I want you to notice.
Yes, soon salvation's day from you will pass away.
00:10:00
Then grace no more will say, yet there is room. The only time we really have is now. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. So, dear one.
A savior you may meet.
He can be your savior now we don't know whether 8:00 he'll be still a savior because the day of grace.
God's house is filling fast. Some guests will be the last. The only time we can say that we have is now. Decide for Christ now. Put your trust in Him this very moment. Would you turn to me with me?
To in your Bibles to John 9, John's Gospel, Chapter 9.
It was really impressive to me that the gospel sounded forth in this room last night.
And there was a gospel to the dear children in this room this morning. And now this is a gospel meeting again.
Another gospel meeting.
May we never tire, dear ones of the gospel. It is the good news that has won our hearts. I think of those in Ephesus who had lost their first love.
May this gospel warm our hearts, may we appreciate what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us, the heritage that we have.
The Bible that we hold in our hands. The Holy Bible.
It's God's Word, it's God's true message to you. Sometimes when my wife Margie is shopping and we don't do a lot of shopping just for free time, but we need something is the reason why we go shopping. But occasionally I'll go into a bookstore and I see a lot of books, and most of them are fiction books, I notice. But then there are spiritual books that are.
Are quite interesting. Well, dear Juan, this is the holy word of God. It is true. It is without spot, it is without blemish because it tells of a Savior.
Who is without spot and without blemish. He shed his precious blood for you and for me. Let's read this story in John's Gospel, Chapter 9.
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth, and his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me.
While it is day, the night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made play of the spittle, And he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go washing the pool of Siloam, which is by interpretation sent.
He went his way, therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him, that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is He, others said, He is like Him, but he said, I am. He therefore said they unto him, How are thine eyes open? He answered and said, a man that is called Jesus.
May play and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.
And I went and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
00:15:07
They brought to the Pharisees hymn that aforetime was blind, and it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put flay upon mine eyes, and I washed and do see.
Therefore, said some of the Pharisees, this man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath. Others said, How can a man that is a Sinner do such a miracle? And there was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
But the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? How then doth he now see? His parents answered them, and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. But by what means he now seeth, we know not.
Or who hath opened his eyes? We know not. He is of age, ask him, he shall speak for himself. These words make his parents, because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had agreed already that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore, said His parents, He is of age, Ask him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him.
Give God the praise. We know that this man is a Sinner. He answered and said, whether he be a Sinner or no, I know not one thing. I know that whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he do to thee? He opened how often he thine eyes.
He answered them, I have told you already, and you did not hear. Wherefore would you hear it again? Will you also be his disciples? Then they reviled him and said, Thou art his disciple, but we are Moses disciples.
We know that God spake unto Moses, As for this fellow we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he has opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners. But if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
Since the world began, was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind? If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. Then answered. They answered and said unto him, Thou was altogether born in seals, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out.
And when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him.
Look again at verse 25.
If you only remember one thing from tonight, I'd like for you to remember this one thing. I know.
That whereas I was blind, now I see one thing I know. Isn't it a wonderful thing to know?
Let's look at verse one. And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
00:20:05
It's quite a thing.
To see somebody blind. This reminds me of the verse that says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
We're all born in sin and shaping in iniquity, but the Lord Jesus Christ said I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
You know, we were talking yesterday about examples. There was a shepherd that had 100 sheep, but he was missing one. And you know, my older brothers could tell you more perhaps about sheep than I, But I had a little project and I had three sheep, and one of those little lambs got sick.
And I was very concerned about that lamb because it just gave up.
And I thought of that verse. All we, like sheep, have gone astray.
And perhaps that what was happened to that one lost sheep, that the shepherd, he leaves the 99 and he goes and seeks that one that was lost. Because a sheep is a real helpless animal and we are portrayed as sheep. We really need help. We are a very helpless creature, but there is help to be had.
From the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. And so I thought of that, You know, the Lord Jesus Christ being that Good Shepherd, he gives his life for the sheep. And we were told about the three hours of darkness last night from 12:00 perhaps until 3:00, when a holy God dealt with sin.
And the Lord Jesus Christ, that Good Shepherd there gave his life, that you and I could have eternal life, that we could know, that we see that we have eternal life. Now the Lord Jesus here uses a kind of an unusual way, perhaps we could say, but he realized that this man being born blind.
He really needed help and the Lord Jesus Christ loves sinners. He loves you and me.
He gave his life for us, and that's where the good news comes in. We are sinners, and the consequence of sin is outer darkness. It is judgment. It is.
To be apart from Him for all eternity.
Grace no more will say yet. There is room, but there's good news tonight.
God's house is going fast, Some guests will be the last, But the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that unmerited favor is being offered to you, dear one, tonight, you know.
My father-in-law was a teenager, and I tell this story to illustrate that the Lord Jesus used a bit of an unusual way to.
Sight to this man and he uses perhaps unusual verses to give us blessing. And I want to tell you about my dear father-in-law. He was a teenager and I don't think he was really that rebellious of a teenager. A wonderful man as I knew him. But anyway in Scotland where he grew up, why he he left home perhaps around 17 years old.
And a teenagers here tonight. It's a wonderful time in our lives. We we really feel pretty independent. We have strength, we have knowledge and we really we really feel pretty good. But you know, the Bible says remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth.
00:25:13
Well, I believe that my dear father-in-law had praying fathers and mothers and grandparents. And, you know, we just came from a little prayer room across the aisle there and it was a thrilling experience. That was that we heard, we heard fathers, we heard grandfathers praying for children, grandchildren, yes.
Great grandchildren. I appreciated that. It was really neat. Well, perhaps the prayers and they were they were answered because my father-in-law went to Canada and.
He was just kind of walking through the street, as I recall, and and he saw this little hall and he thought maybe I should just go peek in and see what's taking place.
And there was a speaker there, and the verse he quoted was for the very hairs of your head are all numbered. And my father-in-law had a beautiful head of hair and he knew he had lots of hairs. And so that night in the middle of the night, perhaps it just seems like it echoed, for the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
And it broke him down and he turned to the Lord Jesus Christ and he was saved. And you know, he was a bit like this man.
At the end of our verse.
And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him. Yes, many of us know that.
My dear father-in-law, love to.
To enjoy being around his Savior, to speak of his Savior, the one who had done so much for him. That was a very unusual means. So the Lord Jesus here, he loved this dear blind man. He recognized that this blind man needed help.
This blind man didn't seem to refuse.
Being held I think it's really interesting that the blind man would accept this effort, you know naming the leper he was a bit he was a bit contrary about going dipping 7 times. He would rather choose a different spot. You know the story but this man, he listened he he.
Realized he needed help.
Do you realize you need help?
I know there's a little girl that's four years old out there. I know there's a little girl that's three years old out there.
I know there are some teenagers out there, and last night in the prayer meeting, a man was mentioned for prayer, Marvin, and I was told that he was perhaps 60 or 65 years old and he is not well, and he's perhaps not realized that he needs help and that he's a Sinner.
And he has not cried to the Savior of sinners for health.
And many prayed for Marvin.
We called on a dear lady in this city who was over 101 day. My dear wife Margie was holding her hand and she was 102 at that time and she says.
You mean I'm 102 years old and Margie says yes, and I'll see you're 102, she says. I can hardly believe it. The time went so fast.
You know our life is as a vapor. It appears for a time and then it is no more. At 102 years seemed to be just for a time and then it was gone.
00:30:08
She was blind, she told us, she says. I don't know why they have such little light bulbs in this room. Leo, can you see what you're reading?
And the light bulbs were at least twice the normal. If there was 100 Watt needed in the lamp, there was a 200 in hers. And she could maybe see a little peep of light. But you know, each time we were there, she says, boy, the weeks just go flying by. But she was happy. She was happy.
She loved the Lord Jesus Christ. She had accepted Him as her personal Savior.
And he meant a lot to her. We don't know about dear Marvin. We're interested in him to be saved.
You know, back in our little meeting room in Sully.
My brother was having Sunday school and I was really kind of taken up because I love figures and he quoted some figures that he had.
That he had.
Received and he had written them down and I'm glad he did and he shared them with us because.
It's easier to be saved when you're young, when you're free or when you're 4, or when you're like my father-in-law, 17. And he shared the figures of some bit of a survey of the percentage of those that got saved before they were seven years old.
And it was like perhaps 80%.
But you know the Lord will never turn anyone away.
You know, at H&R Block, my dear wife answers the telephones and, and some say, I would sure not like that job, but she's really pretty handy at it. And I go in there when I pick her up in the evening and here are 10 phones and there are 6 ladies there and all those 10 phones are ringing and they pick one up and they said, H&R Block, may we help you? Will you hold a minute?
So they lay that phone down and they finish the other one. But you know when when we cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ for help, these potential clients were calling.
These ladies to make an appointment, they wanted help with their income taxes and we were glad they did, but.
When you need help from the Lord Jesus Christ anytime of the night.
He won't put you on hold him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
He is willing and able to say, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Peace of soul, do you realize?
That you need help, this blind man realized and wanted help. He would like to be able to see perhaps some of the things that he was being guided around.
And so the Lord Jesus stopped for this man. Yesterday we were told about the Lord Jesus going out of his way, perhaps for just one woman.
Tonight we have the Lord Jesus interested in this one man. In our little prayer meeting, we heard one brother say if there just be one soul saved during this conference, it'd be well worth it.
What would a man give in exchange for his soul? You know there'd be joy in the presence of the angels of God over one Sinner repenting the Lord Jesus Christ loves you.
He deals with individuals.
And each one of us are individually responsible for our never dying soul. You know, in Romans it says that even nature itself holds us responsible. We look out and the sun comes up and we like to see the sun come up, but the sun comes up in the morning and it goes down in the evening.
00:35:12
And that's.
Gone on for years and years. There is a God, we were reminded yesterday. The fool says there is no God.
Do you recognize that you are responsible?
Is all you have to do is believe?
Now with your turn with me over to 2nd Corinthians 4.
Want to put another little?
Scripture thought.
2nd Corinthians 4.
And verse three. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.
In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants. For Jesus sake, you know we have an enemy.
To contend with.
Saved, and He doesn't leave anyone alone. And especially to you, dear boys and girls in Christian homes, your daddies and your mothers and your grandpas and your grandmas love to tell you Bible stories and to tell you that you are a Sinner and that you need a Savior.
But the enemy may say he's had many years of experience. He says, well, that's a good thing to look after someday. But have a good time, put it off. You can do it sometime, but some more convenient day.
Well, you know, we we know of one who said to Paul almost.
Almost, thou persuadest me to be a Christian, and the hymn writer wrote Almost, but lost. How solemn. We don't want that to happen, boys and girls.
Tonight, settle the question. One thing I know I was flying, but I can see now I can see. We want you to know that you have eternal life, you know, a few years ago.
A man called and talked to our son and and he says he says tell your dad I want you to combine my being. The neighbor lady said that if I would call Leo that he would come over and maybe combine my beans and you tell your dad that I'd be glad to give him lunch. He just bring his combine over and I just like to do the bean him to do the beans.
I'll forgive him lunch and I'll pay for it when I get done. When he gets done. Well, I went over and did combine his beans and you know, we had a wonderful lunch. But before we had that lunch, his son-in-law.
Thank the Creator for that lunch. And as we walked out of the house, I told Miriam we were neighbor boys together. And I said, Mary and I sure enjoy your, your son in laws prayer. And he says, yeah, I really appreciate my son-in-law. He knows the Savior. And he says, Leo, I want to tell you something. Do you remember my dear father? And I said, yeah, I remember your father, Peter Paul.
And he says, you know, he says he passed on, but he says two nights before he passed on, he said, Miriam.
Son, it's OK, he says. I settled it last night.
Yeah, he says. I settled it last night, he says. I'm going.
00:40:04
To be with my Savior. And I said boy Mary, and I'm glad you shared that with me, but isn't that something I said, How old was your dear father when he passed away? And I believe he said 84.
And I said, oh, how wonderful that he got saved. Yeah, Marion says. But it's scary, isn't it, that he waited until he was 84?
Dear boys and girls.
Our life is as a vapor, it appears for a time and is no more. This dear man, God's grace, was indeed good to him. He allowed him that 84th year. This dear Marvin is perhaps 64 or 65.
Maybe only a few days left to live and his dear son.
Is desiring that he be saved. The son is desiring that his father would be saved.
How wonderful, dear children, that you are sitting there nestled up by Daddy and Mommy, and how thrilling it is to have them desire that you be saved, that you know that you have eternal life, that you as this person, this blind man.
One thing I know, I was blind. I needed help. Do you realize that if you need help, there is help to be had?
Hell was made for the devil and his angels. God would have all hands to be saved. He wants you, dear boy and dear girl, dear teenager, but no one is too old.
6584 whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely. Oh, everyone that thirsted come and buy without money and without Christ. Isn't that wonderful that it's a free offer? It's a free offer. You know, there would be some limitations if we would have to pay a price for it.
But the Lord Jesus offers it without money and without Christ. Do you feel that need tonight of a Savior?
Oh, I hope you do.
And I want to present the only Savior of sinners to you. He helped this blind man, and he saw.
And how thrilling it must have been for him to see. And you know the Bible says old taste and see that the Lord is good. Many of us that I am facing in this room have tasted and have seen that the Lord is good.
You know, when we have something that thrills our souls and thrills our minds and maybe that we've been thrilled with, we want to share it with others, don't we? Because we're excited about it. Hey, look at this, what this has done for me. You know, I work with a retired bank president, and he was like me. We had never had any experience on a computer. And we really love figures, but we didn't really think maybe that we would.
Take up computers.
But we learn how to prepare income taxes on the forms. And then when we were hired, why they they gave us some classes on the computer. And so here's this bank president and a dumb farmer. And we're comparing things about this computer. And one day he says, hey, young man, look what this thing will do. He was really excited about it.
And you know what? There are many people in this room that are excited about the Lord Jesus Christ because He has changed our lives. We have a new we have a new owner.
He has that he are not your own. You've been bought with the price.
00:45:03
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. We commend to you, the Savior of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ. We recommend Him to you because He has given a measure of peace in our souls, a measure of joy that we want to share with you.
It can be had tonight. It's all you have to do is reach out and take it. I understand that the little boy that reached out and he liked chocolate, he reached out and took the candy bar first. It was a little disappointment. It was empty, but it looked good. And that's what Satan, we learned a lesson, didn't we? But then the Lord comes in and gives.
An abundant blessing and it was a bigger candy bar and I'm sure he enjoyed it and maybe he even wanted to share it because it was so good. You know, a man was.
Visiting about and wanting to share with the children, God commendeth his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly, and this dear man wanted a.
Doughnut and he said to his wife, he was in the car and he says, dear, how about let's stopping and getting a donut and let's have each of doughnut. And she says, I really don't care for a doughnut, but I think you should have a donut. Go ahead and get yourself a donut. So he stopped and he got this doughnut and he says, you know what, that doughnut was so good.
It just tasted so good, I wanted to share it with her and I said, honey, you've got to taste this doughnut. I commend it to you. That's the way it is. Dear boy and girl, dear 17 year old.
Anyone 65 or older, we recommend we come in to you, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought a measure of joy, a measure of peace to us.
Now I'd like to turn. We've mentioned that we might know that we have eternal life and you know, the Lord Jesus Christ, we sang that the work is all done, it's all complete, the Lord Jesus Christ died. The gospel is a simple thing. You know, we were in First Corinthians in our reading and a little farther, perhaps the 16th chapter, Paul says, I declare unto you the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How that he died, and that he was buried, and that he rose again. A threefold gospel. He died, he was buried, and he rose again. I have power to lay it down, Speaking of his life, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. So the Lord Jesus Christ went into death for you.
And for me, his precious blood was shed once and for all. Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission. But his blood was shed, and it is his precious blood that can cleanse you and me. The vilest Sinner claims. Whether our heart is three years old, whether it's 65 years old or whether it's 102.
It has the power to cleanse.
That's hard and to.
Be that mediator that we were told about last night between man and God. You know we drifted from God.
And.
We were all like sheep going astray, and we had drifted from God.
And now he wants to blame us, to redeem us back to God. The price has been paid. He died. He was buried, His blood was shed. He was triumphant over death in the grave. He's a risen Savior, soon to come and claim so many of us to himself.
00:50:04
Would this room be empty if the shout were made tonight? We were reminded this afternoon that he's going to come quickly.
When the Father gives the Son the command, indeed he will come quickly, you know, we were reminded He's long-suffering, not willing that any should perish. But a prayer was mentioned. He is extended, as it were, the day of grace, even until now.
He is seeking you. Will you have him? Wouldn't you like to know that your sins are forgiven? Wouldn't you like to know that you see? Turn with me to 1St. John 5.
First John 5.
And verse 13.
Sometimes the phrase is said seeing is believing. Let's look at this first. First John 513.
And if we know that he hear us No, it's the 13th 1St these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. You can know that you have eternal life is all you have to do is believe.
To put it off would be like to reject us. Oh, don't reject the offer of mercy.
Don't say to a gift that you don't want it. He is there without stretched arms to offer a free and a full salvation. Do you realize that you're blind? That you're a Sinner?
In the sight of a holy God.
There isn't going to enter into heaven anything that defile it, and that's a wonderful thing. And so our sins must be blotted out.
And the only way that we can have our sins blotted out is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. You and I must believe. And when we believe in simple faith, we can claim this first.
You that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, turn back to our first in John 9 and I want to read it again in the 25th verse. One thing I know.
That whereas I was blind, now I see.
Here one one thing I know I was a Sinner, but now I am saying can you say that do you know that you have eternal life And so now look at the end of the verse. The Lord Jesus is all the way home Savior. This man was rejected, he contested.
It was Jesus, it was the Savior that had opened his eyes, and he was put out of the synagogue, and the Lord Jesus went and searched him out, and he spoke to him, and he said, and Jesus said unto him.
Jesus heard in verse 35, Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him.
Would you say that? Would you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? You know the Lord told Thomas.
Put thy hand into my side and be not faithless and unbelieving. And Thomas says, my Lord and my God, and the Lord says, Blessed art thou, Thomas, but blessed are those who have a Nazi.
00:55:17
You can have a blessing tonight by just believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The only Savior of sinners as we sing hymn tonight. Would you just accept him? Would you open up your heart to him? Would you say to him, Lord, I'm a Sinner? I realize I need help and I know that thy precious blood can blot out my sins. And he will accept you and he will save your soul. And may you go on your way rejoicing.
And may we worship, you know, could we sing together #12.
Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bits me. Come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come #12.
Just as I am.
My soul.
1 Corinthians 14:23-40
Reading
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Oh, my girlfriend, you're gonna play?
I'll grant you.
On the Road star and sore that way.
Love and what's the name And I believe.
Hey Cortana, that's where we live.
Everywhere.
And all.
1St Corinthians 14 from verse 23 to the end.
1St Corinthians 14, verse 23 to the end.
First Corinthians chapter 14 beginning at verse 23.
If therefore, the whole church become together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophecy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, He's judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and soul falling down on his face, He will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
00:05:17
How is it then, brethren, when you come together, every one of you have a song?
Have a doctrine half a tongue at the revelation at an interpretation let all things be done unto ediflame. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two.
We're at the most by three, and that by course, and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
Let the Prophet speak two or three, and let the other judge if anything be revealed to another that sitteth by.
Let the first hold his peace, for you may all prophecy 1 by 1.
That all may learn, and all may be comforted, and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. As in all churches of the Saints, let your women keep silence in the churches. What is not permitted unto them to speak? But they are commanded to be under obedience, as also set the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home.
For it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What came the word of God out from you, or came it unto you? Only if any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophecy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.
We have 40 verses here.
And right at the middle of it, in the 20th verse, we ought to speak on this.
It just seems like it's something introduced out of context, but it is not the 21St, says Brethren. Be not children in understanding.
Have hidden malice be children, but in understanding the men.
We've had.
Spear teaching that we have the assembly of the 12Th chapter and we have love in the 13th, and we have the assembly and Her function, particularly in the party of Red from verse 23 on, and the necessity and the function in the assembly.
Of love to make things run smoothly.
Now going in this way at 1St I believe.
Which the children before all of us as an example that will help us also to get along well together. We know these dear little children, that they do not hold malice. They have a plural in a few minutes.
A few hours have completely forgotten it. That's something for us older folks.
When there's trouble in the gatherings, usually it's the older folks in the closet. If you've got little, what, you have little trouble. And then we can learn from these little ones, but they can learn from us. And God wants us to grow up in intelligence, to get the truth and to get to where the Lord is in the midst. And you notice there was a report that God was in this assembly.
Here when she went on according to this instruction, particularly from verse 23 on, it's supposed if the whole, therefore the whole church be come together in one place, that is the assembly.
Meet the assembly met together.
And we have them. We believe in three special assembly meetings like yesterday, when by the goodness and grace of God, he brought us together to give to Him.
Our highest privilege, praise and worship.
00:10:02
At the remembrance of the Lord, as we commemorate him in his death for us.
And we see the globe on the table.
Which reminds us of his body in which he suffered, but also reminds us of the one body of which every believer is a member. And being a member, we have the right and dribbling and expectation to be there, to participate in the breaking of bread, and to be there with our baskets full. We've had good ministry on this to give, and we have got as a prayer meeting when we are met in a praise meeting.
It operates like these verses here.
Operates like these workers here. We're in a reading meeting, our ministry meeting, in order to operate like it does here. That is, there are things not to do and there are things to do, and the things to do is to have the liberty of the Holy Spirit and not to call a human director. As we have said Saturday, the church is not an organization.
She is a living Organism.
Livingly connected up to the head of glory.
By the Holy Spirit.
Sat down here and livingly connected together other members. And God wants a collective worship. He wants the people together to ask of him. He wants the people together to learn from him. And if we're going to hold the truth, brethren, I believe we must practice what we have in these versions. This is the way.
What has been given to us? The faith once delivered to the same to have the freedom for the Holy Spirit to instruct us and to get this understanding and to practice that. I think that first brother, the 20th, is really the key for what's before and after. And it says notice in the middle in malice be babes and doesn't say children in the in the translation, that's right. Or the original be placed.
Obey doesn't have any malice, obeyed sins, but it doesn't have malice. And we ought to really take that to heart. But it says be not children in understanding, but the perfect. That word men is perfect. And this is the key. And you know, Solomon, the wisest that ever lived In Proverbs first nine chapters 3 words are emphasized.
Knowledge, Wisdom. Understanding those three if you just look for a minute. Proverbs chapter 4, but it starts right away. However, chapter 4, verse 7.
Wisdom is the principal thing.
That's that's the that's the key there. Wisdom is the principal thing get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding. Now if you look at chapter 8 where we do have wisdom and verse one I verse 12 I'm sorry I wisdom dwell that's wisdom let's Christ.
But now notice if you down the verse 14 at the middle, I am understanding now where we haven't had knowledge yet, have we? We just use wisdom and understanding. But without knowledge you can't have understanding. You may have wisdom but you won't have any understanding. You've got to know and digest and read this your necessary food to get knowledge. And then.
This is applied to. It is understanding.
And that's a 9th chapter. Wisdom has builded her house. That's the church. By by application, she has you and her seven pillars. That's perfection down here. And now notice the 10th verse. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the holy. That's the word of God is understanding. And you get the formula K + W = U and there's no other way to have understanding.
Knowledge feed on the Word of God, wisdom applied by the Spirit of God to what you read, understand it. And you know many in Christendom have more knowledge than many of us. I meet them and they can put me to shame as quickly. They quote scripture, but they don't understand any of it. They may not even be saved, but they got a lot of knowledge. It's worthless without wisdom. And with wisdom we have that 20th verse in our chapter.
00:15:20
That's the perfect.
You know, we're children, and what holds us back is flesh. And so with the Corinthians, that was their problem. You are children. I can't speak to you except as children. I think it's the third chapter in our book right here. And why were they? Well, let's. Let's look at I shouldn't quote it wrong.
This was a problem.
Verse one, Chapter 3 I, brethren, could not speak unto you.
As spiritual, but only as Conde carnal as the unto faith in Christ. I have said you with Bill, not me, for hitherto you're not able to bear it. You're carnal. Now that's flesh that holds you back. Flesh using your own thoughts will make you wrong every time. Even if you're quoting the word of God, it'll be wrong. You'll need wisdom. Now what was wrong with the Hebrews? Well, it wasn't carnality.
Let's look, Hebrews, because this is this is our problem.
And in in Hebrews, I think it's five. Let's see.
Hebrews chapter 5 verse eleven, of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered. They're not difficult, but seeing he are dull hearing that's the problem. Ye are dull of hearing. For when the time you ought to be teachers you have need that one seats you again. It's tradition, of course that made them dull of hearing, but which be the first principles of the Oracle of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. Everyone that uses built is unskillful in the word of righteousness. He's a faith, but strong me.
To them that are perfect, you know perfect is something in Christianity. We should strive for it. I don't say I'm there. That's not the point we should strive for. Perfect for a Christian is full grown in the word of God and by wisdom. And then you're perfect. You can discern the wrong and the right. You can choose righteousness. You can walk in that path. So our verse is the key really to what we're in.
In the 14th chapter, and I think it's nice rather you brought that up. First, let's don't let our thoughts or play get mixed up with the word of God. Let's don't get traditions or things of the past or today. Even in Laodicea, let us get mixed up in the word of God. We need the pure word of God by the Spirit, and we understand in a practical way.
I was thinking of this 23rd verse.
Where The whole church coming together into one place. What's the purpose to to come and be brought together in one place. This is to remember the Lord Jesus, isn't it? It's it's not a place for teaching or a place for, you might say, exhortations. The place of worship, isn't it? I I think of the example that was many of us. I'm sure we've confronted this.
There are some that will say without this knowledge that her brothers been talking about their come and they're in the meeting, as it were, seem to be in fellowship. And they say, well, they don't get much out of the morning meeting. We don't get anything out of it. I said that's not the purpose of the morning meeting. The purpose is to come to give really as I've been brought before us gathering up through the week our little basket of first fruits, which is the speech of Christ.
And presented it to God. Really. If there's anyone here that has that thought that the morning meeting may be dull, just remember it's not you. Don't come there to get something. You will come away with something. That's true, But you come to give. That's the point.
Well, that's right. The morning leading of worship. But it says that all things be done for edifying. And we're not there on the morning meeting to edify God, that's for sure. And we're not there to edify each other. I'm not punished into you, but when we come together in one place, it could be for prayer, it could be for reading, or it could be for open meeting or whatever. We come together in one place and that's where the Spirit is needed.
00:20:12
And that's where edifying is done. Yes, that's very true. And the Lord is just as much there in the prayer meeting and the meeting for ministry as He is in the worship meeting. And so we follow this instruction given in a in grace here without commandments. And we have a place where the Lord is in the mid. Let's go to the 132nd song to see maybe a key to.
The presence of the Lord.
Going back to.
David's desire to build a house with the Lord.
And.
The failure come in in Israel.
And the art, the divine symbol of the Divine Presence, was lost in the woods.
And he says.
In verse six, lo, we heard of it and effort it. We found it in the fields of the wood. We go into his Tabernacle. We will worship at his footstool. While David was troubled about that, and he desired to find a place for the arm to build a house for it and his desire what comes out here and he says.
In verse 8.
Arise, oh Lord, into thy rest thou in the heart of thy strength.
I should have gone back and read from earlier verses. I'm going to get what he says in verses four and five. This is David's desire for a place for Jehovah in the midst of his people. Now that's what Philadelphia does.
She preserved a place for the Lord in the midst of his people. But this was David and he says in verse.
3 Surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house. He wasn't putting his own house in a place of preeminence, nor go up to my bed. I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids and kill I find out a place.
For the Lord and habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Now we have the same God, and he desires to claim a rest in the midst of his people, and he's going to find it where the word of God is practiced. According to our chapter today. Very simple, very instruction. And the Lord is present. We get and we know Matthew 1820 so well, but preceding that there is the prayer meeting.
And he is there in a prayer meeting declared in the worship meeting. There am I in the middle. And He's there in a meeting like this to give us instructions.
Now you're saying that we're to be perfect. The last verse of Matthew 5 says be therefore perfect. Even as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect. God gives us a perfect standard, and he never lowers the standard because of our lowering it. He always seeks to draw us up there and have us there.
Now, what you've said about wisdom and knowledge and understanding is very helpful and in a practical sense. Let's go to Second Timothy 3 to find out in a simple way for us where we get that.
Second Timothy 3.
And where is the last days in this chapter? And where's the last days of the last days? And what's going to help us? Well, we had some of this, but we want to get verses 15 and 16 and 17.
And then from a child thou hast known the Holy Scripture. We have got the Holy Scripture and we have got the Holy Spirit who broke the Holy Spirit to give us understanding which are able to make the wine. There it is. We need, we're going to get it out of the Holy Scripture. Why can the salvation free faith that is in Christ Jesus? Then he said all scripture back, but Genesis clear the revelation. Now we have it.
00:25:08
Is given by inspiration of God.
And his profitable for doctrine. We need that teaching for recruit, who certainly need recruit and corrections but for instruction in relationship. This brings us into the practical things that understanding will give us. In a practical look down here that the man of God, Timothy was called a man of God. I think Moses was called a man of God. It's one of the best titles a person can ever get.
Well, let God apply it. The man of God do you want to be that may be perfect? There is. He wants us to be perfect. We're going to get it back, this understanding out of the scripture and in the practice of it truly for each unto all good works we get in this place, there's plenty to do.
Don't say I'll never be perfect.
Perfect for a Christian is achievable. And God will do it if you allow the Spirit to have his way. Now you know it isn't overnight. It's a lifetime. Isn't that right? It's a lifetime. It's here a little. There a little. I'm speaking to the younger ones. Line upon line. That's the way it is here. A little. You don't get it all at once. There's no crammed horse or perfection for Christians, and you better get it that way. You're getting a little loud.
But you remember in Ezekiel, the spirit of God had a line and he measured. And when he went into the water with the man, he was in up to his ankle. And that's where I was for many years. I used to go to conferences and I'd say afterwards, I can't take in any of this. I wish I knew what they were talking about. I know they're right, but I wish I knew what they were talking about. I'm talking about the Harry Ahold and the and the Paul Wilson and the and Browns. And you know, I was way over my head.
Did I say I want to ask a bunch of questions and break this thing up? No, I listen. And pretty soon we left conferences. Not pretty soon before you. And I'd say, isn't that beautiful? I want to know more about that. And I started to read a little more where I should. You know, brethren, the dumb people, you've got to get it that way. There's no other way. There's no, there's no crash course. You've got to take it and you'll be surprised how it comes. And that's what we need to be perfect. Pretty perfect. Means you can take in the things of God.
That's really what it means. You're able to take it in, you're full grown.
In Ephesians 4 and 13 you have it referred to there as a perfect man.
Ephesians 413 says, Well, the 12Th verse says that have to go back to the 11Th verse. He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work, or with a view to the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man.
And to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And brother Darby gives that little part in the middle there unto perfect man, as at the full grown man. So I venture to say that perfect doesn't mean 0 defects, rather it means full grown.
The maturity, a girl. So if anyone says, well, we can attain that, I can be perfect in the sense of saying I never make any mistakes. That's not what it means. It has to do with the full growth and understanding things. And you know, it's infinite and it's one of those things where you say, yes, God has set that before us, but let's not any of us ever think that, well, I'm now perfect. I have fully matured. I know it all.
Because we don't know at all. We never graduate from class school. Do we know that that verse 13? Though now I will be corrected gladly, but from 9 to 16 it is for growth to be the perfect band. But that 13th verse, I believe is glory.
I believe that's glory, don't you? Or maybe run off. I'll listen to my brother till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man. Under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that can only be glory.
In this way that there's no such thing as perfection in the flesh? No, we're always going to have the flesh, but we ought to grow up. Now, that's right. We ought to be there. That's right. But in the 14th verse.
00:30:05
The object is in stature, the fullness of Christ. Can you be constituted? Never. No, no. But but that 14th verse is for here. But I'll leave it.
If you're applying the 14th to the 13th I.
Peter tells us that we should grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so when in our spiritual maturity we come to know Him and the power of His resurrection, fellowship of His sufferings, we are, in the sense of the word, perfection.
So when we know the Lord, we know the Father, we have reached a measure of maturity that enables us to go on into communion, judge the flesh, condemn that which has been condemned and walked in communion with God, and walk in the Spirit, And therefore not fulfilled flesh is lost. This I apprehend is somewhat it means to reach full growth or perspection, in the sense that we have it in our chapter.
Could I just read 11 and 12 together? This is why he gave these gifts. I won't read well. And he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. How long till we all come? All of us will come into land in glory. And then it goes on to tell us how these are used.
It's for this purpose that we're not tossed about with all kind of doctrines down here. But notice 16. From whom The whole body. That's the church fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint. You're a joint. I'm a joint supplier according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, making increase in the body under the building up of itself in love. Now that's the purpose of it all. But it's skilled.
Glory. And now, if I'm wrong, why don't we hear from my brother? So we ought to go on with this kind of meeting to give the liberty.
Of the Spirit of God to use those gifts that Christ has set down, and especially when we're in assembly, that we might get these truths and be able to pull them. And there are the five gifts. There's the apostles and prophets, but we don't have them living.
We have that writing, and we must use the Scripture. But then Christ, he loved the church, and he nourishes his churches it He's made a probation for us collectively to be together, to be instructed and get all this wisdom and knowledge, and to grow up unto him, and to learn of him. Now in order for that we have to allow the liberty of the Spirit of God to direct. I'll say what the Lord did direct by the Spirit, because He's here too.
And he's going to yield those who have something from the holy scriptures to teach us, to instruct us, to comfort us together, to prophesize. We've had edification, exhortation and comfort. So again I say this is the only way the truth is ever going to be preserved. That's the most blessed thing to realize the Lord's presence. Because if I invite you to my home and you're at my table and I look after.
Your needs at my table and the servants that I may use to do that is my business. The Lord said, gather my people together and give them water. No, I will give them water. And so we can come together in confidence in an assembly, we can say, well, there's no gift in the assembly. Leave that to the Lord. If you come together, he'll take care of that.
We need to have that confidence and one of the blessed things to read the epistles, because the Colossians were told to read the epistle in the assembly and to read the one that Laodicea. One of the blessings of that is that Paul was a teacher and he was a prophet, and so we can read the epistles, and that is in and of themselves teaching. The Lord may send along servants to help us understand that further, but Paul was a prophet and there's a blessing we read in Revelation from simply reading the book and hearing it.
There's a further blessing if we get ministry to explain it to us. But there's a blessing in just reading it. And if there's weakness, then we can come together in confidence. Perhaps you come from a long, small assembly, and you rarely have a gifted brother come to explain things to you. We can read the word of God and be taught and fed in the assembly because the Lord is there. We're at His table. He would. I would invite you to my home and put you at my table and not feed you. And the Lord's not going to do the same either. And so there's a special blessing in connection to that.
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That doesn't bar a brother from gathering some together in his home to read the word. But when we come together, even if the whole assembly is there, that's not an assembly meeting. But when we come as the assembly together with the Lord in the midst, he takes care of those things and we can have that confidence. And I know and I've heard of some that came together in that way in weakness. All they did was could read the word, and they really was nobody gifted in the assembly to do more than that. And there was rather a good teaching came out of that assembly because the Lord was there. He took care of it.
That side of things, that is the answer. If it's his house, his table, his presence, let him provide. That's the thought. And your 132nd Psalm turn back to it, is the answer, and it's beautiful to see it. You were right there, brother, and I thought you were going to pick up verse 13, which is the key to that Psalm, verse 13. For the Lord has chosen Zion. What is Zion? It's his chosen place.
He can bless and grace can pour out to us. He has desired it for his habitation. I'll notice verse 15. I will abundantly His word surely bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread. You know, I've been young and now I'm old and I haven't seen a St. Bacon for bread yet. But if you're at Zion, it's abundant. So that's the key. It's His chosen place.
Not not David's house. That would be wrong. It's his I didn't do it on purpose to take.
His desire, But it's so precious. This is my breast forever here will I dwell, for I have desire. No, We read about the Lord Supper at the last half over and moved, and is so tough and so tender.
With desire. I have desires to keep this Passover with you before I suffer every time we meet together. We can be sure His desire to be there is greater than our desire, but He puts a desire in our heart to be there where He is too.
In that beautiful, I want to just ask one thing on that 22nd of Luke, you just voted and this is so beautiful to me. It's the end of 27/22/27 and he says this is Christ Jesus. I am in the midst of you as he that served.
Now, it does say a month, but the original is in the midst and J&D is in the midst, and I like it in the midst. And brethren, don't ever.
Ever let anybody take in the midst out of the word of God? There is a translation that's taken it out from Genesis to Revelation.
We don't need KND in the midst either.
The 27th, 1St at the end. J&D word for a model part of the question.
Luke 2227 I give references a little too fast, but I'm going to get a chance to get into Chapter 14. Well, I was going to go back there. We are tending to go off on tangents rather.
We are so quick, we don't even leave any room. I'm guilty of it at times myself, but we are like popcorn, Reverend. Well, you got the port. We we ought to use it. Wait on another. And we ought to go into the passage that we read. Now, let me suggest that what we have in the 14th chapter is for edification. It's an edification meeting, primarily.
Not that it would be limited to that edification, encouragement and comfort, but in Acts chapter 20, the Church came together to break bread. So the specific purpose for coming together was to break bread. Then earlier in eggs, we have meetings where they came together for prayer, and so we do have the Church coming together at times for specific purpose.
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And his prayer. What is the breaking of prayer? But I believe here what Paul deals with is the edification of the Saints, the functioning of the body to supply needs. And then he speaks of those that are unlearned or unbelievers.
Now there are then those that attend the meetings, although they might be saying yet they are in the position of unlearned, who might become stumble by the display of the flesh and it was important or as it might be amongst us today. So we have to realize that that the purpose is that the needs of the same we met. Now we already know that the.
Speaking in tongues is out, you know. We don't have to dwell on that very much except to point out that they should speak in turn. And we do not find that in the movements in Christendom where they claim to speak in pounds. And then we have that the Prophet should be two or three and the others judge now.
There we have a limit given.
In a reading meeting such as we have here, we are not abiding by that limit and we are really not carrying out that part in a reading meeting, but is given here. We in an open meeting that has more character of what we have here in First Corinthians 14. And then I have always felt that in an open meeting there should not be more than three brothers speaking. Why? Because.
They do not necessarily always follow the same thing that the first one has followed. They might bring something else in and the third round bring in again something else. But it is all to meet the needs and the Saints can only take in so much. That's why Paul says not more than three should participate and not more than three Different things at one particular meeting should be brought before the same because.
Their capacity of taking in is limited, so I believe these are things that speak to us.
And we should remember that there are those who are unlearned and those who might be unbelievers. But if the spirit of God is in control and really a leap and guide, the individual and even the unbeliever that is present is convicted. Here is an edification meeting for the Saints. It's not a gospel reading, but they realize that God is indeed among them. They are convicted. We don't need just the gospel meaning.
To reach those who are unbelievers, they can be reached and are convicted many times by attending a meeting which is primarily for the purpose of edifying and building up the Saints. This is a these verses are very beautiful as you pointed out here just going on in this verse.
Verse 23 tells us if they all speak with tongues and so on. That's confusion.
But verse 24 But if all prophecy and there come in.
One that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all. He is judged of all. Why? Because the Spirit of God has been leading, is leading. Thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth that can only be done by the work of the Spirit of God. That is the observance of the Spirit of God, using whom you will in that in that gathering. But his prophecy, isn't it? The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
So that has to do to be helpful to those who come in. Our experiences, we've had it at home, experiences of people who came and they were invited and perhaps we had someone who was very vocal and and they did, they did a lot of talking and this person went away and they said, well, I thought you said the spirit of God LED and instead just one man did all the thought or it's gone. So we have to be careful on that and we find a job further in the chapter, let the prophets speak.
Two or three and let the others judge. That is determined, whether it's of God or not. And speaking in order also, isn't it? But what I was what I've enjoyed here is the fact that it says but if all prophesied and prophecy really is the power of the Spirit of God in the testimony of Jesus in the midst to whom we're gathered.
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I enjoyed a comment that was made about being at the assembly to get the truth, the fruit that could have found weed in another field, but she wouldn't have got Boaz. And I think that's a wonderful thing to realize the Lord's presence in the midst and to have that. And when one who is unlearned comes in and he sees the Lord in the midst, I know when I came into the assembly and I was unlearned, I can properly say that.
I had all kinds of arguments with what they said, but I went away and I said the Lord is there.
And I believe that that's what it's Speaking of here.
That if one's unlearned, there's an unbeliever comes in That the secrets of his heart were manifest. Were all kinds of things roots of unbelief in the heart that you're not aware of until you get into the truth. That's why you can explain to an unbeliever at work how you gather and they think, say, well, yeah, I know that's the way it should be.
But you explain that to a believer and they get angry with you because the secret of their heart is manifest. The truth of God manifests the secrets of the heart, and you'll often find with a with a believer arguments about the truth that you won't get from an unbeliever. They'll recognize the comeliness of the truth of the word of God. But if prophecy is given to a believer, it may raise antagonism because the secrets of the heart are manifest. But if things are done in order, they'll fall down on their face and own that God is there.
Is this I like to ask this question?
The end of verse 25, the report that says they will fall down, falling down on their space, He will he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth. This is in you in a collective way, isn't it?
Is that right? I should think so. Pardon. I should think so, Yes, it's a demonstration of there. Am I in the midst of them? Yes. That's why I wanted to know it, Mr. Darby Render said. God is indeed amongst you.
Is it clear that now it says at the end, let all things be done decently and in order. The order is God's order and we're getting some of it here. And you know, I would like to clear up something of the.
Monday, because I was asked by many people about an answer I gave and I don't like to let it hang. It says let your women keep silence in the assemblies. It's not permitted for them to speak. Well, that's important. God's order. We know why I don't win to that. But they asked me should the sisters be able to say Amen?
My answer was absolutely, but silent, not audible.
I'll give you the answer to that, and I should have given it. Then verse 28. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the assembly and let him speak to himself and to God. How do you speak? Silently to God? That's our sisters, and that's what they contribute. The Lord reads the heart. Let's go forgether to God, but not audibly. And Hannah, who was a godly woman.
She prayed in the temple before the high priest.
Didn't she pray silently? Of course. Did God answer her prayer? Of course. Should women Amen. A prayer? Of course, not Audibly. That's what my answer and it was misinterpreted. God hears he was a beautiful illustration of this in connection with Sarah when he came to the tent door. And she laughed and he said, why did she laugh? He had to rebuke what was done audibly.
But he could commend what was said privately, because Peter takes it up thousands of years later and says she called Abraham Lord. And she didn't do that audibly, she did it in her heart. So the Lord, I believe, had to rebuke what she did audibly, but he could commend her for what she said in her heart. And so not to make a rule of it, that Scripture makes these things plain to us. And the other thing is that it deserves a careful reading and Numbers 30. And in connection with the Church too, our various ones of commenting on the fact that the the wonder of the reading meetings, if there's a wrong thought, it can be corrected.
And.
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In Numbers 30, that if a woman vows A vow and her husband is present and he doesn't disavow it, then it stands. And so the place for me to correct my wife is not here in the meeting, but at home and so. But if he's not there and he corrects it, then she's not bound by that vow. It's worth reading that because we're living in great days of confusion as to that whole subject of.
And so in the assembly, if there's a wrong clock, even though the church doesn't teach, and the Lord can correct that thought right there publicly at the time, and and there's no harm, the harm is taken away. I learned many things by the gracious way in which a brother was corrected in the assembly. It was done so graciously, didn't realize it was being done. And I had a lot of the same wrong thoughts. I was helped by the gracious way in which it was done because and so it can be profitable even that if it's done in the spirit of love and without malice.
I wonder if there are any sisters who are wondering whether they should sing a hymn at the end of this meeting.
Edda Burton, I had sympathized with your feelings. You don't want to argue, but I don't agree with the cross expressed. But we leave it with the law and but they also.
A point that is well to consider that two and two speak and the other judge in this adoptery rendering that says others are plural and some have said that meets the other prophets.
That is not what is covered here. I believe the ones who minister the word are subject to all.
And after Saturday meetings, the local brother came to me and he gave what I believe was a.
Constructive criticism And that was, he said. We say that we should wait on one another. We don't really wait on one another. You know, we hardly get in a word edgewise. Sometimes that is the kind of criticism that is constructive. And if they do well, we can take heed to it, you know, And we get into this kind of the thing and.
I believe it is much more commendable for the audience if we wait on one another and not just.
Pop up right away after somebody has finished his thought. I believe this is a commendable.
Exercise that the brother has expressed that we do well to keep to them, then his criticism or judging in a constructive way.
We look at Psalm 103.
Psalm 103 and verse 7.
He made known his ways unto Moses.
His head unto the children of Israel.
Psalm 106.
Permanent verse 7.
Our fathers understood not.
Thy wonders in Egypt.
They remembered God, a multitude of thy mercies.
And let's look at 2nd Corinthians 12.
Perhaps first verse chapter 13 and verse 8?
Where we can do nothing against the truth.
But for the treatment.
Chapter 12 and verse 12.
Truly, the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all occasions.
In size and waters, and lightly these.
00:55:14
1St 19.
The second since we speak before God in Christ.
But we do all things dearly beloved for your.
Let's do a second epistle.
I was thinking of this.
In First Corinthians chapter 14.
The Apostle is.
1/2.
Is acquainted with the waves of the world.
Their condition was such that their acquainted with his hat.
You read and saw 160.
Now we're we read in Psalm 106 about.
His facts that they didn't remember this belief again.
What I'm saying is.
Many wrongly speak power or size.
But it's a much greater thing to apprehend the heart.
He says We do all things for your edifying.
That is, that the heart may happen and the God who wants to be home when he missed the signs of an apostle, he says. First of all, all patience.
Amazing.
We think of their moral conditions and things that have to be corrected, and get the patience in the first epistle laying out the order.
That directs disorder.
It seems to me that a teacher can teach.
And by communion with the Lord Jesus, I will profit and escape a lot of communion. I may not profit at all.
So when a prophet prophesized he can arrest the soul that's out of community.
That's why there needs to be.
That's waiting upon the spirit of God in the day of much intelligence.
And we have many wonderful writings and.
Teach you if we're only displayed how much we know?
May not arrest targets that are headed the wrong way.
But if there be prophecy, it can awaken and arrest the soul.
And of course the world where there's that falling down and saying God is among you.
If there's enough patience.
Wait, from the Holy Spirit? No, you're not going to hear that kind of problems.
Is there a love?
Sets forth his ways.
That can so wait upon him.
The word that comes forth.
His conviction in the soul of Lord.
You need to be very terrible, brother.
Because they're living in the last days.
The Holy Spirit's powers and souls. Its own greed.
He's not quenched.
There's going to be very much problems.
True. We can do nothing against the truth before the truth. What about the truth? If I won't have the truth, it remains the truth.
01:00:05
If the word of thought is set forth.
It convicts it encourages whatever it is quality is. It's true. Would I believe it or not?
You can misuse this verse saying you can do nothing against the truth all you can, so grieve your spirit God.
What we say.
Waiting upon that Divine Person.
That we expected to do something against.
Does it change the truth?
Marvelous today, that blessed living God, the Apostle of this this happened here is seeking to convey to them that they might know the way of God.
We want to show off with his *** like children of new toys.
And lay aside this thing of showing off.
God will succeed.
You'll be perceived by the soul.
To defray an eternal strike.
At general meetings, I believe we have to hang ourselves. They were guilty.
What are you so interested in each other?
We can't be in our seats early.
The Way upon the Holy Spirit.
He is a Divine person.
He's with us.
He's been sent to be witnessed ever, say Altaka.
No, brother, he wants to speak to this.
I'm impressed From where? In our seats early and waking in quietness.
With some reverence has shown to me.
It comes to remembering the Lord have often been in prison.
That the greater blessedness which requires the forehead.
I think we need to recognize.
Society we live in? Is that an awful lot to do with our invitation?
Spirit.
Verse 33 says God.
As the author.
Of peace.
As Deutsche.
He's never gone into a nursery in the hospital.
Never happened.
Yes, I think.
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A wonderful area we are heading over to.
But it better be careful that they aren't sharing the truth apart.
I've got it before. I was very scared.
There is a thought that I believe might still be helpful, and that is in verse 6. Already we have the thought of Revelation.
Paul says that I shall speak to you either he wouldn't promise them anything except I shall speak to you either by revelation or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctor. What is the difference between revelation and knowledge?
In the early days of your church, when they didn't have the word of God complete.
There was revelation that a person would speak by revelation.
He would give something to the Church that he himself had not heard before. But the Spirit of God was so active that He by revelation would communicate truth to the Saints. That also is the point in verse 30. If anything be revealed to another, that's his body. We don't have that kind of a thing in the church today. The Spirit of God does not speak by revelation.
But we have knowledge.
The difference is that knowledge is something that I have gleaned and gathered before, and I'm in the possession of, and we could do well to keep that in mind. Sometimes we have a mystical notion about a reading meeting in the assembly, as if we can come without knowing anything about the passage that we have under consideration, and then expect that the Spirit of God is going to, by revelation, to open it up with us. I think that's a mystical notion.
That exists sometimes amongst the people of God. I believe we have to have come into the good of what we can pass on to others today. Now that preparation might be.
Months or years before, like the little boy for whom the lunch was prepared for himself. Yet the Lord used it to feed the multitude. It was for his own need, without any thought that it was used to feed the multitude.
And I would suggest that you better are in a small assembly where there are not outstanding gifts that you do well to familiarize yourself with the passage that is under consideration in the reading meetings so that you have something to give. I'm not saying that the Spirit of God cannot give you some thoughts that you have not had before while you're in the reading meeting, but I do believe, generally speaking, we have to have come into the good of that passage.
Before we can, It's founded and minister about it to the benefit of others. And there is nothing wrong with a brother who is in the place of responsibility to read and meditate on the portion that he knows will come up next Wednesday in the reading meeting. Because if he doesn't understand it, he better get into the understanding of it so that he has something to offer to the second service. So we are not in the days of revelation. Remember that we are in the days where.
Knowledge is their doctrine, and all of these things suggest that we have come into the good of it before we present it through others. Could I suggest this in connection with Revelation? Because I believe the word means to uncover something, and that even at Corinth the Paul said 10 times, know ye not? And he appealed back to scriptures that they knew, but they were covered in the dust of rubbish of tradition, and he had to uncover them again, just as in the days of PMI.
And I don't want to attack your thought, but I think that even in Florence the thought of revelation was not that they received revelations apart from the Apostle Paul, but that we that there was there at Corinth. That there were truths that were known to them on which they could have acted as an assembly. That had they been revealed or uncovered, that would have been profitable and helpful to them. No, you, not that. A little 1111 at the little, the whole lump. That was a principle in Scripture that needed to be uncovered from all the rubbish of tradition and their own habits. Know you not that.
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You're not the Mazzolo key, the muzzle, the ox. It trends out the corn. And so in that sense, if I may put it that way, there is the uncovering of the word of God. And as you say, if we're not familiar with the word of God, there's nothing for God to work with there. And that's the trouble. That's the trouble. Often when we read ministry is that we're not familiar enough with the word of God. There's nothing for God to work with there. I just suggest that because there is definitely this false idea of new revelations.
But I think even in Corinth, there they have sufficient word of God, though they didn't even have false revelations, to act as an assembly in in administering the laborers, in in conducting orderly meetings, in putting away a wicked person, even though they didn't have that from Paul and the revelation said he received.
183 hymn #183 verses one and four.
Save your come, I say.
Away.
The Lord in the Midst-From God's Perspective
Address—T. Roach
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Select to begin the meeting this afternoon by singing hymn #59 #59, and I was thinking of some words, especially in the fifth verse.
When hung amid the empty space, the earth was balanced well. With joy thou sawest the mansion where the sons of men should dwell are those last two lines particularly. But we'll sing the whole hymn someone started, please.
Wisdom. Jehovah.
Life.
Before the prayers of all the inspiration quality.
Solid one.
Big oil.
Falls.
Right now.
Well, they are strong men, and all of us there.
To order.
Where?
The Suns are right.
Hey, I'm displaying the Earth was now and Squirrel.
Away and joy comes from and somewhere.
Loving God our Father, we thank Thee that like to turn to Proverbs Chapter 8.
And what's before me is that.
The.
Thought of the Lord in the midst.
From God's point of view.
And to see that.
He has a purpose. He had a purpose from a past eternity to have his people around himself.
So we'll read a few verses here in the eighth of Proverbs.
00:05:02
In verse 23.
The Lord of Wisdom personified, he says. I was set up from everlasting or from eternity.
From the beginning, wherever the earth was.
And over in verse 30, then I was by him as one brought up with him.
And I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth. And my delights were with the sons of men. Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, where blessed are they that keep my ways, hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
For whoso findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord.
What I was thinking of here is that God from a past eternity.
Had his mind on having his own people around him and what he was thinking of the creation and how beautiful it is, how wonderful it is.
The sun is the right distance from the Earth and the atmosphere is the right composition and everything is just.
Perfectly ordered, because he had in mind a habitable part of his earth. He had you and me in his mind, and not only those living here today, but throughout the ages He had the view of of having his creatures around himself for his own glory. But we read on a few verses. Blessed is the man that heareth me, and whoso findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord.
Will is not only for his blessing and his enjoyment, but for ours also that He wants us to be around himself.
Over in the 45th chapter of Isaiah, I'm going to read the verse.
Get it? Accurately, the 18th verse of chapter 45 of Isaiah.
Says this. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God Himself that formed the earth, and made it. He established it. He created it. Not in vain. He formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is none else. He formed it to be inhabited.
How interesting. Even the first verse of scripture speaks of God creating the heavens, the whole universe and the earth.
And anybody that's looked into it realizes how insignificant the speck Earth is in connection with the whole vast universe. He had in mind a habitable part of his Earth who was thinking of us. Not only was he thinking of us, but he was thinking of his own beloved son who would walk in this world.
In this habitable Earth. So let's just go back to Genesis now.
And we'll see that he wanted to be with his preacher Adam, the second chapter of Genesis. He created the earth, He created man. He made a garden, and he placed man in that garden.
And the 18th verse.
The Lord God said it is not good that man should be alone. I will make him and help me for him.
And down in verse 21 The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. And he slept, and he took one of his ribs, closed up the flesh thereof instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
And Adam said, This is now a bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.
She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother shall cleave unto his wife. They shall be 1 Flesh. Put a picture. This is to us of the Blessed Lord himself, who went into that deep sleep of death, and out of his side blow that water and blood, and formed his bride as a result. So it was a beautiful picture that early day.
The man who has helped me in this garden, and we would take it from a verse I'm going to read in the eighth, in the third chapter.
That it was God's intention, perhaps his regular.
Habit. We can say that of walking with man in the cool of the day, enjoying fellowship with his creature. So we'll read verse 8 of chapter 3. Sinners come in, we know in the meanwhile. And verse 8, Adam and Eve heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. It's spoiled sin spoiled that fellowship.
00:10:30
It's spoiled that happy conversation of the Lord God with this.
Creatures. Adam and Eve at that time it spoiled that and they hid themselves. Sin does separate and it keeps us away from the enjoyment of the Lord, and he still wants to be with His people. Now there's many places that we could turn to, but let's go over to the 25th chapter of Exodus.
Exodus Chapter 25.
By this time.
We know many things have taken place. Sin had gotten so bad in the world that the flood had to be brought upon it to cleanse it. And many of these things that I intend to mention today have been mentioned already in these meetings.
Just kind of, by the way, a brother wants not too long ago asked me how do you get your messages? Well, you know that's the hardest thing to know. What is the message that the Lord wants you to bring?
And in contemplating something and feeling that this might be what the Lord would have, and hearing little bits of it given out is a confirmation. And so I go ahead with a little confidence in speaking the way I am. But we've already had some thoughts like this, and here is the Lord.
At least we go back to the garden there. From that time sin had entered into the world, it got worse and worse.
And the garden they put out of the garden The flood came, the Tower of Babel came.
And God chose that one man, Abraham, and of him.
He made a nation, and we know how he came and visited Abraham. He talked with Abraham.
But now we're up to the 25th of Exodus and in verse 8.
There's instructions being given to Moses in the mountain. Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. This was God's purpose. He wanted to have his people.
Around himself, he wanted to dwell on their midst. That word was emphasized this morning. The midst. And he wants to have his people around himself.
Well, you know, instructions were given for the construction of this Tabernacle, and the very first thing they're told about that they were to build as they are, which is a picture to us of the presence of the Lord of the Lord of all the earth. And as he gives the instructions down in verse 21, it says, thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark, and in the ark thou shall put the testimony that I shall give thee.
And there will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat.
Well, the Lord is going to commune with Moses. He was going to have a communication with Moses, who would then pass on to the children of Israel.
His desires, you might ask, How is this possible?
Since sin had come in, well, you know, before this chapter we read about the people in Egypt being sheltered by the blood that was applied to the door. Not only were they sheltered by the blood, but they were saved. They were delivered by crossing the Red Sea, and they were separated from the dominion of Pharaoh. And it tells us they were baptized in the cloud and the sea unto Moses. So they were on the other side.
They had been sheltered by the blood, and they had been delivered, and they had also received God's word. They had received the law, and we know that they couldn't keep it, but they had received the word of God. And now he says, I'm going to dwell among you. I want to dwell among you.
Well, sin again spoil these things and they were driven out. I'd like to turn over now to Zephaniah 3. You know, our brother from Buchanan? Yesterday he advised us to read this chapter.
And by the grace of God, I roasted a little bit of what we took in hunting, and I read the chapter and discovered a verse I was looking for.
00:15:05
In connection with this subject, the last chapter, the third chapter of Zephaniah.
And Speaking of a future day.
So we'll read from verse 14 to get that connection.
Sing, O daughter of Zion, shallow, to Israel, Be glad and rejoice with all the heart. The daughter of Jerusalem, the Lord hath taken away thy judgments, if cast out thine enemy, the king of Israel. Even the Lord is in the midst of thee. Thou shalt not see evil anymore, and that day it shall be sent to Jerusalem. Fear thou not to Zion. Let not thine hands be slack.
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty. He will save. He will rejoice over thee with joy.
He will rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of the of thee to whom the reproach of it was was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee, and I will save her that haunted, and gather her that was driven out. And I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
Well, just stop there. But it does speak there of the Lord being in the midst.
Of his people in a yet future day. And I believe it was also mentioned yesterday, that we do not want to lose sight of the fact that God is going to bless Israel because he blessed us. And we might just think so much about our being blessed and our being with the Lord that we forget that he's going to fulfill all his promises to Israel. If we had time, we could look into some details about that, but he'll just leave it at that.
And I was surprised to see twice it says save and gather, and then it says again, save and gather. Interesting words for the Old Testament, aren't they? And he's going to do that for Israel. He's going to save them and he's going to gather them together. They're scattered so far and wide, nobody even knows where they are.
Nobody knows who they are today, but God is going to bring them back.
He's going to bring them back to their land from all the places that they're scattered under the under the heaven. And so he's going to be in their midst. He's going to bless Israel. He's going to have his earthly people around him. And so many of you probably remember that key verse to the whole Bible, Ephesians 110, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth.
He's going to have his earthly people as well as his heavenly people, and so this looks way on into the future, maybe not so far off, but into the future when the Lord will be in the midst of his people in Jerusalem.
You know, I find it interesting that the 2nd Psalm says.
I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion. Do you wonder why all the Arab and the Muslim peoples are against Zion? Was because God says I'm going to set my king there. I have set my king there. Indeed, he's going to reign from that place. And underneath it all, Satan is trying to interfere with God's purposes, but they will be fulfilled. He will be in the midst of his people, Israel.
Well, we'll go on to the New Testament now and see that which.
Concerns ourselves more. Matthew, Chapter 18, a very familiar portion.
Rather than try to explain, I think I'll just read the words of scripture from verse 15.
Because I want to point out the two or three, the purpose that we have two or three mentioned in verse 20. So starting at verse 15. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone, if he shall hear thee, thou shalt thou hast gained thy brother.
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established, And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church. And if you neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man, and a public. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatsoever shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
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Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father, which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Two or three?
What is the intention of the Spirit of God in mentioning two or three? I believe it is as a witness. Oh, you might say a witness of what? A witness that the name of the Lord Jesus is sufficient as a gathering center. And I know we use it often. We often hear it spoken of as the minimum number, plural number, and sometimes we do find assemblies. And I've been present when there's been just two or three.
But the Lord is there, the Lord is there. But I believe the real purpose of the two or three in this context here is told us in the end of verse 16. In the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. It's a witness to the fact that the name of the Lord Jesus is a sufficient gathering Center for where two or three are gathered together in my name, the authority of His name.
Authority was named. I'd like to refer just go back to here again, but over to 1St Corinthians chapter 5.
One Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 4.
We again have that expression.
For the Apostle Paul is charging the Corinthians to act in a certain matter in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. But the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus, and then down at the end last half of 13. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
I mentioned this one time and I was challenged as to the fact that the Apostle Paul said this and he delivered someone to Satan and the authority doesn't really have that authority.
I read it because it does say the in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you're gathered together.
And I believe it's just as powerful that it was the Apostle Paul that said this while he was still here on earth.
Because he could have dealt with the matter himself, he could have gone to Corn, he could have dealt with that matter and we would not have had such instruction as we have here.
But the very fact that instead of giving only his authority to do this, he tells them their authority in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you're gathered together, act.
Right.
Well, that is a very serious thing as an assembly. And remember, we're looking at this from the point of view that the Lord Jesus has a right to gather his own around himself because, you know, this ground is attacked. We know it's been attacked. There's there's many that have left the Lord's table because of it.
And they have. They have.
In a disparaging way, the one place doctrine, the one place doctrine. And they they make a word play on that word place. It's not a place, it's a person. Well, we know that, but there's a certain ground in which we meet that person.
And we'll see that in a sense is a place where.
Isn't that a place where two or three are gathered together in my name?
There am I in the midst of them. Now, the place isn't a building. It isn't a building. But there is a place where people meet. It might be a garage or somebody's living room, or in the catacombs or a meeting room. There's a place where we meet together, and if you want to meet the Lord, you have to be there.
Where folks are gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus. And I like that word there. It's such a simple word. We use it in everyday language and we can relate to it. Maybe in this, in this way, that when Elijah told Ahab that there would not be rain or dew except by his word and he had to flee, the Lord told him to go to a certain place and he said I've commanded the Ravens to feed thee.
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There suppose they like to said, I don't like that plate. It's too hot there. I know a shady place further down. He would not have been spent, because he wasn't there where the Lord sent him. So if we want to meet the Lord Jesus, we have to go where the authority of his name is on, acknowledged, admitted, submitted to, where two or three are gathered together in my name. There mine in the midst of them.
Some of us were having a little discussion last night and some apparently are saying.
There's no ground left. There's nobody on divine ground anymore. Well, in that case, then, we have instructions. This do in remembrance of me, and we have no way to do it.
Is that God's way? I don't think so. I know it's not. If he tells us to do something, he makes it possible to do, and he wants us to be gathered together on divine ground. We don't have time to look at it. But back in Second Chronicles, about the 33rd chapter, we have a an attack on the one place doctrine of the Old Testament, Hezekiah. You know, he had destroyed all the high places.
Where the people worship the Lord, sometimes they worship idols. But there's a verse that says the people worship in the high places and they worship the Lord God only. Now that's even more serious than worshipping idols because they were professing to be worshipping the Lord. And Hezekiah did away with those places. And then Sennacherib the king of Assyria comes up and he sends his messengers and he says don't trust Hezekiah. Hasn't he destroyed all those places? And he says you come and worship at this one altar.
See, the enemy was trying to destroy the one place in that day. Don't come to this one altar. Don't listen to Hezekiah. Well, we've been hearing that for at least 10 years, maybe longer in those terms. And it gets to a point where you feel, well, maybe we shouldn't mention it, but when you see it from the point of view of the Lord Jesus and he's the one that says this, you know, if you have a red letter Bible, that 20th verse of Matthew 18 would be in red. It's the words of the Lord Jesus.
And he says, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And we can count on it. We can depend on it. He has promised to be there, and it's his purpose to have his own gathered around himself. And are we going to deny him that privilege? Oh, no. We want to enjoy that privilege. We've mentioned yesterday how much those who leave that ground miss that simple.
Remembrance of the Lord Jesus in that way. And you know, there was a boy. He's not here now, so I can tell you the story. A boy about six years of age. He said to me, do you like going to meeting? And I said yes. Do you? He said yes. And I like the breaking of bread. A six year old boy, isn't that precious? He doesn't understand a whole lot, I don't think, but he enjoys the breaking of bread. I didn't ask him what it is he enjoys about it, but oh, it thrilled my heart to hear him say that.
Do you enjoy that? I hope we all enjoy this, that time. We look forward to it all through the week.
Yes. Well, we'll look over at Luke 22.
This also has been referred to. I always enjoy this passage.
The Day of Unleavened Bread came, and the Passover must be killed.
And in verse 8.
Jesus sent Peter and John saying Go and prepare us the Passover that we may eat.
And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
And he said unto them, Behold, when you are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water.
Follow him into the house where he entereth in, and ye shall say unto the good men of the house. The master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber? Where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room furnished there. Make ready. And they went and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready to Passover. And when the Passover was come, he sat down, and the 12 apostles with him.
And he said unto them with desire, I desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
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Well, this is precious and we've often read this, thought about it. And Peter and John are sent by the Lord to go and prepare the Passover.
You know, Peter, he's a, he's a dear man, full of energy, and he often had his own ideas of what to do. And can't you just about picture him saying, come on, John, I know just the place, let's go. But they didn't do that. They didn't do that. They said, Lord, where will thou prepare? Where wilt thou that we prepare? You know, you probably come across people like that, too. They've moved into a new community and they tell you that they're looking for a good church.
And we've said to some of them now, how do you, how do you define that?
What is it you're looking for? What is a good church? Well, they're baffled about them. As to the answer, one one time they they showed me a card that said we believe in Christ, crucified and risen and coming again.
Well, is that all we need? You know, they really became interested in hearing these things that we're talking about. Where wilt thou that we prepare to good thing to ask a question like that?
You may be wondering, how will I get an answer? How will I know? Where wilt thou that we prepare? Where, Lord, where do you want me to go? Because sometimes people say, well, do you think you're the only ones? How do you know? How do you know?
Well, if you ask the Lord, he'll show you there was a specific directions here.
And I sometimes thought they could have stopped and said, But, Lord, suppose we don't meet that man, or suppose this or that, or the other thing. But verse 13 is what I find precious. They went and found, as he had said unto them, Isn't that nice? They went and found as he had sent them to them.
They obeyed. They did just what he said, and they found it worked. They found the place.
Verse 14. And when the hour was come, he sat down the 12 apostles with him. I was glad when my brother mentioned being in our places a little ahead of time and respect for the Lord. It's not just in conferences. There's a couple of meetings that I can think of, assemblies where if you go there 10 minutes before the hour, you'll find nearly everybody sitting down. They're not having a conversation.
They're sitting down.
And I don't know. I can't read their minds, But I suspect they're thinking about the Lord. And I like that quiet myself, to think about the Lord, to think about what he's done, why we're there. And you know, when the meeting begins, it just flows along. It's so nice.
Well, how do we get that out of this verse? When the hour was coming, he sat down. He was the first one there.
And if the meeting goes beyond 12:00, he isn't gone. He doesn't leave at 12:00.
He's the last one to leave, first one there, last one to leave. So if we want to enjoy the presence of the Lord, this is a little advice for us. From the Scripture he sat down, and the 12 apostles with him, and he said unto them, with desire, I have desired, or I have greatly desired, keep this Passover with you before I suffer again. Looking at it from his point of view, it was his purpose. It was his desire to have his own around himself.
For thy last Passover before he suffered, indeed the last Passover period.
And then he took the cup, Later on took the loaf and the cup in the 19th verse. And following the night in which he was betrayed, he did that he instituted the feast of remembrance. Well, the Lord in the midst, and it's his his privilege, his prerogative, to tell us how to do that, to invite us together around himself.
And rather than being presumptuous, it's obedience to do as he says and to go on and communion with himself.
Now that's not the end of the story. We've gone from eternity. Let's go ahead now into Revelation.
The 4th chapter.
We've had reference made to this first verse. After this I looked.
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That is, after the Church period.
In the vision, John is looking.
He sees some things Verse three immediately. Verse two rather.
And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven. And one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a Jasper and a sardine stone. And there was a rainbow round about the throne, insight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and 20 seats. And upon the seats I saw four and 20 elders sitting clothed in white, raiment. And they had on their heads crowns of gold.
And we'll go down to verse 10, the four and 20 elders.
Fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. We now find the future in heaven, the Lord on his throne, and those four and 20 elders representing the believers.
Old Testament as well as the church around the throne.
Falling down and worshiping him that liveth forever and ever.
Casting their crowns before the throne. Amazing, isn't it? He gives us crowns and it's as if we say, Lord, I don't deserve this, and we bring the crown to him. Saying thou art worthy, thou art worthy to receive glory and honor. He honors us, and we can't help but realize that it's his purpose to bless us so richly more than we can take it in because in the ages that come.
He's going to show the exceeding riches of his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, oh riches of his grace, and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. What a wonderful future awaits us. And they're saying thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. So honor comes to the Lord Jesus, and he's having his own around himself.
And then in the 5th chapter again the question is asked who is worthy?
And he is found worthy, and John is told to look.
Because there's the lion of the tribe of Judah in verse 5, the root of David, and he looks in verse six I beheld. And lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had been slain, a lamb as it had been slain in the 4th chapter.
Creation is the theme, but in this 5th chapter the Lamb as it had been slain.
Oh marvelous beloved, we're going to be around him for all eternity, and we'll never forget.
But He suffered for us a Lamb, as it had been slain. The slain Lamb will see him, will be occupied with him for all eternity. The slain Lamb he's going to have his own around himself in that way in that home above, not only his redeemed ones.
But we'll just go on a little bit.
And verse 8. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and 20 elders fell down before the lamb.
Having everyone of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers?
Of Saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book to open the seals thereof. For thou hast slain, and hast redeemed to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation, and has made us unto our God kings and priests.
And we shall reign on the earth, and it goes on. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne.
And the beasts and the elders, and the number of them was 10,000 * 10,000 and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing and honor, and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and 20 elders fell down in worship in the sitteth liveth forever and ever six times in the Book of Revelation, the four and 20 elders.
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Fall down and worship wonderful occupation in heaven was the Lord himself in the midst and even the angels and all creation honoring him. Let's just go over to the last chapter in closing.
Chapter 22 and verse 3.
You see, we're going to be enjoying the blessing around himself and it says, and there shall be no more curse.
But the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him.
I've thought about that. Serve Him, you know. How do we serve him now? Well, we may preach the gospel. We may visit the sick. We may pray in all kinds of ways. We may serve him That will not be necessary when we're up there. The only service I can think of up there is worship will be worshipping him, falling before him, adoring him for all He's done, for all He is verse four. And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there, and they need number candle neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. And then we'll go over to the 20th verse.
And we have his last promise. Surely I come quickly.
And our response? The last prayer in the Bible. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus. But you know, we're still here. We're still here.
You know, we'd like to stop and justice, think of ourselves being up there in heaven. But we're still here and we have one last provision.
In the word of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Loving God our Father, we thank thee for this gracious provision and for all that we were able to look at here.
Open Mtg.
Open—M.W. Smith, M. Miller, R. Thonney
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Again.
Hebrews 13.
And verse 8.
Jesus Christ.
The same.
Yesterday.
And today?
And forever.
I certainly don't wish to duplicate what our brother is, said We I'm sure that we all have valued and.
The warning, the exhortation of which were given to us.
But I'm thinking of this in connection.
With the person of Christ.
We were here together this morning to remember him in his death.
And.
We know that we are not the sorrows. At least we know in part.
The sorrows which were his.
In that work, which was accomplished at Calvary's cross.
But I'd like to think of this and pass it on.
Concerning.
Our Lord Jesus Christ in the past eternity.
And when he was down here in this world.
And also.
Now that he is in the glory.
Would you turn with me, please, to Psalm 102?
It isn't my purpose to go into the details in any of the scriptures that we might.
Look at.
But only to see in it.
The carrying out of God's purpose.
Which is purpose, and we know that God's purpose concern you and me.
Psalm 102.
And we might read from verse 18.
This shall be written for the generation to come, and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
Julia this morning.
We had occasion to praise the Lord.
And these things which were written in the Old Testament were written.
That there may be even amongst us in this day.
That which would be for the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 19.
For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary. From heaven did the Lord behold the earth.
To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death.
To declare the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem when the people are gathered together in the kingdoms.
To serve the Lord.
Now we have the words of our Lord Jesus, which follow the.
And is spoken of anticipation of his coming into this world.
He awakened my strength in the way.
Be shortened my day.
We read in Psalm 8 or in Proverbs chapter 8. We won't turn to it.
But we have there the expression of the Lord when he said, my delights.
Were with the children of men.
No. Wonderful to think.
That even in a past eternity, before there was ever any world.
Before there was any human being.
The Lord Jesus could look.
With delight.
Upon the children of men.
Knowing full well what man would be, what man would do.
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And yet on the purposes of God.
And with the Lord Jesus as the Son of God.
To know that his purposes were that he might have pleasure.
In people with men.
He awakened my strength in the way.
The prophetic word as to what the Lord Jesus would have to go through on Calvary's cross.
For the next words we find the answer.
Of God the Father to the Son.
Well, the 24th verse.
I said, Oh God, take me not away in the midst of my days.
The Lord Jesus was comparatively a young man.
When he hung up on the cross.
And when he dismissed his spirit.
We understand from scripture.
That.
A godly Jew.
Looked forward to a long life.
There was a promise in the law.
That if he obeyed the voice of God, that their days would be long upon the earth.
Of course the Lord will give them.
If there was any man who was here in this world and I speak reverently.
The Lord Jesus was the only man here in this world.
Of whom God could say, and say from the glory, This is my beloved Son.
In whom I am well pleased.
On more than one occasion.
We have those words spoken from the glory and heard.
Here in this world.
But he awakened my days.
I said, Oh my God, take me another way.
In the midst of my days.
And God gives the answer to that.
Thy years are throughout all generations.
Of old Hassar laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens of the work of thy hands.
They shall perish.
But thou shalt endure.
Yeah, all of them shall wax the old naked garment that a vesture Shall thou change them, and they shall be changed.
But thou art the same.
Now we understand from some of our writers.
Who know the original languages?
That the same spoken of here should have a capital S on it.
One of the titles of our Lord Jesus Christ, the.
And as we read in Hebrews chapter 13, Jesus Christ the same.
Yesterday.
And today?
And forever.
Oh, marvelous is a word of God which gives us.
The understanding of what was in the mind of a holy.
God.
When he sent his son into this world.
And even before that when the.
Councils of God were recorded.
That he was to come into the world.
To be your savior and mine. To believe on Him. And one would trust that those who are here today.
If they do not already know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
That soon.
That now they may be able to say, I want him as my savior.
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The one who desired my company even though he spoke it in the past eternity.
Thou art the same in thy years shall not fail.
Thy year shall have no end.
The children of thy servants shall continue, and their sins will be established before the.
The time is coming.
When all shall be according to the mind of God.
When all of God's creation shall have served His purpose.
And as it tells us here, the time is coming.
When what God has accomplished as far as the creation is concerned, well if have fulfilled their present purpose and shall be changed.
But the one that we know as our Savior.
Was the same. He had the same feelings toward you and me.
In a past eternity, as he has now and as he will have.
Forever.
How wonderful it is to know that.
That nothing can change the purposes of God.
That God's purposes.
Will all be fulfilled.
One things of past years when it was the duty of some of us.
To layout programs for those for whom we worked.
To make programs for the next five years, for the next 10 years.
Yes, Sir, What would be accomplished?
And as we understood, if we got 10% of those programs accomplished, we were doing pretty good.
God's purposes will be fulfilled in their entirety.
And though we pass through troubles and difficulties down here.
We know that all the purposes of God worked together for good to them that love Him.
That will be carried out.
We get him back to the thoughts of one house in connection with these verses.
We find the carrying out of the purpose of God. Let's turn to Two Corinthians chapter 8.
Which was also read to us today.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 8.
And verse 9.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor.
That gazed through his poverty might be rich.
Not only did the Lord look down to hear the groaning.
Other creation.
We know we heard the groanings of the children of Israel.
The days passed.
But the Lord looked down upon you and me.
And he understood all the difficulties that we would pass through.
Yeah, he knew it all.
But he was a rich one.
He was in the glory. His person was all glorious.
But he laid all that aside.
Because he heard our groanings.
You knew our needs.
And he came down.
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To do what we could never do.
He came down here into this world, laying aside His glory.
You did all that.
In order that you and I.
Might be rich.
The day is coming when we're going to be in the glory.
But even now, here as we are here in this world.
How rich we are through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You and I, through the work of our Lord Jesus, have been made the children of God.
Through faith in Him.
All this.
Was his purpose for us.
Always think that we're not or what it cost him.
In order that it might be so for us.
The Lord Jesus.
Laid aside as glory came into the world.
He came into this world in poverty.
And as he ministered here in this world.
He saw the poor.
The infirm.
Even though.
Who had died? He saw them.
All the groanings.
And he himself a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
He came into the world.
The world didn't know him.
He came to his own.
And they wouldn't have him.
Nor they rejected him.
They said away with him. We will not have this man crucify him.
What did it mean to the heart?
Of our Lord Jesus.
Then you're the sorrow.
When he came in grace.
And his grace was rejected.
We also had before us.
The Lord Jesus.
Even with his own.
If we were to turn to the 13th chapter of John's Gospel.
We find there the Lord Jesus with his own those who have been with him.
For some 3 1/2 years as we believe.
And as he's talking with them.
We have the record having loved his own Witcher in the world, he loved them to the end.
And yet.
He could say, one of you shall betray me.
Did he feel it?
If we were to turn to the Psalms again.
Just a quote it.
At least in substance.
That there was that one with whom he had been familiar.
They had walked to the House of God together.
His own familiar friend.
He lifted his heel against me.
Yes.
And then on that same night.
He could say that we have already heard about and we know about it.
To Peter.
Tonight.
Before the morning comes. Before the **** grows in the morning.
Three times you're going to deny you know me.
Did the Lord Jesus feel that?
Did it hinder him in his purpose?
Jesus Christ.
The same yesterday.
And today?
And forever.
His feelings toward you and me.
00:20:02
Never changed one bit.
Begin on that same night.
As he was telling his own about the father's house.
That he was going to have his own with him there.
That is going to come back personally.
To bring his own into the Father's house.
Tell him all about the Father's love.
And yet.
His heart was so heavy.
With all that.
They can say the Prince of this world cometh.
He said, I will not talk much with you anymore. To the Prince of this world cometh Ness, and hath nothing in me.
While Heather cross before him.
And as we read the record.
In the different gospels of what the Lord Jesus went through with the hands of men.
Of how they exposed all the hatred of their heart against him.
Yeah, they can say Father forgive them.
For they know not what they do.
He became poor in this world in order that we might be rich.
Oh yeah.
All that.
At the hands of a holy man.
The Son of God.
And we were considering this morning as we were thinking of our Lord Jesus, remembering him.
Of how?
Not only was it at the hands of men.
That he received all.
But he is the one of whom God could say, This is my beloved Son, and who am I well pleased?
Yeah.
He was alone on the cross.
My God, my God, why yourself for shaken me?
Our fathers trusted in thee. They trusted they were delivered.
But I'm a worm and no man.
Do we enter into it?
I don't believe.
That way you're ever going to enter in fully.
Into the thoughts.
Or the feelings, the sorrow.
Of the Lord Jesus.
Not even in the glory will we be able to enter into but all.
It was invincible.
It was bottomless sorrow that he bore.
All this.
From the.
Who had been rich in glory?
And he laid that glory aside for you and me.
All this.
Yeah.
But.
The Lord of Life.
To enter into death.
The Lord Jesus Christ would enter into the domain.
Of Satan in order to gain the victory for you and for me.
I'm sure that we here are aware of the fact that the Lord Jesus should have could have gone back to glory at any moment. He had the perfect right to go back.
As one of the persons of the Godhead.
He never gave up that.
Right to be one of the persons of the God, that he could not.
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He was a creator of all things.
He was the one who could speak.
That all things were done.
And yet.
He would allow himself to be taken.
And not only.
To be on the cross bearing our sins.
But Abel do dismiss his spirit.
Enter into death.
Into Satan's domain.
In order that for the third day that he would rise again.
And gain the mighty victory.
Over the one who had the power.
Death.
With another verse I'd like to speak concerning before I leave and give place to someone else here.
Let's turn to Hebrews again.
The 12Th chapter.
Verse one.
Wherefore seeing we also are confident about with so great a cloud of witnesses.
Let us lay aside every weight.
And the sin was just so easily beset us.
Let us run with patience a race that is set before us, looking under Jesus.
The beginner and completer of faith.
Hope for the joy that was set before him.
Endured the cross.
Despising the shame.
And the set down of the right hand.
That the throne of God.
Dear fellow believer.
The Lord Jesus.
Endured it all. Now we know that there were several.
Characters of joy that were before him.
But I believe among others.
And which I wish to speak of now, that is, that he had the joy before him.
Of the fact.
That there would be a company in the coming day who would be with him in the glory.
It is true that there was the delight of knowing he had accomplished the will of God.
He had carried out the purposes of God.
But think of the joy.
To have a company.
Of redeemed souls.
To be in the glory with Him.
We have been marked out.
To be to His glory.
What a glory will be to him in the coming days.
To have around him those who are the very reflection of His glory.
And where God can look around on all sides, speak irreverently.
And to see there.
In your face and mine, in glorified bodies.
The reflection.
Of his own son.
But neither the sorrow the Lord Jesus went through that it might be so.
And the Lord Jesus.
Before he went to the cross.
Could have his own around himself.
And say Remember Me.
Remember Me?
Where we all here this morning remembering the Lord Jesus?
In his death.
Where our hearts here.
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Did we?
Have the Lord's Lord before.
As the one who alone is worthy of our praise.
Of our worship.
Consider him.
That endures this contradiction of sinners against himself.
Or are we worried and faint in our minds?
Are we here just because we can come into a place?
And some of us come here to just to visit with others of the Lord's people.
All think of the Lord Jesus.
The one who is in the midst of his own.
Harry delights to have us occupied.
With what is done for us.
Because as to His glory that it should be so is to His glory that our thoughts.
Should be with him.
We're going to be with him in the glory.
We're going to see a minute in its beauty.
But beloved, we're going to see him too.
As the one who was freshly slain.
What our Lord Jesus went through.
That Calvary.
Is going to be before his own.
Just before the scene in heaven.
His father.
There in the glory can look on the Lord Jesus Christ and see Him.
As a lamb that had been slain.
That is the theme of heaven.
Thou art worthy, for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, not of ever hidden kindred and tongue, people and nation.
And it's all.
To what the Lord Jesus went through in sorrow for you and me.
Maybe not forget it.
He's going to have it with joy, with him in the glory.
To let us not forget that it cost him.
All that he went through down here in this scene.
Forgive me, brethren, for taking this liberty.
Jesus Christ the same.
Yesterday. Today.
And forever.
That just struck me in a new way.
Jesus Christ the same today, yesterday, and forever.
This is my beloved son and who I am well pleased.
Jesus Christ.
The one who deserves.
All praise.
And who won the pleasure of the Father?
2000 years ago.
This beloved one was told by the Father.
That he was his beloved son, and in him he had all his pleasure.
Today, does not the Father deserve that same pleasure?
He does in the sun.
The brother and I am looking at and we are looking at each other.
As representatives of that blessed 1:00 today.
Does not the Father deserve?
To look upon us and say.
I have found pleasure.
I am sure that he does.
Because we have in US Christ.
I was thinking.
How the themes of these meetings have been.
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Pretty much on.
The blessedness of.
In Matthew it says, Blessed are they.
You hunger and thirst after righteousness.
I believe that I can honestly say that in this room.
There may be some that.
Know what this blessing is, this happiness?
But sorrowfully, I would have to say there are many here who doesn't know much about it.
And the reason I can say that is because I know my own soul.
How much do I thirst and how much do I hunger for righteousness?
My person depends upon it.
What righteousness?
The Lord Jesus Christ is the righteousness.
There is no other righteous.
How much do I hunger and thirst for that Blessed One?
What has been brought before me?
And I suppose it's because I'm more familiar with these two examples of Scripture deals with the thirst.
Than with the hunger.
But I'm sure that we could follow it through on the hunger side as well.
What I have on my heart is passages in Exodus, and I believe the first one is found in 16.
I want to say that.
This verse in Matthew.
He that hungers and thirst, blessed is he that hungers and thirst after righteousness.
Is a very, very high thought.
And I'm going to go backwards. I'm going to go down.
And hope that we can get to the root.
Of what brings one to this point?
I feel very inadequate but.
I have this heavily on my heart.
I believe in Exodus 16.
I'm looking for the portion right after the song.
Maybe it's 17.
I've been too far along.
Are you looking at Exodus 17 verse 3?
No, I wanted to place ahead of that where?
For they first begin the 1St.
15, OK, that's right. Yes.
And then they came to Myra. They could not drink of the waters of Myra, for they were bitter.
Therefore, the name of the.
Name of it was called Myra, and the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
And he cried unto the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, the.
Which when when he had cast into the water, the waters were made sweet.
And there he made for them a statute and an ordinance.
And there he proved them.
My thought was.
Reading this portion.
As preserving it as a halfway point.
The halfway as I am going back to the route.
It is a point where the water of the.
Of the wilderness.
Was bitter.
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I don't have too much to say on it, other than I want to point out that in order to arrive at the place where the water of the wilderness is bitter, we must follow.
God and his directive.
There is.
In the.
Word of God and in the direction of the Holy Spirit, that which will bring us away from the things of this world and make them distasteful to us.
That is where these children of God are found here the water of the.
Of the wilderness was bitter.
But it's very encouraging to see that God does not let them thirst or make them drink the bitter water.
The Christ is presented to him and type here the wood is thrown into the water. The things of the world that are necessary to us is given to us in the light of the death of Christ.
These are things we need to ask ourselves as we walk this this path in the world.
It's what we're protecting of the world.
Does it have behind it, in our minds, in our hearts, the death of Christ?
Have we decided?
To be satisfied with that which is bitter.
Or have we taken account of what?
As our brother have just told us the cost of that blessed One on the tree.
And then become satisfied with what God gives us of this.
World.
I want to go back now to.
Exodus 7 or 8.
What I consider to be the very root.
Of beginning on the trail of becoming happy.
Seeking.
Righteousness.
You will notice I I don't want to spend a lot of time searching scripture.
You will notice if you look through.
This portion of the plagues.
As they are presented.
That there is an instance when God speaks to Moses in relation to the children of Israel and he calls them signs.
But when he speaks to Moses in relation to Egypt, they are plagues or judgments.
So we don't want to Passover these lightly and say that this is all history and it has not to do with us today.
For we are in this position that the children of Israel was there in the eyes of God, His representative, His people.
And we have signs in this portion of Scripture. We cannot discount them because they have been so long ago.
I was.
Thinking of I'll find the verse here.
The waters became blood and I was thinking more of when God was telling Moses.
OK, yeah, 17 that says the Lord.
And this thou shalt know, that I am Lord. Behold, I will smite.
With the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall turn to blood.
And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink. And the Egyptians?
Shall loathe to drink the water.
Chapter verse 19 that I felt when I first read this is this could not become be taken lightly.
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Was that there's quite a bit of detail of the vessels which?
In which the water became blood.
It was not too important. I think the Holy Spirit would have said all water became blood.
But it is presented in such a way that we can relate our lives to some of these items.
Our brother Henry, one time either in a gospel meeting, Henry Short in a gospel meeting or an open meeting, made the comment that really struck me, he said.
The water in Egypt.
Was furnished by the rivers, but the water in Kanum Canaan came through. The rain came from heaven.
That was a dear thought to me.
Here we have in the world the children of God in *******.
And God shows his people his judgment on what sustains.
What nourishes?
The new translation says reservoirs what can be piled up for future use.
Basins of wood and basins of stone, that which can be held in our homes.
All over the world.
God has said there is death. I pronounce judgment.
Is dead.
It is God's purpose.
We notice from this section also.
That he wishes his people to go 3 days journey into the wilderness. In the new translation it says that they may serve me. I think in this it says that they may worship me. Why can't they worship me in Egypt?
God wants them to take three day journey.
The conditions of the world.
Whether they be the rivers, the ponds, the reservoirs or what we have in our homes.
Are not suitable for the worship of God or for the service of God.
Can it be any clearer?
We must take the three day journey that brings in again the wood that was thrown into the water.
Death of Christ, Resurrection.
All of this, all that is in this world, God has placed His judgment on. There is nothing but death in it.
Three days journey is necessary.
I know that I'm not very good at expressing what's.
What's on my heart but.
I hope you're following me enough to know.
That, brethren, we should be grieved with the conditions in which we live.
By our choice.
Three day journey is necessary.
We must enter into the good in our lives, our day-to-day lives of the death and resurrection.
Of our beloved Savior.
God deserves today to look upon the representatives in this world 2000 years after the death of Christ and say.
I find some delight.
Not in us, but in what we have in Christ.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.
A few minutes left bread, and I'd like to go back to the 12Th chapter of Hebrews. And again, the portion that sure, we've all enjoyed very much and a portion that I feel my own soul is so important to be reminded of again and again as we're going through this world.
Just read a few verses down into the chapter.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience.
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The race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God?
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, you have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin.
And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children.
My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.
For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receive it. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? And if ye be without chastisement whereof all our partakers, then are ye ******** and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh.
Which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, that He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His Holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless. Afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which be lame be turned out of the way. But let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up, trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.
In this portion, the Apostle Paul, whom we believe wrote this epistle, is addressing the Hebrew believers.
And the book in its entirety is a beautiful call to come out from that system of things that was an Old Testament times, a foreshadow of that one who is to come, God's beloved Son. And now that he had come, those Jewish believers again were in danger of returning to the forms of that Jewish religion.
When they had the reality.
Dear brethren, we live in a day when there's a lot of form of religion as well, But how wonderful this call, dear brethren, to be occupied not with a form.
No, to be occupied with a person of God's beloved Son, that one who is the same yesterday, today, forever, that one who's going to enrapture our hearts for all eternity.
And so the call is here in the first verse.
Having been compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, those witnesses of faith in the 11Th chapter that we read of there to encourage us as we heard about in the last meeting, we are to follow the faith of those that have gone before, not their failures. And so there are cloud of witnesses to encourage us, but never, never.
To fix our eyes on them, dear brethren.
No seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily be set as, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking.
Unto Jesus.
Is as a sense, dear brethren, looking unto Jesus, is taking the vision away from other things that surround us here in this world. Even taking the vision away from our brethren and placing it on the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. How important, dear brethren, to do that in our day and age there seems to be so much of A being occupied with one.
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And with another. And we all have our failures, dear brethren, and sooner or later, for as much as we may appreciate and value a dear brother and appreciate his faith and follow it, we're going to find something that is not perfect. There was only one who was perfect in everything, our Lord Jesus. And our direction, our attention is directed to him, looking unto Jesus.
The author and finisher of our faith. We've already heard a little bit of that verse. Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Our attention is to be directed above, dear brethren. It is natural, I suppose, and normal. When a new believer comes to the Lord Jesus, a new person comes to the Lord Jesus receives them as his Savior. That we kind of.
Tend to look to the person who is instrumental in bringing us blessing and perhaps even in our first years in the Christian life that we have that tendency. But really, as we continue to grow on the things of the Lord, there ought to be a looking away unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. Oh dear brethren, we're being tested in our days.
And we have in this chapter of the discipline of the Lord. Thank God He disciplines us. Why does He discipline us? What is it that moves his hand to bring down such sore trials at times to His love? He loves us too much to let us go our own ways.
And he's not going to let us go our own ways. He's going to bring his hand down.
To discipline us, whom the Lord loves, he chastens.
He verse.
Six for whom the Lord loves. He chasteneth and scourge every son whom He receive it. It's His love for you and I feeling something of His hand of discipline. Remember, it's His love. Sometimes the Lord uses some human instrument or some circumstance.
To make His discipline felt in our lives. And we make the mistake of directing our attention to that instrument that the Lord has used. How great a mistake it is, dear brethren. It's His hand. Let's direct our attention to Him.
I love that third verse. Now going to that third verse says consider him.
Who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds?
And the Spanish translation it says.
Reduce your thoughts to him.
I love that, you know, sometimes our thoughts go helter skelter One Direction another.
And they're not very well controlled.
We need to have a thought reduction program. There's such a thing as weight reduction programs. We need thought reduction programs, dear brethren.
Reduce your thoughts to Him. Are you going through a particular trial at this time? Reduce your thoughts to Him. He suffered far more than any of us.
Will ever be called to suffer. And he went right on through, and he's sitting at the right hand of the glory of God right now, triumphant.
Oh dear, brethren, that's the objective we're called to think about.
Not so much to look at one another, but to look at the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. Lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Seems like, as has been mentioned in these meetings, Satan is trying to weary us. There's so much trouble and problems, Dear brother, what is going to keep us going on?
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What is going to keep us pressing on in that Christian race that's set before us is to consider Him.
Reduce your thoughts to Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be worried and faint in your minds.
And I just like to mention a few thoughts on down in these verses that have been really precious to my own soul.
I know they're not new, but we need to be reminded these things, brethren. I do, I know I do. We get we're forgetful.
There's three ways we can react to the discipline of the Lord.
Two, we have in these first in verse 5.
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Here we have.
Two ways of reacting under the discipline of the Lord. We're creatures of extremes. Sometimes we act in one way and sometimes we act in another. First reaction is to despise the chastening of the Lord. Oh, how important it is to realize that in every single circumstance of your life and mine, the Lord has His hand. A father who loves his children and sees his child going in a way that's going to end in sorrow is going to speak to that child.
And if he doesn't pay attention, he's going to speak again, probably raising his voice a little bit more. And if he still doesn't pay attention, he's probably going to speak even louder. Why is it that the Lord has to speak so loud to us, dear brethren? Why is it he has to speak so loud to me?
It's because I don't listen to his voice in the little things.
We would be sensitive, have consciences that are tender, and the little things perhaps he wouldn't have to.
Dear brethren, bring His hand down so strong in our lives. This is one purpose of His discipline. It's not the only purpose, and I don't want to suggest that it is the only purpose, but I do feel, dear brother, we need to have our attention directed to Him. I've been mentioning to some.
Here, speaking between meetings, that we live in a society where when there is a problem in a certain company perhaps that we might work in, the problem is studied for cause and effect and how we can avoid the problem the next time and it's all explained out.
You know, it's awful easy to be swept into that kind of thinking.
And not realize that there is one and really only one cause in the Christians life. For everything that happens the Lord allowed it with a specific purpose of blessing for me. For as much as it may have hurt me what a brother may have said, still it was the Lord that allowed me to hear it even.
And he has a purpose for me in having heard it, a purpose that I should be exercised about so that I might receive blessing. So the tendency, one of the tendencies is to despise the chastening of the Lord. We say, Oh well, that happens to anybody.
Have an accident? Yeah, everyone has an accident once in a while.
We'll get it all taken care of. It's not that bad, and it'll all soon be taken care of. We'll get the car fixed up. Not realizing that it is his hand and bowing in His presence. It is despising the chastening of the Lord.
The other reaction is nor faint when ye are rebuked of him.
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That's the other reaction is when the hand of the Lord comes down in our lives.
Say it's just too much. I just can't take it any longer and it's just too much for me. That's fainting, dear brother, and it's really not looking unto him.
If we'd realize how much He paid for us to make us his own, we'd realize at the same time that any trial that He allows in her life is only for ultimate blessing in the end.
I love to think, dear brethren, from other scriptures, that we have the teaching that.
The work of Christ has set us so completely in God's favor that the things that even seem to work against us can only and always work for us for our own blessing in the end.
Am I going to faint when His hand of discipline is on me? No, dear brethren, we need to lift up the hands that hang down the feeble knees. We need to encourage one another to receive it from the Lord, to have our gaze directed to Him. Sometimes, you know, when these things happen, it's pretty hard, and we need to encourage one another.
To take it as from.
But there is one other reaction that we have in the proper reaction.
In verse 11.
Now, no chastening.
For the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless.
Afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
The proper reaction under the Lord's chastening hand is exercise.
Brother was speaking a little earlier this afternoon about being asleep. The person who is asleep is not exercising. No, he's asleep. He's really unconscious. As to his present surroundings, he's not alert. We could talk to him. No response. We really believe, dear brethren, that the Lord is speaking to awaken us.
Were just on the eve of going home to the glory land.
And we're asleep. I have to admit it for myself, in many ways, spiritually, we're asleep.
The Lord wants us awake as to what becomes His glory.
What do I mean by asleep so much, dear brethren?
Sometimes.
Had the reaction or the experience of talking to some soul about the Lord Jesus? Some soul I've never known before? Some soul perhaps, that I've met in the street?
And when I speak to them about the person of the Lord Jesus, an immediate and warm response I get evidently a believer.
But then sometimes they speak to those who are professedly gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
About that same blessed person.
Blank Nothing. Maybe they were talking about their work, about their activities. Speak about the person of the Lord Jesus.
A blank look and no response. Dear brethren, wouldn't that be an indication that we're asleep? We're going to be raptured into the presence of the Lord Jesus. One of these moments, one of these least expected moments.
Going to be walking down the street? Perhaps take one more step here.
Next step, we lift up and are raptured into glory. Oh dear brethren, it's a reality. It's not something that we just believe. It's not. It's a reality. The Lord is speaking to us because we're going home to the glory land soon. This is not a rest. Her arrest is in heaven. Thank God He's speaking to us. Praise his name.
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Oh dear brethren, may there be then in our hearts, as we all, all of us who are children, experience His hand of discipline. I cannot put my hand that anyone else.
If there's one who does not experience his hand and discipline may show that he's not a real true believer at all.
No. So everyone of us who is a true believer experiences that hand of discipline.
The Lord encourages them, dear brethren, to fix our eyes on Him. The race is still before, the goal is before.
I know there's lots to discourage us, to make us faint.
The fall, by the way. But we have every reason, dear brethren, to press on when we consider the goal, when we consider that blessed man who went through far greater contradictions. Reduce your thoughts to him. Continue on. And when there is that discipline, Oh dear brethren, may the Lord give us grace not to despise it, not to faint under it, but to be exercised thereby.
4040.
Hebrews 13
The Lord in the Midst Eternally
Ephesians 1:5-