Des Moines Conference: 2001

Table of Contents

1. 1 Peter 1:22-2:2 Emphasis on Love
2. 1 Peter 2:3-4 Love & Discipline
3. 1 Peter 2:5 The Place, Priesthood, He is Precious, Submission
4. Shamgar-Judges 3:31, More on Shamgar, Lessions of the Wilderness
5. 1 Cor 3:11-15-The House, A Grain of Wheat, Dealing with Serious Problems
6. The Gift
7. Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah
8. Broken Vessels
9. The Gospel Trumpet, The Most Importent Question
10. Pearl Harbor, India, School Reunion, Sick German Man, Death of Atheist
11. Time Is Short. Bow the Knee Now
12. A Becoming Walk

1 Peter 1:22-2:2 Emphasis on Love

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The subjects of love was a great deal upon the heart of the lover of our soul.
In John's Gospel, the Lord could say.
If you love one another.
Keep my commandments. If you love one another, how important that is to remember that the Lord's command to us was to love one another, this commandment that she loved one another. As I have loved you. What a what a comment coming from the lips of the Lord Jesus as I have loved you.
Can we?
Love one another as the Lord loved us, He asked us to.
Versus Lovely to see. I'm just thinking of verse 7.
That's a trial of your faith being much more precious than a goal that perishes, though it be tried with fire.
Well, around these Jewish believers.
Was resistance to them going on with the Lord and persecution for their faith in Christ and everything was an adversity around them And the apostle Peter says. But don't let that be.
Within you. And so it is a good exercise Brother Stanley, that.
In the assembly and and we can say in the home too, it should be to our souls real haven aggressive whether Bruce read those verses this morning, come on to me and you shall find grass. And so if we have this cultivation of love.
Amongst ourselves, the assembly will be a real true haven of rest, won't it? And the same is true with our family life, that there should be a place where our children.
Who out in the world? It's a cold, harsh, severe place, but when in the home or in the assembly, we should be able to rest in this atmosphere of law.
You don't want to forget brethren two our brother has talked about out in the world and the coldness of it, and that's certainly true. But the world won't present itself to our children and our young people is a cold place. It will present itself as a very inviting place, pretending to love, doing what Absalom did back in the Old Testament. Not winning their hearts as Christ has won our hearts, but stealing, seeking to steal through.
Feigned love the hearts not only of our children, the young people, but all of our hearts.
To steal them away from Christ, you know how we need to display, as our brother has said, that love of Christ toward one another. That we can see and sense and experience the wonderful, incredible difference between the feigned love of the world which would seek to steal our hearts, I say, and the true love of Christ that ought to be displayed in every action and word in our lives.
A remarkable thing about Absalom is that he's one of the two or three men in Scripture that whose.
Beauty, good looks is mentioned and then if we see the contrast before we mention about Absalom, we go to the contrast of the the bridegroom. In the book of Song of Solomon the attributes of the bridegroom starts from the head and goes down to the feet. With Absalom he starts at the feet and goes up to the head because that was his, that was his central feature was that he was earthly minded and this weary world.
Well, may appear very loving and they have words and expressions for love that scripture doesn't use, but it's going to always be earth centered and with the bridegroom it's going to be heavenly from the head down. What a contract.
We can't really love properly unless we understand that love. The fountain of love is God himself, isn't it? Says in First John Four. We love because.
He first loved us, so how am I going to love a cantankerous brother that doesn't like me that much and that doesn't show a friendly face to me? How am I going to love him, brother? And it's going back to think of the love of God and how he loved us.
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And look at the cross and to see the extent to which that love could go to win my heart. Then if I'm in the enjoyment of that love, I can love those that are unlovable. And it's interesting in this verse that you have two forms of the word love. Maybe you're going to get around to that. Stan, I'll let you go ahead.
Anyhow, and it says, Having obeyed in obeying the truth through love, through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, that's fileo love, the love of mutual appreciation. And it says we're exhorted in.
Hebrews chapter 13. Let brotherly love continue. We should cultivate that brethren.
The mutual appreciation of one another that should always be there, but the fact that we're exhorted to it means that sometimes it may not be there, but there is in that case, a love that always abides, and that's divine love, and that's what it refers to at the end of the verse.
Say that ye love one another. That's the agape love with a pure heart. Fervently somebody said like white heat love and.
Fervently. Oh brethren, that's what's characteristic of Christianity, and it's interesting to me You referred Brother Imbo to John's Gospel. But in John's writings, in the gospel and in the Epistles, 7 distinct times, we are commanded, not suggested that we do it, but commanded to love one another.
Does he have to command us to love one another?
We know that we've passed from death into life because we love the present and evidence that there is divine life there because that cantankerous brother that gets on my nerves so much. I love him anyway.
Like to misread the last phrase of Grace 22.
See that ye are loved one of another. It's not what it says. We don't come and we ought not to come to the assembly looking to be loved.
That's going to just cause problems and discouragements. We want to come showing love. And I would submit, beloved brethren, if you come to the assembly with a desire to show love, and I come with a desire to show love, we're both going to feel love. But if we each come expecting to be loved and waiting to show love until we feel loved, it's going to be a long time before love is shown. So the command here is to be expressing the love, not to be waiting to receive it. And if we're doing that in our homes.
And in the assembly, if we're loving one another, showing the love of Christ and seeking to do that fervently as you brought out Brother Bob, then there's going to be a wonderful response and a wonderful, happy environment. It is more blessed.
Would give them to receive. And that's what that love, that divine love does, that gives with sacrifice all sacrifice to itself. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So it's always.
Love with sacrifices? Easy.
Relatively to say I love you to somebody. But, brethren, the true proof of love is in how much sacrifice there is behind that word.
Not that we love God, but that he loved us and gave his Son again. That's divine love.
And we should and we should display it. If we have a divine nature, which according to Peter we do have, then we should display divine love.
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Anytime we speak about loving brother, we have to go back to walk toward that. In John 13, a new commandment I give unto you that you love the president. The old commandment was one that says you must love God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength and your neighbor as yourself.
That commandment, beloved, was a yoke which neither the apostles nor their fathers could bear.
But a new commandment is given that we love one another.
And God then brings us to himself in all spiritual blessing.
In holy and without blame before himself in love.
Giving us a capacity in the new nature that's been referred to.
In which we can do what we could not do.
Under the law. But in that giving us the capacity, we also have been given the Holy Spirit of God that gives us the power to do it.
And so now we are We are taught of God to love one another. We are taught of God to be able to add to this brotherly love the real love of God, as Peter enjoys us in his first chapter of the Second Epistle. To add to love, to brotherly love love.
Brotherly love has as its object my brother.
Love that.
We add to that brother love as God as its object and is able to express itself in self sacrifice. So now in the energy and power of the new creation with a new nature and the Holy Spirit to give power to that new nature, we can keep the commandment love one another.
Illustration of this in Luke 18 and 19. What you're saying, brother Yule, because under the law here a man came and he asked the Lord what should he do to inherit eternal life. And so the Lord took him up on that ground. He said go and sell all that you have and give it to the poor. And he went away sorrowful.
But now we find when we come to, the Lord comes, and he finds blind Bartimaeus at the gate of Jericho, and he gives him his sight. And he said, go thy way, and Bartimaeus follows the Lord. But then the Lord comes into Jericho, and he sees Zacchaeus in a tree, and he says, come down, He obeys the truth, and he comes to Zacchaeus's house. And what is the response produced in Zacchaeus's heart? He said, The half of my goods I give to the poor.
Did the Lord have to ask him to do that?
He produced something in his heart that the law could not produce. In the rich young man that came to the Lord, he went away sorrowful, but when that he obeyed the truth. And so we get that in our chapter here. It's.
By the obedience of weighing the truth on the unsane love of the brethren, purifying your soul by the obeying of the truth. And so that's how God works. It's in our souls as the truth is brought before our souls. He just came down and looked what the Lord produced in his heart. He produced that love.
And I mentioned that Bartimaeus in between because it says he followed the Lord. I believe he followed him right into Zacchaeus this house, and he was one of the good works prepared for him beforehand. There was a poor man who needed Zacchaeus money and so the Lord worked that in Zacchaeus heart and he did that. I just want to join brother Stan's comment to what brother Henry and Doug said about the character of the epistle, was it?
And the with these Jewish people, all of their hopes were earthly. It was for earthly success. These were the tokens of a godly man, that he should be successful, that he should succeed in the world. And now what did they get? But they got nothing but trial and difficulty and trouble. And so we see that here in our chapter here.
At the end of the.
21St verse And gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.
And so now there are hopes. Before we're all earthly, but now they were in a different place.
And it begins seeing You have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, and that is what is going to lead us to unfeigned love of the Brethren.
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Another reason that the command is a new one, brother, you have to follow on, is not only that we have been given the capacity, but that there is a new reference point in connection with the command. The command in the Old Testament was thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. So I looked at my neighbor and how I loved myself. I should love my neighbor in that way, but now in Christianity.
We as men in the flesh do not figure any longer at all. The reference point is love one another as I have loved you. Isn't that wonderful to have that before our souls, brethren? And I think it's so vital if you're going to go on together.
Like you were mentioning Doug in Assembly Life, when we come together, it's not to be loved, it's to love and.
I have sometimes heard the complaint and travel around. There's no love in this meeting.
And I sometimes say the person that complaints is the first person guilty.
Because the kind of love that we're talking about is love that loves when there's nothing lovable.
Was there anything lovable in this world that God gave his only begotten son? No, it was because God is love. It's it's a focus on the source instead of on the object. And I think that is vital for us to understand if we're going to love rather than, as we should amongst ourselves, is to remember that the fountain of love is above.
That's the most important point. It's not our love, but his love. And if we were to consider Ephesians 432.
One of a tremendous change would come about amongst brethren.
Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. Now that's love, that's divine love. And God's asked us to do that. Sorry to say we don't, but if we did, what a change we'd find amongst brothers.
What about Ephesians 4 and verse 31?
Freedom.
I used to be quite impressed when I was going to high school with the particular high school I went to was quite good in in track and I was always impressed with the likeness of of the garments that they wore. Well, there's something to jettison before we get to verse 32.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be a kind one to another. You come to me, you've deserved that. Some little snide remark was made by me about someone. And you say, brother, why don't you be kind? The scripture says to be kind one to another. I go home and I say I can't do it. And I look up the scripture and my eye happens to hit not verse 32 but verse 31.
And it convicts me, it says.
Brother Stanley, you've got to get rid of some of these these things that are hindrances and then it will allow the kindness and love to flow.
To go back a few more verses in that same chapter, not to dwell on it, but if you go back to verse 24 of Ephesians 4, it says and that she put on the new man and a couple of verses before that it says put off concerning the former conversation, the old man. And so it is in this chapter, isn't it? It says in verse 23.
Being.
Born again. It's the only way I can carry it out, isn't it? Because, as has been mentioned, the reference point in Divine Love.
Is always God himself, and I have to be living in the good of that myself in order to show it.
And so often.
Let's be practical about it. There is the sense in our souls. Perhaps I speak for myself that says I can't do it, I can't do it. It's too difficult.
And then, as you say, brother Stan, our hearts.
Are lifted up to look at that Blessed One. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.
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And we see what Divine Love did, and then we see that you and I.
By the grace of God, nothing in ourselves have been given the capacity to show that same divine love. Well, it's very humbling, isn't it? When we think, speaking for oneself, how we complain that we can't show it, and we do, but we have everything to enable us to do it. And so the command is there, and we're not told to try to do it. We're just simply told to do it, aren't we?
Things of unseen love of the brethren, and I think that is a reflection brethren that we need to.
Be exercised about It's easy to come up with a friendly smile and shake hands with a brother at meeting, but in the back of our hearts have resentment toward that person. One of the things that was a help to me, brethren, is I don't know who said it first, but it was said don't entertain hard feelings about anybody in the sphere of your existence, of your knowledge.
Don't entertain hard feelings and sometimes there are problems with a person.
And perhaps you've had to think about it in one way, but I challenge you if that was necessary, to think about something negative about that person. I challenge you to get down on your knees and to pray, genuinely pray, for the blessing of that person.
Because if you can't pray for that, it shows distinctly that the where the problem is. But if you can really honestly pray in the presence of God.
For that person, that'll break the logjam. They just have logs go down rivers instead of being on on trucks as we see in the Pacific Northwest. And they knew that when there was a log jam, there was a key log that that was often the problem. And that's the that's the key is Jill was told by God that he should pray for the history friends.
And it's interesting that if we were to go through the book of Jobs, we'd find how disgusting those three friends were and how Job really despised them. But it says that after he had prayed for them, then God blessed him. And I believe that's true of you and me and every one of us. If we hold a hard heart, if we hold a hard heart, when God in a good heart left us, we're not going to get a blessing.
Before when you first do, I'm not putting off old man and his deeds and the letting bitterness and anger and so forth be put away. Well, that's what we got in the second chapter of first verse. Wherefore laying aside these things.
We create atmospheres by those things that we permit in our thoughts.
In a physical way when various cultures are.
Incubated and producing whatever product is desired. They don't put the egg in the refrigerator, they put it in an atmosphere of warmth and an atmosphere of light. Well, in the spiritual matter. If we allow these things guile and heart, feelings and hypocrisies and feigned obedience and feigned love, we are creating a chilled atmosphere in which the culture of love.
Cannot be produced. We have to lay them aside, judge those things in the presence of God has been suggested, and then the actions of those that may be contrary to our thoughts may not seem quite so bad.
I was going to say their refrigeration that comes to mind where there was a matter taken up in an assembly.
And the brothers got together. And the before the IT was a serious matter. And before the.
Before the discussion was was taken up, a brother got up and he read those three those two verses, two last verses of Ephesians chapter 4 and which was very suitable to begin a a meeting of the brothers.
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And.
After and then we got down and prayed.
And after it was all done, the same brother that got up and read those verses.
Turned around and began to point his finger at another brother.
And rail on him.
I don't say this to entertain our thoughts at all. All I say it for is to show how wretched our own hearts are and how how we can talk about these things.
And they're true, and we should take heed to them. But do they get right down inside here? What was the answer to to that whole thing? What? What is the answer to to any of us to act in a way that we're talking about loved one toward another? Well, it's certainly not. It certainly has to get from beyond our intellect. It has to get down into our heart. And in order to do that, we need to look at the love of the Lord Jesus, as has been mentioned already many times.
And how he could say, As a father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue, ye and my love.
And so as we think of that love, then we can translate that love to our brethren. And we're talking about the loving, the cantankerous brother well.
When that isn't when the love of God, that the love that he has shown towards you and me in giving up His Son is active in my heart, then I can look at that brother through the eyes of Christ and and love Him in spite of all his faults and all his idiosyncrasies. Because certainly he can look at me and see the very same thing. And so I just mentioned an illustration like that to show how how we can we can give a sense of these things.
That we're talking about and yet turn right around and forget it all and.
And speak to our brother like that and rail.
Things to think that these parts of ours are capable of doing.
That's why it says, I think in verse 22. What purifies brethren is obeying the truth through the Spirit. And it's not in merely knowing the truth, it's an obeying. At that there is a purifying. This is not the purifying of the blood of Christ which we have mentioned earlier in verse 19.
Before God, from the guilt of sin, only the blood of Christ.
Can cleanse us, but in our lives. Practically, what has practical power to cleanse me is, is the obeying of the truth. And oh, the importance of the reading of the scriptures in our lives, brethren, how can we be purified if there's not the reading of the scriptures and if there is that new life?
There will be the desire to obey it. We have a life that loves to obey God. Now that's the character of the life that you and I have. It's not a hard thing. It's the delight of that new nature to obey God. And so when we have those commands, it's our delight to obey them. And in that obedience there is purification of our souls. That's practical.
And that's important. But going on to the end of the chapter, they're about the word of God. I think it is.
Such a precious portion here being born again.
Not of corruptible seed. We were born the first time.
By corruptible seed. That's why you see Gray hairs on my head. That's why you see wrinkles in my face. Corruptible seed it was I was born the first time, but now we have been born again of incorruptible seed. Oh, the blessedness of it. Brethren, the word of God, which lives and abides forever. I think the new translation puts the living and abiding word of God.
Isn't that wonderful? We have a light that will never grow old, No wrinkles, no Gray hairs to the new life that we have in Christ. Absolutely none. And then it says, contrasting it with the first creation, All flesh is as grass, and all the glorious man is the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away, but.
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Word of the Lord endureth forever.
And as we look around and see our dear young people here in the flower of their youth, beautiful to see young people and to see the freshness of vigor and strength they have. Some of us who are a little older don't have it and wish we had it sometimes. But we're not lamenting our age. We wouldn't want to go back. We.
We want to go forward, but just remember this dear young people.
That the glory of man is as the flower of the grass.
It's here today and gone tomorrow. I don't know where my years have gone. Seems like yesterday I was a young person and here I am, as old as I am. Some people probably look at me as old. I don't feel old, but that's the way it is. And I remember asking old brother Lino Bueno down in Bolivia. It was 99 years old and the Lord called him home. I asked him, Brother Lino Bueno, does it seem like a long time, your life?
No, it seems like yesterday I was a young person, a teenager, he said. That's the way life is. You turn around, you're going to find that you're going to be an old person.
But don't live for what's natural. Live for what we have in Christ, what is produced by the word of God, the living, the abiding word of God.
Young people, I would just repeat what he just said, but Bob has said.
Don't wait until you get a little older to get with the Lord and study his word fellowship with him daily. Doesn't have to be a long time, but give the Lord some time every day. There is much, much lovely ministry that feeds the soul.
That builds you up in strength and strengthens you in your walking ways. With the Lord, in communion with himself and with one another. Have something to share. I I can have too many regrets for having passed up such opportunities in my younger days.
Because I thought I had plenty of time. Well, do it now. Seek the Lord.
His word, his ways make him #1 in your life.
Chapter 4 in connection with the seed, it was incorruptible seed, and these two things are brought before us and I just like to look at it. Mark four and then in Luke 8IN connection with this incorruptible seed.
Verse 24 verse 23.
Of Mark 4.
He talked about a sore that went forth the soul.
But if any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto him, Take heed what you hear, With what measure you need, it shall be measured unto you unto you that here shall more be given. And to him that hath shall be given. And to him that hath not shall be from him shall be taken away, even that which he hath. Here it says, Take heed what you hear. And so we really want to get the incorruptible word of God.
And fill our souls with it, because if we listen to other things, Boaz said. Lean not in another man's field, because if we listen to other things, we're going to get have taken away from us that which we have. And so the character of the seed is that it is incorruptible. We want to get the truth.
And not only get the truth, but we want to get the truth from those that have walked in. It falls into Timothy, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, considering the end of their conversation. Now in Luke's Gospel, it brings in what our brother Jennings was saying. As young people, I believe in connection with the seed.
And umm.
Find the verse.
Verse 18 Again he's talking about the sower. But he said, Take heed, therefore how you hear. For whosoever hath to him shall be given, and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away, even that which he seemeth to have. And so now here it's not a question of what we hear, but it's how we hear. And so there are those things as we've seen earlier in the chapter.
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Chapter of How we receive the seed and if we allow thorns in our lives, the cares of life, the deceitfulness of riches, it's going to choke out the word. And so we've got time. We should use that and we should receive. The seed should be received into good ground, not Stony ground in our hearts too, but also how we hear. It is important that we receive it by faith, and if we receive it by reason or we receive it by.
By any other way than simple faith, then we're going to lose it because we don't really have it. We may seem to have it, and we may get it intellectually, but we won't really have it unless you receive it by faith. So there's two things in connection with the incorruptible seed. It's what we hear and it's how we hear it that are important. But that really in connection with love, that's really the the issue is it's a purifying your souls by.
The Word of God.
That's really love is not a contentless thing. It is really what we get in the word of God that is going to give us the power to love.
The way that he loved us.
The end of 2nd grade.
Chapter 6 then often reminded.
Of the lack of communion between light and darkness, and all of those other things that are contrasted there, and then enjoined to come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord, And I will receive you, and be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters. This is the.
Reality of relationship and the enjoyed and and appreciated relationship that into which we have been brought, We have been brought into sons and daughters. Positionally, that's wonderful. We're children of God, but we have to transcribe or translate the position into which we have got into practical experience so that we enjoy.
Being sons and daughters of God, let's practice the next statement in the first verse of chapter seven of Second Corinthians, therefore having these promises.
Let us purify ourselves of every pollution of soul and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This is the obedience of that we have brought, of the of the truth that we have brought before us here. Well then we turn to 1St John, Chapter 2. Hereby we know him.
The knowledge of God realized in a practical way, is expressed in the next line. Hereby we know Him if we keep His commandments.
The measure in which we walk in the truth is evidence.
Of our knowledge of God. When Nathan accused David of his sin, he said you have despised the word of God. There was not appreciation for the commandments to prevent and David's soul to prevent him from doing that which the word of God enjoined him not to do. Thing is true of us, when we fail, it's because we do not allow the word of God to have its sway over our moral being to do what it says.
OK, so our knowledge of God is.
Measured by our obedience.
Our obedience is determined by our love. If you love me.
Keep my commandments. And so there we have the obedience of the truth to the purifying of yourselves. And the measure of our knowledge of God and our appreciation for His word is the obedience to those commandments and not commandments. The keeping of those commandments is the measure of our love of God in a practical way.
I had something a while ago that I'd like to pass on and.
It's almost something that you need to think about, at least I do anyway, a little bit.
It was in our written ministry and I can't even remember where it was. But the brother said this. He said when it comes to our minds, we do hold the truth. There is a sense in which we are among those who have, if we have heard that which is the truth of God.
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But he said, when it comes to our hearts, it is the truth that holds us.
And that's really what it comes down to, isn't it? Because in order to walk in the good of it, in order to exhibit divine love, I have to be taken out of myself. It is not a question of my mind saying I will show love to that brother. It is not a question of my mind setting myself to say God commands me to show love and I will do it for anything like that. It's rather a question of saying, Lord, I don't have the capacity unless thou give us it to me.
I need the capacity to do it and we have it in that new life.
As our brother has remarked a while ago, we have the power of the Spirit of God to enable us to do it. But we must continually remember that it is when it comes to our hearts, it is the truth that holds us and enables us to walk in the good of it. And only in that way will we be able to keep what we have. Otherwise, as Neil says, we're going to lose it. We may seem to have it, and in one sense, as to our minds, you may say, well, they do have the truth. I do hold the truth.
But we don't really have it unless it has a grip on our hearts and we walk in the good of it.
To us in that what you say, Bill?
To meditate the word.
The scriptural figure of speech in the Old Testament for meditation was.
Chewing the cut. It means to take scriptures like this and to allow them to fill our minds.
But then let it sink into our souls. Oh the preciousness of these verses.
Being born again.
Not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible. Think of it, brethren, We have something.
This after this morning before our souls that is going to last for all eternity. It is incorruptible, It is eternal, the living, the abiding word of God. Oh, not only to know it in our minds, but let it sink into your soul in an enjoyment.
You know when you put a bite of food into your mouth, you don't swallow it straight down.
You keep it in your mouth a while you're chewing on it, enjoying the flavors.
And chewing it, And then it goes down, and then it has its proper nourishing effect on our bite on our bodies, in the same way the truth of God.
Take it in. It has to pass through the mind. Like you say. It's important.
But once it's passed through the mind, get it down into the soul and enjoy it. Because Mr. Hagel, that used to say, it's not what you know that affects your life, it's what you enjoy in your heart. And that is true bread. And so let it get down. Let it work itself down. And that's where meditation has a real advantage. Let the truth of God get into your mind. Listen to it here.
But then go away and do some chewing brethren. Do some chewing on it and let it sink into your souls. It's precious. It's delicious. It's sweeter than honey brethren. It's more precious than gold. What we're talking about.
Power. I was thinking of him there before, Agrippa. When it talks about laying aside all malice and so on, you say, well, how do I get rid of this when I when I feel this? Maybe I'm not the only one in the room that's had that feeling and you just don't seem to be able to get rid of something. But there was the apostle and complete adversity. He'd been left in prison for two years because they were waiting for a bribe. He was willing to content the Jews, and he quite frankly forgot about him.
Jail for two years and finally he has a chance to answer, to give an answer to Agrippa. And what does he say there in the 26th verse of Acts? He said when he saw him, he said.
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And Paul said, I would to God, that thou, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost altogether such as I am, except these bonds. Why, he was as you were saying, he was in the enjoyment of the love of God. And you see the same thing. I understand you have that at Calgary and Philippians. Here was a man in prison, and he was looking out, and naturally there was everything to crush a man. There was only some preaching Christ of intention, some actually preaching Christ, supposing to add affliction to his bonds. And here was a man who had really suffered physically in the body.
And he was in A twist between 2 deciding whether to depart and be with Christ, which was far better to remain.
We know that some of his most fruitful ministry came from that prison cell. And what is it called? It's called the Epistle of Joy.
What led him? He was in the enjoyment of the love of God. He was chewing and enjoying on those things and so he could lay aside. We have the power to lay aside these things That is mentioned here at the beginning of the second chapter, laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisy and envy and evil speakings. He could just turn to a grip and said, I wish thou art altogether as I was. He felt himself in a superior position to him, except these bombs. He didn't enjoy being in prison, and we don't have to pretend that we.
Enjoy the difficulty in that sins, but it was the instrument of blessing.
And his heart went out for the blessing of this one who was mistreating us.
We're going to enjoy the scriptures. We're going to have to lay aside these things rather than I remember some time ago listening to a sister tell about how she had been so terribly offended by what somebody had, how they treated her. And so she felt a deep resentment in her heart that she said. I found that after a few days I was hindering myself worse than anybody else. I had to let it go.
I had to lay it aside. And that's true, brother. And if you have some resentment.
Malice guile hypocrisies. It will hinder your spiritual, spiritual growth. Maybe you say, I don't seem to get much out of the scriptures when I read it. Maybe there's need of some laying aside first of all, and then in verse two we have as newborn babes.
Desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. It doesn't say that we are babes necessarily, but as a newborn babes.
To desire the sincere milk of the word. You see a little baby grab the bottle and suck with all its strength. It's intent on getting the milk out of that bottle. That's its light. That's going to give it growth. And I must say, Brother and I, I have really, sincerely been challenged by some of my older brethren.
And allow me to talk about one that's with the Lord AC Brown. Remember they used to be two Browns. One was from here chapter brown, and I used to call them light and dark brown. I think it was, but this was light brown because he had white hair and I can just remember in my youth rather than to see your brother AC Brown and when he read the scriptures with what care.
He read it as newborn babes, just like he was going to miss something.
If he doesn't, read it carefully.
It's been engraved on my mind the the way he picked up the scriptures and enjoyed it as a newborn babe. He was old in the Lord and he was a spiritual father. I'm sure that as a newborn babe he still nourished himself on that spiritual milk of the word.
Newborn faith.
And does a newborn baby have any of the things that were asked to release in the first verse?
Does a newborn babe have any guile, any malice, any hypocrisy, any envy, any evil speaking? Absolutely not. And so I believe the Spirit here would have two things in regard to this second verse. The newborn babes at the Diary of a Sincere Milk of the Word are those that have laid aside that first verse. And if we really desire the word of God, if we really look at it and as you said, Bob, take it in.
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Where would the first person have any part? Enough. No.
Talking about the true entering sin through the mind, the apostle says that in understanding we are to be men.
The word of God comes and we deal with it materially and we take it in and we wisely assimilate it. But then it says in malice, be ye children. And that's what has just been pointed out. There is nothing of these hurtful things in the hearts and minds of children.
Those of us who are parents have experienced the necessary discipline of children.
But they always are ready for us to be tucked in bed and kissed good night. There is not that desire for hurtfulness and the those things that would hinder the enjoyment of the father and child relationship and children in malice. We are to be children.
What is Malice power to my brother?
And what is Guile? Guile is figuring out how to hurt him.
And what is hypocrisy is covering up the whole fact. That's what it said here, Unfeigned love of the Brethren. We need to be real. We need to be honest with one another.
Malice is wanting her to my brother, we see the Apostle Paul. He desires the good and blessing of Agrippa because he had a sense of the Lord's love. Guy was trying to figure out how to hurt him, how to do him harm, and hypocrisy is covering it up.
I'd like to base an admonition on James Four and verse 11 That says speak not evil, one of another brethren. I looked that up recently and I thought it would tell me something about that word evil that you just kind of cringe from. But what it really means is speaking against somebody. Well, let me tell you a story in in the secular history of the United States.
The 3rd President of the United States beat out the 2nd President of the United States to a second term. So Thomas Jefferson became our third president. And John Adams didn't get to serve for eight years, but he only served for four. And as a result, there was a bitter feeling between the two of them that was very, very obvious, until one day somebody went to Thomas Jefferson and said, you know what?
John Adams said about you and it was very favorable, and Thomas Jefferson said he did well. The two of them started to write letters to one another on a friendly, no doubt very erudite and philosophical and political level. But in friendship, one of the last statements that Thomas Jefferson made before he died was John Adams lives. Well, John Adams died the same day as Thomas Jefferson.
And my point is this. I'm not going to tell you what is not true.
I am affected by what someone tells me adversely about another brother or sister. It affects my mind. I remember distinctly what we'll just call them X&Y or whatever. You want to keep it anonymous. But someone told me about this brother and basically he said he's a second class brother. He has no gift.
It affected me until I met him.
Made all the difference.
Brethren, you and I do the enemy's work.
If speak not against one another, the.
Snide remarks things that that affect one another. How important it is that that nothing stifles love in my heart towards someone, and it may be, and I'm not going to look around and and focus on anyone to to illustrate the point, but there may be someone here that someone has told me something against.
Against their viewpoint, there may be even a point in connection with it. But how important for us if my mother used to say, if you don't have anything nice to say about that person, don't say anything. But if we want to find what is suitable, then that too effects my heart. I'm effective the brother X, brother Y, brother Z, whatever the name happens to be, I'm affected.
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By what you say about that person, and if you say something kind and loving, it may be that that's exactly what I needed to dissolve some feelings, because we each have them. And that's the practical side. We need to be careful not to speak against one another, don't we? God knows our heart. God knows what we need. Each of us ought to read every day, probably.
Philippians 4 verse 8 and if we miss the thoughts in Philippians 4 verse 8.
We've missed everything.
Better read it right.
Whatsoever things are lovely.
Whatsoever things. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are on, whatsoever things are just. Whatsoever things are pure. Whatsoever things are lovely. Whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise. Think on these things. I know for myself I need to read this often, and I'm sure we can all fit into the same category.
With this doubt that we have control about what we think.
It tells us we need to gird up the loins of our mind and that simply means control our thoughts. Don't let them go helter skelter in any particular direction. Guide them in the channels that this verse eight shows that we should be guided in.
See the lack of this.
The what is produced by the lack of these things, when we think of the assembly of Corinth, And the state that they were in, was such that the apostle could not feed them what he wanted to feed them, and he could had to say to them that ye are yet carnal, and walk as men. And what what was the state there? While they had parties between each other, You know, they had the one of the safest of of said they were of cephas, other said of Paul, and of Apollos, and some of Christ. So they had these.
Divisions amongst them and in the third chapter of First Corinthians.
He says for a year, yet carnal. For whereas there's among you envying and strife and divisions, are you not carnal and walk as men. And so this is the kind of thing that it produces in an assembly is all these factions amongst us and these things are not. So he would have us to be of one mind that we might walk together and be of one mind in all these things. And so we have the the power within us rather for to be able to do this. Do we not? And every one of us as individuals are responsible to act upon these verses.
And these things that we have been talking about and bring to the assembly that which is going to be for healing and not with not.
Not for division, and not for strife. And so these things are so important, are they not Not only for the older ones, but younger ones too. And I must say that the younger ones are going to learn from the older ones. So we need to be careful and make straight paths for our feet, lest out, which is lame, be turned out of the way, but rather let it be healed.
Like to add just one line to what our brother said.
1St Corinthians 3 walk according to man.
We allow our behavior to become that of just the way man reasons, and that will never accomplish.
The purposes of God.
While you're looking that up, I'll read the last verse for he who left his glory.
To die upon the tree will soon complete the story and come again, And we conform to his image as known, be brought to know, and with increasing fervour, our ceaseless praise shall flow 141.
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1 Peter 2:3-4 Love & Discipline

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First Peter, Chapter 2.
And we'll begin with.
Verse 3.
First speed or two verse 3.
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men.
The chosen of God and precious he also as lively stones, are built up a 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 sigh, and a chief cornerstone elect precious. He that believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you, therefore which believe he is precious.
But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation.
A peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness.
Into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, but now.
Are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the King and Supreme.
Or under governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well.
For so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
As free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness.
But as the servants of God, honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward. This is thank worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully, For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, he shall take it patiently, But if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called because.
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example.
That ye should follow his steps.
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again when he suffered.
He threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, who his own self. There are sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes he were healed.
For ye were as sheep going astray, and in our return unto the shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
As an aside, I'd like to make just a short summary statement about the two forms of love that our brother Bob mentioned, and rightly as being in that 22nd chapter. Sometimes we think of one of them as if it wasn't, and the other one as if it was divine law. Well, they're both divine love. In fact, the first one is used in John 1627 for the Father himself.
Is attached to you because ye are attached to me, or himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and so both forms of that love are attributed.
From the Father. And so whether it's the Juan paleo or agape love, they're both divine, they're different in their expression. And I just think that that's important that we not sort of downgrade the one as if it was something natural, but now the other one that's divine. But they're both divine love, the Father himself.
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Is attached to you that loves you because ye have loved me that that's that's all I had.
I believe, brother, you will explain that well when he said that brotherly love has my brother as its object and divine love has God as its object. And so when they're both divine, as you say in nature, and it's a good thing that we want to get along together, that is of God, love is of God, that we should want to get together and go on together. But sometimes.
This agape love which has God as its object may actually cause me to act towards my brother, which he may not perceive to be lover.
Would you say that's true, brother?
That's really the point of what Peter himself gives us by inspiration in the first chapter of Second Peter is to be added, yes.
No, nothing that we've said this morning or has been said by anyone is to set aside the need for.
The word that we don't like discipline or or speaking to someone. It says in Leviticus not to let evil rest upon your brother, that this is nothing to set aside that responsibility. But we should make sure that even in compliance with such scriptures, that if it doesn't hurt me to speak sharply to you.
You can't hide behind which form of love It isn't love at all.
The whole thought in Scripture, I believe, when God tells us of discipline, is to do it in love and with the principle and thought of restoration. It's not with the thought of well, it's sure good to get rid of that person that you will never find in Scripture.
Well, discipline really has in view the holiness of God, and it ought to be done in love. But I appreciate it. I, brother Ron Clawson, made a statement to me as a father that was helpful to me. He said when we discipline our children, it ought to be done in love, but it's not necessarily to show love, it's to show the holiness of God. And so when Peter dealt with Ananias and Sapphira, his object in that was really the holiness of God and God's house. I just say that because it's helpful to us that we ought to we discipline our children because we love them.
And yet that may not be what we're communicating to them in the act, and we shouldn't be preoccupied with that. What we're trying to communicate to them is that there's a holiness that becomes the child of God, and it becomes my son as my son. And it's good that, you know, when we were young and we told a lie and our parents took us and and disciplined us for us, and we realized that there were painful consequences to doing that. The reason they did that was because they loved us. But the real object was to show us that was an awful thing to tell a lie and that there were serious consequences in doing it. I just say that because sometimes.
So often, say we mix up the two thoughts of discipline and love to the point that we can no longer act, you know, with the proper object of discipline in mind.
There is an expression in the sense of mark.
Young man was referred to this morning and as he went away I'm reading verse 21 and.
Mr. Darby's translation and he says, And Jesus looking upon him, looking upon him, loved him and said to him, And so when we have to deal.
With issues that.
Cause us to have to judge.
We are to pattern ourselves after this example. We are to look upon the individual and love him.
Regardless of whatever action must be taken.
In the consideration of the leper in the 14th and 15th chapters of Leviticus, there is another expression very similar to this. It said the priest shall look upon him and declare him unclean.
And the thought came to me as I was meditating on that Why could it not have just as easily have been said? The priest shall declare him unclean.
Because the act of looking upon him and examining the situation is the way by which love is expressed toward one who has difficulty. And here is a statement, I submit, to your conscience.
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Correction without compassion does not do the work of God.
When the repentant one and 1St Corinthians 5 who had been put away from the company.
Of God's people showed evidence of repentance. What was the expression?
Confirm your love to such an one, lest he be swallowed up with over much sorrow. So we can't confuse the two issues, but there always has to be that compassionate consideration. So what do we get in Galatians 61 where one has been overtaken in a fault, considering by self lest I also should be tempted?
In verse three of our chapter, it is if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Tasting is a very individual matter, isn't it? I can't taste for you and you can't taste for me.
But it's true of every true believer. They have proved that they have tasted it individually. They have proved that the Lord is gracious, Or, as it says in Psalm 34, that this seems to be taken from the Lord is good.
Brethren, we have a God who is good.
He's proved himself to be good and I just want to say in that.
It seems like a very basic.
Statement of fact and it is.
But I find more and more that people are having questions about it, so go around even believers.
Having serious questions about it. And it's Satan that calls in question the goodness of God, and that's the way he got Eve to fall in the 1St place by putting a question mark on what God had said. I want to say dear young people and dear older ones too, because sometimes these problems afflict those who are older and I must say.
Questions comma winging at me at times. Sometimes as well. I'm not going to say they don't.
But pick up the shield of faith and don't let those fiery darts in. Don't allow doubts as to God into his goodness, into your heart.
They will come, but don't allow them in because God has proved himself to be good. Sometimes people say, well look at my circumstances, How can you say God is good when so many things wrong?
Are going on.
Sometimes, say to young people, in that case to say, how much do you understand of what's going on in your world right now? It's just like you're looking through a little peephole. You don't understand what's going on.
God knows what's going on. He has all knowledge. You may have a little bit of knowledge, but when he shows you the whole picture at the end you're going to say, oh, I judged God wrong. I believe those doubts that came to me and that's why I say don't believe doubts as to God and to his word, believe God because God is proved himself to be true at all times, under all circumstances.
Believe him. Trust him. God is good. Oh, how wonderful.
To let that sink down into our souls. He has proved it, and we have the proof in its fullest measure at Calvary. If you want to look at a individual historical happening that shows that God is love, it's Calvary.
Don't try to judge God by your present circumstances because you do not have a good enough picture of what's going on in your life now. But we can see at Calvary that God is good in the fullest measure, and it's something that you must prove yourself. I must prove myself. Tasting is an individual matter. What you've just said, Bob is good for everyone, including the lot.
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Nor thou not that it's the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance. The goodness of God, it's universal, doesn't apply just to those of us in this room. That's everybody.
That is observable in the 5th chapter of Romans. That's fairly familiar to most of us.
Tribulation. Works. Endurance. These trials are real.
I may not understand much as has been suggested and truly so as to what these circumstances mean, but I understand they are real.
Tribulation works endurance. These trials that come give me strength and endurance to the end. An athlete actually puts weights on his ankles to build up his strength so that when the competition comes he is able to move more with greater agility, run faster if you please. The Drake Relays are going on and that's many of those athletes have warned ankle weights.
Well, tribulation works. Endurance. Endurance.
What's next?
Faith. Endurance. Hope.
And hope sheds the love of God abroad in our hearts. God has proven himself in all of these circumstances so that His love is unquestionable. And that experience gives hope. And hope confirms the love of God that has been given us.
If I am tempted to criticize something that has criticized God for something that he has allowed.
I just remember I haven't. I don't think I have read the last chapter yet.
We may have, the Lord may come while we're sitting here, but generally speaking, we say the Lord.
Has a last chapter to read to reveal and that actually we know because after we're gone and with himself, then we're going to see the whole thing as God sees it now.
No thinking about this, brethren.
We have perhaps. Well, there are many striking examples of it in the Word of God. But just go back into your mind and remember this occasion when a godly man who was a blessing in the assembly, one who is known for his godly walk being filled with the Holy Spirit, was taken out and stoned to death.
And upon that stoning of Stephen, it says in Acts eight, you don't need to turn to it, I'll just read it.
At that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem.
Is God good? They just watched a brother in Christ who had been a tremendous blessing to them, murdered by being stoned. They were now feeling a tremendous persecution in the city that had rejected its king. It goes on, and it says they were scattered abroad, throughout all the regions of Judea and Samaria. Is that good? Was God being good? They had to leave their homes. They had to leave their acquaintances, maybe their families. They were scattered.
And you might say, if I'm going to look at that with natural sight, it's going to be a bit difficult to to see naturally in that that God is being good. But then hear this. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word. You might say the Word would have stayed in Jerusalem. God is good, and he allowed circumstances that allowed that gospel to begin spreading over the face of the earth.
Judea and Samaria 1St and then on beyond to the Gentiles. But it happened in circumstances that if we're not going to look at it with faith, brethren, we're going to say how can this be good?
How can I believe God is good when he's allowing this? And yet look at the good that came from it? And so for all of us. But if I could direct it a little bit more to the beloved young people, you may be saying I'm looking for a life's companion and I can't find one. Nothing seems to be working out. Is God good? Is he really interested in me? I'm looking for a job. I thought I had something really nice lined up and it didn't work out. Is God good? Is he really for me? Yes, indeed.
He is, because the Word of God says he is. And you have every example and proof of it in the word of God. But we have to look at it by faith. And if he denies something now, as not only God but our perfect Father, He's denying something now or not bringing something to pass Now it's because he's got something better and it's coming. And it takes faith. Beloved young people, you desperately. And I do too, Each of us. We need desperately to learn what it is to walk by faith, saying in spite.
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Of what it looks like.
I've tasted and I've found the Lord is gracious.
And I'm going to go on. I'm not going to give up because I'm going to believe by faith something better is coming. Is it going too far to suggest?
That Stephen's demeanor and these circumstances that have been described may have been an occasion to prick the conscience of that young man at whose feet the clothing was laid, and look at what came out of that.
I like Mr. Wigram's comment on that Brother Ton. I never heard it put any nicer, he said. When, and I'm not quoting it accurately. But he said when the hatred of man snuffed out.
Humanly speaking, the brightest light that God had in the early church. It was characteristic of the grace of God in this dispensation that it reached down and picked out the very worst one responsible and said, as it were. All right, you come and take his place and it's remarkable, isn't it, the ways of God in raising up a pall over the over Stephen. And it's happened a number of times in the church's history when.
Louis Berkman was burned at the stake outside of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France many, many years ago. They thought they'd snuffed out the man that was going to lead the Reformation in France. But a 15 year old boy ran away from that scene with his cheeks flaming and said that man has something. The boy was John Calvin. And so as you say, brother never questioned the ways of God no matter what he allows because.
There's always blessing in it, and if you and I can't see it, there's blessing down the road for others and for in the ways of God, and how wonderful simply to be, shall we say, expendable.
So that God can use us in whatever way he wishes. Faith. They want a mess. We want a mess in our lives. Just go on and have your own way.
And my mother used to say, act in haste and repent at leisure.
Faith says, as David did, Psalm 1/19/68 Thou art good and thou doest good. Teach us thy statues. So take that by faith. Believe it, rest in it, and it will bring tremendous peace to your heart and conscience, knowing that what God does, what he allows.
In the nation, in the world, in our lives.
Individually is good because God is behind it. It may be chastening. Take it as such, but take it from God, a wise and a loving Father.
It seems that this third verse is conditional on the second verse, isn't it?
Where it says, if so be, ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, so we need to go back to what we read in the second verse, and that says desire, the sincere milk of the word you may grow thereby so.
Unless I I may observe something, and unless I taste it, I can't say that this is good. I've got to desire it for myself and I've got to partake of it myself.
Zoo with the desire in our souls to avail ourselves of the reading of the word of God, and from that we will realize more and more and the more we taste of it, the more we say this is good. And and so it I believe it, we might say it's conditional on our appetite as to what we are desiring. And I was thinking of what you know, Paul John says if any man left the world.
The love of the Father is not in him.
Now cannot be said of the believer.
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Is that or is that to an unbeliever? Well, if the love of the world is in my heart, the love of the Father can't be there. It doesn't say the love of God, but the love of the Father. I can't, I can't. I'm not experiencing the Father's love to me as long as I am tasting the book of the world. So if I'm going, it's depending what I'm tasting. So if I'm feeding on that which is of the word of God that I will say, then the then the love of Father is in my heart.
And not the love of the world. So we need to be careful on which what our appetites are desiring and what we're availing ourselves of and what we're eating in this world. So it's the if, so be, it says if, so be.
Ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Without relation to the point, there's one other little word that might be made in respect to that which is good.
We've often heard, and sometimes very glibly so.
All things work together for good to them that are called of God and those that love God and those that are called according to his purpose. And I was noticing once and.
Meditation.
One translator said.
God will turn to our advantage.
And that's the sense in which we can be sure that every circumstance, whether we understand it or not, whatever degree of difficulty it may have for us, God will turn it to our advantage.
We find that faith having tasted the goodness of God.
The graciousness of the Lord, rather.
Allows us to be attached to that which is totally rejected by the world.
And it need not surprise us, and perhaps we often hear this, but it's good to remind ourselves again.
That.
The Christ, if I can say it this way, that we're in a relationship with.
And we've come to and tasted that the Lord is gracious.
That's the one that has been disallowed by this world. There's no room for him in the world. And we've often said this and it might bear repeating that any of the any of us sitting here.
Can fairly comfortably speak about Christianity to those around any of us here. Can fairly comfortably talk about reading the Bible. It's OK when you're at work or at school to say I read the Bible. You can say I believe in God and have a fair amount of people who would nod their heads.
But we've tasted the Lord as gracious. We've come to one the Lord Jesus.
Talk about Jesus in this world, his preciousness, and you're going to find one that's been disallowed, despised the world has nothing to do with and doesn't want him. Hates that name. Hates those whether they act like it or not, that bear that name in love, that seek to follow and obey that name in love. So it ought not to surprise us no matter what age we are, that the one that we have come to the one we found to be gracious.
Is one that's utterly spurned and despised and hated in this world. But that doesn't matter. We can go on.
And that's where God begins his building, doesn't it? With the one that the world rejected, In fact, that one that the world rejected becomes the chief cornerstone of this new building that he's building. And I think it is helpful in Scripture to look at the question of buildings because man has his building too. If you go to the Book of Genesis, you find the first building mentioned was the Tower of Babel, and they did it. And the purpose of that was not so much to reach to heaven, but to.
Make us a name, Let us make us a name. That was their purpose. And so even today's in today's world they have huge buildings. It's to make somebody a name, some company or some person a name. And that's the purpose of man's building, to make themselves a name. But when the Lord Jesus came and presented himself as a stone to the builders that were the religious Jewish leaders of that time.
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They said we don't have any place for this stone in our building and they cast it away. It's because the Lord Jesus did not come to make himself a name He made. He came to glorify the name of his Father, and that's what he did in all his life. It was God's glory he was here for and now he becomes the cornerstone, the foundation stone of this new building that is being built. In verse five, it speaks of this spiritual house.
But it's not for man's glory, and I think it's really helpful, brethren, to remember that that it's we are here for God's glory. If there is any way that I strive for a name for myself to be the best preacher, to be the most correct group of Christians in Des Moines, that's making a name for myself, and that will result as it did in Genesis.
In Babel and confusion. And that's what's happened, because men strive for names for themselves.
But the purpose of this building is to glorify the name of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, and I love the simplicity with which Peter speaks of it in verse 4. How do you become part of this building?
To whom coming like to put it this way, come to Jesus?
This is the way you become part of this building. Come to Jesus. That's exactly it when you come to him.
In simplicity as that living stone, then you are build up into this spiritual house as.
One of the living stones for his glory, for his praise.
You'll have to see too, won't we? I want to read that in Mr. Darby's translation.
Brother Bob, what you were saying? To whom Coming? A living stone castaway, indeed, as worthless by men. That's man's estimation of him. Think of that. The creator of this universe, considered worthless by men. Doesn't say much for our heart, does it, brethren? But then it goes on.
But with God chosen precious, now this phrase yourselves also has chosen yourselves also as living stones. I just was thinking, if we're going to come and be built on this stone that was considered worthless by men.
Should it surprise us very much if we're considered the same thing? And should we strive very hard to make a name for ourselves in a world that the foundation of everything we have for now in eternity has been considered worthless and cast out? We should expect, and though I know little about this, perhaps personally, with joy, take the place of also being considered worthless in this world because of who it is we're connected with.
But that's the eternal building.
When the apostle writes the Corinthians, he said.
God forbid that I should know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And this is exactly what we have in our chapter. It is the rejection and expulsion from His own creation, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Gadarenes are a picture of it. When the swine went down the precipice and choked in the sea, they said depart out of our coast what they did to the Lord.
So God forbid that I should know anything except Jesus Christ and him crucified. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, one brother has said, is the end of the first man outside of Paradise.
So if we identify with a stone that has been set at nought by the builders.
We are setting aside the first man and setting up the 2nd.
And dear young people.
You can gauge every word that you hear here this afternoon, and you can gauge every word that is purported to be ministry by whomever.
Gauge it by which man it exhausts.
That is a very sound principle. Do not accept what us older men, sitting here with the word open, say to you. Search the scriptures.
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The Lord said to the Pharisees He searched the scriptures for and then you think you have eternal life. But they are they which testify of Me and the Bereans more noble, and the Thessalonians in that they search the scriptures to see whether or not these things are sold. Your faith and your trust is to be in God and in that rejected 1.
And then that one who is the 2nd man. And this is just a little side point.
The idea between 1St and 2nd suggests the third.
When it comes to headship, you've got the first Adam and the last Adam. There will be no more heads of creation.
Adam was placed in charge of the creation of God as his head and the Lord Jesus Christ as the beginning of the creation of God Is the head of the new creation, the last Adam, but when it comes to the first man and the 2nd man.
That leaves room for a third, and a fourth, and so on. Behold, I and the children of God, which thou hast given me.
So we are identified with under rejected Christ in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore we are associated with Him in new creation. If you and I do not have by faith a connection with the Lord Jesus Christ in resurrection, we have no connection with God.
We're like Esau, A profane man, a man who had no affinity with God.
Because the only means by which we can be identified with the Lord Jesus Christ in resurrection and have affinity with God is through faith. We are all children of God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. So the man that is put forward is the one by which we can gauge everything that we hear.
If it exalts man, it's not of God. If it exalts Christ. If it exalts Christ, we know it's of God.
This building that we have here is a little different than First Corinthians chapter 3.
First Sergeant Chapter three are workers that work in building, helping up that building but here it says.
Ye are built.
God is building that building, and I suppose it corresponds with what the Lord Jesus said to Peter on this rock. I will build my church. It's being built today by the power of the Spirit of God, not by the efforts of man. However, God chooses to use men to spread the truth, but it's God who is building the building. Ye are built.
And I like to think that God uses stones in his building. You never find one stone exactly like another. You ever met anybody like Stan Jacobson? I hope not.
But I never expect this meeting another one. But isn't that wonderful? The variety God uses? And man when he builds, he uses bricks. And you make bricks by pressing mud into a brick mold and it has to conform to all the brick mold. That's the way man builds. And if you want to become part of what man is building, you have to conform to their system.
But God uses stones, and every stone is different. Down in Bolivia they build out of stones some of their buildings, and I've watched them. It's a real work of art. And they take stone, the stone Mason, and he tries to fit it into the wall and he has to pick up his hammer and chisel and take off a few edges. But then it fits in and it becomes a beautiful building. This is what God is doing.
That they joined together as the way He's making us. And sometimes some of the edges have to come off brethren. They don't fit. And if the Lord wants to take him off, let's not be resentful at what instrument he may use to take him off, but realize that He's working on us, each one of us, to fit us into his building. I think it's so beautiful to think that God uses stones, not bricks.
And it's nice to see that there's a tremendous encouragement.
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At the end of verse 6.
For those that believe on him, says he that believeth on him shall not be confounded, or in Mr. Darby's translation, shall not be put to shame. Think of it. And those that identify with the one considered worthless Vitus world, and in doing so themselves, will be considered worthless. You've got a promise from God, you're not going to be put to shame. We don't like shame, do we? And we shirk from it. It's not something we enjoy.
But here's a promise from God.
That if I become one of those stones, or I am one of those stones, and perhaps there's an awful lot of chipping that has to be done, but let it be done I whatever has to go in a life, in my life or your life, that we might be suitable for the Lord's.
Usable and suitable as we're put into that building, we're not going to be put to shame. The world puts us to shame, but we won't be put to shame.
For the Lord Jesus could tell the lady that God sought worshippers. Well, that's what we have in this fifth verse, isn't it? We're built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. And so the building is not put up just to see a beautiful building, but there's some activity there, and the activity is honor and glory and worship to the one who built the building.
And so we're each one of us, each one that knows the Lord Jesus Christ is a holy priest to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices. Later on in the chapter we get the the.
Holy Priest. And we get the Royal priest later on, which is a little different story. But that's our purpose. That's God's purpose, to receive from us the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. It's interesting that in that verse it doesn't specify a time. It's at all times.
The vertical here in verse 5 isn't it? It's offering up.
Spiritual sacrifices.
In verse nine, it's the royal priesthood. It's to show forth, that's horizontal, It's to show out to others around, and I think it's helpful to see the difference. It's the same contrast you see in John 4 you have the water springing up because it's the question of worship, whereas in John 7 the water flows out.
In testimony. So you have those two things here, but it really does exercise me, brother involve the question. You say. This is not for any specific time. It's to be always the case that praise should flow to God. And I must say rather than I feel we lack here.
I guess I shouldn't put it that way. Excuse me. I feel I lack here because praise does not flow nearly as much as it should When I consider how great and how glorious the God I profess to know it should flow continually from my lips.
And that's what it says in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.
Dear brother and sister in the Lord Jesus, if I visit you in your home, will I hear praise to God continually?
And I must say, we like to try to make it a point to sing a song of praise to the Lord.
Now, there's a lot of nice songs we have. What a friend we have in Jesus. I love to sing that song. It's a comfort to my soul, but it's not exactly directed to God directly. But I think it must rejoice the Lord's heart to hear us stop and just direct something directly to him to praise his glorious name. Oh, what a God. We have a brethren. Does it show in your life and in mind that we really know this guy?
Is there praise that flows from our lips for this reason? He's building this building, rather, and I really believe that. That's why the Lord has to allow severe trials sometimes in our lives as He gets so occupied with things down here. No praise day after day, hardly any praise from our lips for our God brethren. For this reason, He chose us.
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And we need to consider our high calling of elevating the praise of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
And the service comes next. And if we haven't had praise in our hearts for the one who loved us and gave himself for us, how can we serve him?
And so God in his wisdom puts it in the right order. Praise 1St and then the holy priesthood first and then the royal priesthood comes afterward. When the Lord Jesus was here on earth, he could say to his disciples come he impart in the desert place and rest a while. Why was that? So that they could spend time with him. That was the reason.
Lively. Sometimes we plan to take out living.
But after what Bob has said, perhaps we should leave it lively.
You know, we can be living and still act like we're dead.
But when we're lively, we know we're not dead and so.
If we leave this word lively, perhaps that would say that there needs to be a little more praise from our lives.
All right that we can sit in a meeting, brethren, when we remember the Lord Jesus and allow long, long silent pauses. I don't mean to say that some silence isn't in place to enjoy the Lord, but it's evident our disinterested times and we sit in the breaking of bread meeting and our local meetings, and no praise to such a great God and Savior.
What is it that hinders in the expression of his praise? Brethren, I really feel in my own soul the need of being stirred up about this. Would somebody have anything to say to me, to stir me up, please, Because I really feel there's a need of this friend. It's our testimony. His phrase is our testimony. Sometimes we talk about our testimony and we're looking at ourselves. No, brethren, we're looking at him. And when we get occupied with him, our hearts get full.
And they start overflowing. But what is it that hinders?
I only say for my own self rather than I feel we need to practice praising him in our homes more than we do. Maybe that would help. That's only one suggestion. Maybe somebody has others, but something we need to be exercising at.
In 129 nuts that we have to sing it, but it comes to mind so often in in.
Let all his people join this.
The God of heaven above revealed in flash he shed his blood. Less truth of endoscla Jesus I love exceeds our thought. But this at least we see that soul and knows thy love is taught to value not but thee and all. I love thee faintly seen what's seen demands our praise. Without it, Lord, we still have been ensnared in Satan's ways. That first word awake. That's why I always think of that when I'm when sometimes it seems like we're asleep.
Perhaps the reason why we don't have praise in our lips to worship is because these are spiritual sacrifices and they may involve more than praise. And there's many times when there's a spiritual sacrifice I need to make and I really get into communion with the Lord when.
You know, perhaps a young person has an opportunity for a job and they have to enter into an unequal yoke to take that job. And you're a young, an older woman, And she was in our house and she was called by her first name. And I said, what would you like to be called? She said, I'd really like to be called missus. She passed up an opportunity to marry a wealthy man because he wasn't a believer. She didn't. That was a spiritual sacrifice. And so there are many sacrifices that one might make and spiritual sacrifices, and it produces praise in the heart. It brings us into communion with the Lord and I think sometimes the reason that we come before the Lord in worship.
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Because it's not. We don't have things to say to the Lord, but there maybe haven't been those spiritual sacrifices in our lives in connection with our entire life.
I spoke to a young man not too long ago.
Who was attending an evangelical church?
And he made the remark to me. He said It's so nice sometimes just to sit there and not have to feel any responsibility.
And I don't mean to be critical. That's exactly what he said, and it ties in just with what Neil was saying. These are sacrifices when David was going to offer a sacrifice on the threshing floor of **** on the Jebusite, he said. I will not offer sacrifice of that which that cost me nothing.
It's going to cost something in order to.
Walk with the Lord in order to be in his presence, to be exercised before him.
But then.
More worthy of all of that than our blessed master.
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1 Peter 2:5 The Place, Priesthood, He is Precious, Submission

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On with the portion that we had.
In first Peter chapter 2, there's a great deal in that second chapter that we probably won't even be able to touch.
Before we do, I'd like to read one scripture in the book of Acts.
Second chapter of Acts.
In verse 42.
The beginning of the Assembly of God, and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine.
And fellowship.
And in breaking of bread and in prayer.
But first, should we begin with?
Coming up, Chad, there's five that start there, verse 5.
Second Peter or First Peter rather the second chapter beginning with verse 5.
He also has lively stones or build up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices to God.
By Jesus Christ, wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion the chief cornerstone he left precious.
He that believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you therefore which believe he is precious.
But unto them which we did disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same has made the head of the coroner and a stone of stumbling.
And a rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient, where unto also they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Which in time passed were not a people, but are now the people of God.
Which should not obtain mercy, but now have obtained mercy, dearly beloved.
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstained from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that even whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the King and Supreme.
Or under governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so does the will of God, that with well doing he may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God, honor the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward.
This is thank worthy if a man for conscience sake for conscience toward God.
Endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently?
But if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For even hereunto where ye called, because Christ also suffered for us.
Leaving us an example that she should follow his steps.
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges the righteously.
Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, And we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed, for ye were a sheep going astray, but now are returned under the shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Yesterday our brother quoted a verse from the 4th chapter, the 8th person. I'd like to read it again.
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
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We often ask, how do we do that? When I was in school, I had to read a story by French writer philosopher Baudelaire. And the story was about the woman who got a glass fitter to come up and put windows in her apartment, and she scolded him because he had no pink glass when she looked out at all the misery in Paris. And I think sometimes we feel that that's what that verse means, is to put pink glass in our windows or to put.
A sheet up so that we don't see a thing, but I think in the last chapter of James we get some help as to how we can cover a multitude of sins.
We turn to the last just across the page in your Bible in mind, James Chapter 4, the same expression as you or the last chapter James rather the same expression is used.
And verse 19 Brethren, if any of you do air from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth the Sinner from the air of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. One young man went to another young man about a bad habit that he had, and with tears brought before him the seriousness of it. And he recovered that young man from that bad habit, I believe, by his entreaties. And not only he was saved from it, but his children were saved from it. As the man grew older and had children in his own household, was saved from it, A multitude of sins were covered by the love that saw one airing.
And he went to him. It's not covering things up, so to speak. There is a sense in which we shouldn't uncover the nakedness of our Father and look at the faults of our Father, and that's a very serious thing too.
I believe that we can do enormous harm to our children by uncovering the nakedness of our brethren and showing their faults to them.
But we do see here that the way to if you see something developing in another in me is to come in love. And you know, it may turn an entire course of a life and it takes love to do that.
I just wanted to point that out. There's one other thing perhaps you might notice as we start to read this with Peter, who it's addressed who It's always good to see who the letter is addressed to, and it says to the strangers that are scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Athenia. These were Jews, and they had a whole host of promises and expectations before them that were now set aside in Christianity.
They had an earthly temple where they could go up to Jerusalem, and even in Paul's heart, the desire to go up there was very strong.
They had Abraham for their father. They had promises of earthly blessing.
And I might say in Christianity, none of our blessings are earthly. We have mercies. We enjoy cars, we enjoy good food, but these are not. We enjoy good health, these are mercies of the Lord. But these are not our blessings. All our blessings are in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And so a St. may become quite sick or even die. And to think that's a blessing.
Because all things are yours, but our blessings are in heavenly places, what we enjoy in this earth, our mercies. And so Peter in this epistle is really trying to show to them that they had Abraham for their father, but now they have a heavenly father. He had a temple in Jerusalem, but now they have a temple that was not built as Solomon's temple. And each one of those stones were taken out of the bowel of the earth perfectly like the chief cornerstone, perfectly trimmed to be fit into place and the bowels of the earth. There wasn't a hammer heard on the side of the construction site.
Where the Solomon's Temple was built and this temple that we're seeing now, these stones were taken out and fitted by God, perfectly fitted by God himself to fit into that temple. Well, now we have, you see, in Peter we had a they had an earthly hope. But now we have a heavenly hope that's kept for us, reserved for us in the heavens, that cannot be corrupted. So you see, the whole character of Peter's epistle was to turn their hearts from what was earthly to that which was heavenly. And we need that.
The house in verse 5 is a spiritual house, and I think it is important to realize in Christianity that everything we have is spiritual. It's not, as it was in Judaism, visible to the human eye. It's spiritual, and sometimes people may come into our meetings and look around. What is this? What do you have? Who's the leader? Why things in Christianity are not visible? The.
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Attraction in Christianity.
Is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It must be that way. There is nothing else. If there's something else that attracts us, the nice people that are here or the brother that can preach so well, Brethren, that's not Christianity. Christianity is Christ himself. It must be the central thing in Christianity. That's why it's a spiritual thing. It's a spiritual house now. It is a real thing.
There is a real house where God dwells in this earth by His spirit.
And but it's a spiritual house. It's not a physical thing like they had in Judaism. But going on to verse 6, because I think we touched mainly on verse 5 the other day, we have the question of the cornerstone. I noticed Mr. Darby's translation in chief is not there because there is only one cornerstone. It's just one and it's the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And perhaps we don't build in that way today, buildings, but in the old times they used to first of all lay a stone right at the corner of the building that was to be built, and then all measurements were to be taken from that stone. How long was this building from that stone? How high was it from that stone they measured?
How wide was it from that stone? I understand it. Even diagonals were taken from that stone. That was the reference point in connection with the building and brethren. I think this is a very important thing for us to think about in connection with the truth of God is that the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the reference point. How often?
We tend to think in other.
Ways. We tend to think, how does it affect me or maybe my family? And that's why we get diversity of feeling because we have other points of reference in connection with this truth of the Church. We must get back to the truth that he is the reference point and I must say rather than in connection with the truth of gathering to the Lord's name.
I think we need to challenge ourselves at times.
We give the impression at times that we are the reference point, brethren, We are not the reference point. It must be Christ. He is the cornerstone. From him all measurements must be made. And I had somebody a couple of years ago that left fellowship with us say.
To me.
You people think you have the Lord's table. I said, sister, we don't have the Lord's table, the Lord has his table. But my desire is to be where the Lord has his stable. But I think it's so important, brethren, to challenge ourselves and when we present the truth of God, to present it with Christ.
As the reference point was talking before the meeting about the disciples that came to the Lord and said.
We saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him.
Because he follows not.
Us, us was the reference point and the Lord Jesus said don't forbid him.
Or if he speaks.
I forget what it how it goes for us. He's not against us.
But brother, and I think it shows the natural tendency of our hearts, And I have to confess, brethren, my heart naturally is sectarian. I like to look at a group of brethren around myself that think the way I do. But brethren, we need to challenge ourselves constantly that the truth of God, that the reference point the the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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He is the cornerstone.
When the Lord Jesus here on earth at the time of the.
Crucifixion just before it. On the same night which he was betrayed, the disciples came to him said, Where will thou if we have that in our heart? As you've said, Bob, we're not going to miss the past. Where wilt thou have us prepared?
And if the Lord guides Peter, and John gives them direction, he's able to guide each one of us, and he will not guide us in division, brethren. But I want to say a word to brethren as to being a help to those who are coming along and learning the truth of God.
We do best to give them the principles of the word of God, clearly if I say to a brother.
Or a sister, a young person. This is the right place. Right here, this is the right place.
I am giving them a reference point outside of the Scriptures to act on, and that is not faith. They may act on what I say, but that is not a firm foundation for their faith. If they are going to be settled and grounded, they need to have the principles of the Word of God put clearly before them and in acting on that they will not come by the direction of the Spirit to a diverse.
Conclusion if they are truly guided by that one spirit.
But I think it is important that we make that the reference point. Remember Morris Ayersmann when I was a young person and it was Oak Park then saying to a group of us young brothers, He says. I can't tell you where the place is. The right place is if it were, if I believed it were anywhere else, I would not be here. But I can't tell you that you have to go to the Lord.
And get it from His word too. But if you are guided by that same spirit, you're going to find that we will be gathered together in one.
There seems to be a thought amongst many that.
The Spirit of God is going to lead us in a certain way. But let me say this, that the Spirit of God never has, never will lead apart from the Word of God. If somebody says this, the Spirit has led me to do this, and it's denied in the Word of God. You can be rest assured that you're not being led by the Spirit. The Spirit of God never has and never will lead us contrary to the Word of God. Never.
In relation to.
This there's a beautiful and well known expression. It was some advice that was given.
2000 years ago, when there was a lack of what we see in scripture was symbolized as joy. And they wanted joy, they wanted the wine, they'd run out of it. And there was a very beautiful piece of advice that was given whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Kind of lovely to see down to verse 10.
Of our chapter, it's what God is doing has done. And so we have spoken about the assembly in its gathered aspect. In that aspect there are sheep of Christ who are scattered and not identified with it. But that's not the aspect that Peter is taking up here. It's the work of God and his brother Neil was bringing out. It is important to see and Peter.
The Apostle is referring an analogy or contrast. It's very similar to Hebrews to what they were acquainted with in the Old Testament. And there the temple that was reared was reared out of query.
And it wasn't a living stone, but these are living stones. And so Peter begins his epistle.
He that referring to Jews, he says you were born again. Well, what had happened was in I think it's probably around Ezekiel 16 or so.
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The Lord had taken them up, found them in the field, wallowing in their.
Blood in the day of their nativity. And he washed them, and he swaddled them, and he cleansed them, and he and he says to them twice their live, live.
Well, they were brought into a relationship in a certain way of having life before God. And then he adorns them as a beautiful woman and she goes out and corrupts herself. And Paul says, I, you know, I was alive without the law once. I think it's an expression that would communicate to us there is a day of responsibility.
Accountability.
Well Paul was born under the law and he was circumcised the 8th day. But there came a day in his life and he felt pretty good about himself. Live, live he thought he was living but the law came and it said you can't lust or covet and it says same revive and I die. So the commandment which was ordained to life instead of.
Allowing the him to live as a.
I was born a Jew. He died, so the prodigal son.
He says to his father, Father, give me my living. He represents Israel as a nation as they came out of the wilderness of sin into the wilderness of Sinai. And the boy says, well, you just tell me, you give me my living and I'll do it. And what had happened to him? He died. He ended up dead, the son which was dead well.
Fear is using these analogies now, he says. Not only are you born again, but not as simply as you, but you're born of incorruptible seed. And then he says, and God has begotten us again.
Not to a hope that rested upon the keeping of the law, Mount Sinai, but a living hope. And God has accomplished this. This is what we are. It's not what we should be.
This is what we are beginning in verse 11 you get what we should be.
In answer to what we are. And I just say they sing because we don't want to confound things and unless we know what we are, we're going to do a very poor job of trying to be that. And we're answering to it in our lives. But this is what we are, brethren. We we are living stones. And Christ is precious. It isn't that he should be precious to us. He is precious to us because we've been begotten of the word of God.
And so let us, as we consider this, other builders. They disallowed him. But Peter is saying to these You didn't disallow him. And this is the result of your not disallowing him. You've become a living stone in the temple of God, and the gathering truth is important and precious, But there are scattered sheep, but there are no scattered stones in this temple. And you know the Lord said.
Owning that rebuilt temple is God's health, he said. Not one of these stones is going to be left upon another, but Peter said. But I want you to know, though that happened, you're in a temple now that there's not going to be 1 stone removed. And let's enjoy these precious things as living realities because it's the only way we can live.
That's so precious to say.
And just to continue a little bit on that thought and connection with the Jews that were brought into, I just want to get your phrase. The thought of your phrase is sort of living relationship with God. But that's why later in Ezekiel he said he was going to replace her Stony heart with a heart of flesh. And that's why the Lord said to Nicodemus, we often hear about born again Christians. But he said that to a master of Israel, he said art thou master of Israel and knowest not these things that a man needed to be born again. He couldn't see the Kingdom of God. He couldn't enter the Kingdom of God.
He needed a new life. And so we were Gentiles. It speaks of us in Ephesians is being quickened. It's the same thought. It's giving life. But we were never in any kind of our living relationship with God. We were without hope and without God in the world. But we were made, we were quickened, we were made alive. And we're lively stones And as you say there are no scattered stones in this temple. And so and just to I don't want to be pedantic, but just to illustrate this point it's so important young people to get a hold of the fact that every exhortation and Christianity.
00:25:30
Flows from where God has placed us. Christianity has become a religion of do to get. When I was young, I went to some Bible readings and they started in the 6th chapter of Ephesians and worked towards the first because they didn't understand that where God has placed us, we're seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. If I may use this illustration, there are sisters here. I have a sister, I have a mother, I have a wife. A man may have a daughter, he may have a sister. In the Lord, they're all women. But if he doesn't know the relationship into which he's been brought, how is he going to know how to conduct himself?
We know where God has placed us and what God has done. As you say, then we're not going to know how to conduct ourselves properly in that relationship. And the trouble with many Christians is that they don't even really know what relationship into which they've been brought. And it tells and what they sing and the way that they speak and even the way they refer to to God and so on. But we've come to know God as Father, and we've come to know each other as brethren. We've been brought into a family.
And these things are vital because there's no point in exhorting unless we really lay hold of where God has placed us.
I'd like to connect to.
5th verse and the ninth verse.
In the fifth verse were a holy priesthood.
To OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
And every single child of God that knows the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and it doesn't make any difference whether he's 10 years old or 90 years old, is a holy priest and has the privilege to go into God.
With praise and Thanksgiving. I don't mean by that to say that he should get up and admonish the assembly and he's 10 years old, but he's still a holy priest. And the holy priest has the privilege and the opportunity to enter into God's very presence with his sacrifices of praise. And with with that in mind, if a person who is a Christian does not understand that, he has the privilege to come into God's presence with praise and worship.
Then the ninth verse is very difficult to come into effect. If we've been in God's presence with our praise and our worship, then we can go out from that presence as royal priests. And that's with a testimony. That's a testimony to where the Lord is, and not only where He is, but who He is. And so those 2GO together. But first of all, we must come into His presence as worshippers, and then we can go out as those that bear a testimony to His great name.
For their imbo, I enjoyed what a brother said to me who hasn't been saved that long and wasn't gathered that long.
He isn't in our own assembly. A brother from that assembly is here. But he said to me, Brother Neil, he said, I've been at a place where really I haven't been able to exercise my priesthood. He said, I hope the brethren are patient with me and it's very sweet and moving to hear him just exercise his priesthood. And he realized he was always a priest, but he was in a place where he couldn't exercise that. And so, but it is a holy priest and there is a character to us that fits us.
As priests, and if we go on with the pollutions of the world, that's a practical side of it. That's our standing. We are holy priests and we need to act like it. But if we defile ourselves and really our character renders us unsuitable to exercise our priesthood. I realize I'm bringing in the practical aspect of it, but it's founded on what we are. We are holy priests.
That was brought up Saturday in regard to Hebrews 13, verse 15.
Let us offer the praise unto God continually, which is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Well, you know there's the fruit of the heart too. And at any moment in your life, in your school, at your work on the highway, it doesn't make any difference. You can lift a note of praise continually. And I believe that this fifth verse holy priesthood.
00:30:07
You really exercise our priesthood in praise and adoration, but also in prayer, don't we? It's interesting in Revelation 5 where you see the the priestly company above we've been made kings and priests or a Kingdom of priests, But it is they had these bowls of odors and they are the prayers of Saints, and so every time we mention that precious name of Jesus brethren.
It is a sweet savor to God, whether it be in praise or whether it be in prayer. That is priestly activity. And like you say, brother imbo, it's not merely when we are together in public meetings. That is one place.
But it is at all times our privilege to enter in and even though in large sectors of christen them they prohibit women from occupying a public place of priesthood, women are priests just as much as men are. And that's why in praising, even in our public meetings, the women sing. Otherwise they are told to be silent.
But they sang, and I think it is because they are priests as well as the men. They do not take the lead, but they sing, and it is a precious privilege to come into God's presence. Think of it. I sometimes think when at home in my own prayers, they get down to pray on my knees to think, to meditate a bit. Whose presence am I coming into?
The presence of the God of the universe. Somebody has said it's the throne room of the universe from where the whole universe is controlled. That's where I'm presenting myself and I can come with boldness. I'm exhorted to come with boldness.
Because of who he is. Because of who the Lord Jesus is. Because of the work he has done.
Otherwise, we might have reticence to come brethren. But oh, the privilege of coming into that place. I can't go into the White House to talk to the president very easily.
It might take quite a while for me to get in there, but I can come at any time, day or night, into the presence of the God of the universe, who is my father.
And relationship to Peter's addressing these remarks to the.
Jews that have been brought into blessing and Christianity.
Sanctified under the obedience and strengthening of blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They not only were told that they were kingly or royal priests, their holy nation.
The Lord Caiaphas set its expedient, that one man died for the nation, that the nation perished not.
When the Lord Jesus Christ mentioned in Matthew 16 the commencement of the Church of God.
His remarks couched in such a way as to include the whole council of God.
So that when he set the gates of hell, shall not prevail against it.
The gates of hell prevailed against the First Nation.
And they went into idolatry. And Peter refers to them here as having not been my people, because that's the judgment that God pronounced upon them in the book of Hosea. Well, Jesus Christ became the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises of the Father's Romans 15 and 8. And so now, based on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, they have been brought into an intimate relationship.
But God is their father in Christianity. But it also is going to project in that future time when that nation is going to be restored and they're going to receive mercy again in that same portion in Hosea where they were declared not my nation, it was also declared there was no mercy. But now there is mercy based on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is an Israel of God. There are the first trusters, those who trust Christ now before the.
00:35:15
Blessing is made good to the nation.
Every purpose of God is going to be fulfilled because the Lord Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of all of God's blessing. In him, all the promises of God are ye and Amen. And so the nation is going to be not only restored, but instead of the tail it's going to be the head of nations. And out of that nation all the earth is going to be blessed. And so we have them not only as a royal priesthood, but a holy nation.
People or a possession that they might set forth excellencies of him who has called us out of darkness into his wonderful life. This is true of us as Christians. That's true. We're here as believers now, and we are to show forth these excellencies. But it's going to be true of the nation too in the coming day.
We've gone. It's precious to see that, you know, it's a quote from the Old Testament, but such a contrast in Exodus 19.
In it says in the third month when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai, that they had spent three months in the wilderness of sin under the grace of God. And then he says to them.
I'm going to make you this holy nation.
Any down in verse 5. Now therefore, if he will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant.
Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine, and ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of priests, and an holy nation well.
They had a decision to make. If we're that's God thoughts about us. Are we going to stay under grace or are we going to take this responsibility upon ourselves. And they said give me my living, you just tell us what we want to do. We'll do it and we'll live. Well, we know that it ended up they lost the nation. They did. They are not the nation of God now. But here Peter is saying now God had those secret counsels of grace. He says the secret thing.
Belonging to the Lord thy God. And he knew he would have to take this people up to make them this in mercy. And so Paul says that we're going to partake of the Gentiles mercy. We're going to come in the same way the Gentiles had to come in not by earning a right to be the nation of God, a peculiar people, but by sovereign mercy and grace toward us. And that's what's so precious.
Because we come in to it, Paul speaks of being an able minister of the New Covenant.
That is these things while especially true of the Israel of God and God of Israel.
We come into it in principle, and so these things are true of us. And let our hearts be established in grace, the tendency of our heart. You sin against the Lord and you say, Lords, done with me, takes away all praise out of your heart. Well confess that sin, and accept the forgiveness that he says you have if we confess our sins.
His faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
And don't let this don't damn up this slow praise that comes from this temple. It's a natural thing. That's why you get the little word let. And so often in Christianity it isn't something that we're going to try to do. Just open the door and let it be. This is what we are. And let this praise come forth to the Lord Jesus. He is so worthy and it and we we are the object.
I don't remember which one was talking about for the father thing to do going into the president's presence. Well, I suppose he has a son, I don't know. But he has a son. That son doesn't worry about going into the president's presence. And that's what we are gathering. We are holy brethren, and we have access. That's why we can come boldly, because we're living stones, we're holy bread, and we're partakers of the divine nature.
00:40:19
There's nothing about that that should cause our hearts fear to come into the presence of the one who is begotten us.
But sin takes that confidence away, and sin takes that joy away, and that's why we won't get to it. But down in verse 11, Peter says, well, you've got to treasure this now and preserve it in reality in our lives.
You wouldn't want to walk into this office.
Even if he was here, he'd want to be suitable to that. And that's really the point. The other point I was thinking is you're reading Exodus 19 is the tendency of our hearts to put ourselves under law. And we say, well, what's wrong with doing this or what's wrong with doing that? And we want a little code of behavior. And really it's a different thing. We have a life that desires to please the Lord. And as you say, let I mentioned this before, and it's not to get off on the question of versions of the Bible, but I read the Bible with a fellow at lunch at work, and he read a modern version of the Bible. It's very commonly used in Christendom, and I noticed that every time.
Can we find the word let in Scripture? Put it should. And so they don't understand a divine nature and activity. It's let this mind be in you, which is in Christ Jesus. And the law said you should do this and you should do that. And dear young people, if you go to your dad and you say, well, what's wrong with doing this and what's wrong with doing that, you're probably going to get a legal answer. But if you get down and you ask the Lord, do you ask your parents? You ask an older brother, what would the Lord? What would be pleasing to the Lord in this situation? You're not going to get a legal answer.
But if we live a legal life and say, well, what's wrong with doing that, or what's wrong with going there, you're going to get a legal answer, but put yourself under grace. And grace would have us to please the Lord and to recognize that we have the privilege as it's instead of coming right into the presence of God, but not with muddy shoes on.
That's why in First John chapter one, verse seven, we have because that's communion there, and to have that communion, God has already done the work.
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sins. I know it's used in the gospel sense and that's good, but that's communion that's spoken of there and that's why we can come into God's presence, because His Son, the precious blood of His Son, has cleansed it from all sin.
There's another thing in connection with a royal priesthood, and it's good for us to realize that, is that the king gives, he doesn't beg. And if we don't realize that we're a royal priest, then we're always why would a king sign a petition?
We have, we have the right to go into the very why would you even speak to the president, when you can speak to the one who ordained, who gave him the authority? And so I love that the Apostle Paul the superiority not of standing there before King Agrippa and saying, I wish thou art altogether as I am.
Yet without these bonds and it gives us such power in the most miserable circumstances as we realize that we're not there to get something for ourselves or to other of our brethren or to somebody else, but to look to the Lord is how we can give something. Christianity is known not by what it looks for. Our brother was talking about looking for love, but what it gives. And so that's that's royalty. Royalty gives. It's not out begging. And so we.
It it completely takes us in a certain sense.
When we see this, our brother talked about that character of our priesthood. Is that now that's that's our character.
His royal priest in verse 7, Brethren were fasting over something that is very precious here unto you. Therefore which believe he is precious or is the preciousness? Isn't it characteristic of a true believer that he finds the Lord precious?
There's a treasure in the heart, and I think that is characteristic. If there's somebody here that does not find Jesus precious, you might ask yourself if you are a real true believer at all.
00:45:07
That I like to connect it with what we have.
In first Peter 3 and verse 15.
Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
Have that as a treasure, a separated treasure in your hearts.
He is precious, brother, He really is. And the more you think about him, the more you read the Gospels and see the perfection, the glory of his person, the more precious you're going to find.
Him to be to your heart, and then going on to the eighth verse, where he speaks of him as a stone of stumbling.
What does this mean?
I don't know that I understand. Perhaps some other brethren have examples or help on this, but there are those who stumble at the word being disobedient.
And I think it is important, brethren, for us to be exercised.
That when we come in contact with souls if they are going to stumble.
That they stumble over this stumbling stone and not over ourselves.
Sometimes we are stumbling stones, and that's too bad. The Lord help us to so present the person of Christ that if they are going to stumble, that they stumble over that stumbling stone and not over us.
Brother Bob, I believe that the reason that the Lord becomes a stumbling stone and why is precious to us as we consider the Lord in His blessed submission.
And we think it's just lovely we covered that spirit just to submit when we're railed on not to answer and to.
Threatened not to threaten not. And we it's precious when we consider the life of the Lord Jesus. But you talk about that to a man in the world. Submit.
Is that is that what they learn at school?
Flawlessness is the principle of it. And so why would anybody want to be like Christ? All that's taught in the world is how to get ahead ahead of who to get your own way. And so I even gave that lovely tape that her brother read Submission and Obedience and to a brother and system. And he said, you know, I listened to that to my wife and he said I we just looked at herself and I asked yourself, he said, we've been going to.
To Christian meetings. For a long time we said we've never heard such a thing. And yet we realize it's what's central to Christianity is submission and obedience. And yet we see that in the Lord and the world. Even the Christian world doesn't want that. They want to set that. He didn't come to set the world straight. He didn't come, as we were hearing, to make a name for himself. And if we want to make a name for ourselves, even as the assembly, we're going to get into trouble. But if we're just content, there's two or three gathered to his name as David's mighty men to go on with him in the pathway of rejection.
Then he's precious to us. But the world's not interested in that. All their hopes are here. They're not in heaven.
Suspension.
What comes home to my own soul so strongly is the Lord Jesus before Pilate.
Submitted to that terrible, awful travesty of justice.
You know, in today's world we we equate in democracy. Perhaps it's the way we've been taught to think, to submit is to approve of something, but that is not the case.
The Lord Jesus submitted to what was enacted by pilot, and in that submission the tremendous blessing that flows forever.
But that is not like you say what is taught in the world around it's it's standing up and don't submit. Because if you submit, you're approving of what is done. That is not right, brother. That is not right thinking.
00:50:09
Only about 10 minutes left and the most important verses in this whole chapter I believe was verses 21/22/23 and 24.
And I'm sure we can gain some spiritual help in what is here.
I'll just read them. For even here unto where ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was gile found in his mouth. But when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, who his own self bear our sins.
In his own body on the tree.
That we, being death of sin, should live unto righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. I believe the Apostle ends this chapter with his most marvelous expression.
Leaving us who left us without an example, the Lord Jesus that we should follow in his steps. There never was a man on earth that was as humble as he. Never. There never was a man on this earth that submitted as Bob was just saying to all of the indignities that man could be upon him, he submitted.
What about you and me?
We hear comments made about ourselves. One recently came, my wife, myself. And the natural tendency is to say, well, it's not true, you know, and try to correct it. And this portion came over me and it was just a piece that came.
Connection with what is Christianity? Well, it can be a doctrine, it can be certain things. But it's a person, isn't it? And this is the person of Christianity and how he acted. And if I and you don't act as Christ, we're not acting according to the true character of Christianity, which is Christ. And it solves it. I may burn like that song says that while I was musing, the fire burns.
And let it burn. But it's better to burn inside than burn somebody outside. And so here.
Because Christ also suffered for.
An example that's simple. It's simple. Isn't it simple to fade?
Something really precious here that I would just suggest, and that is that in the verse that our brother was talking about a few moments ago, verse 9, the mouth is opened in praise.
But then I don't believe the mouth is opened again in the rest of the chapter.
I thought about it this way, that our testimony is much more.
Effective. If our mouth is opened in praise, and if the life backs it up and that's what we get here now, it doesn't mean there isn't an opportunity. There isn't the need to say a word. Yes, definitely. We're to be ready, always to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in US. I don't mean that we aren't to open our mouths, but it's significant in this chapter that the mouth is opened in praise.
And then the rest of the chapter is all our walk and how it speaks.
Through the bill you have that in verse 15, so nicely brought out. And to emphasize what I'm thinking, I'll misread it. For so is the will of God that with arguing he may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. That's the that's the standard of the world. If you and I have a disagreement, we're going to get into a debate, and the the one who is the wisest debater is going to put to silence the other one.
But that's not how we put the silence, the ignorance of foolish men. It's by well doing how important our actions are and how often we forget that, but being.
Misunderstood.
We're being accused of things. We're being despised. What do we do? Talk about and use a lot of words to correct things while doing.
00:55:01
And the Lord Jesus was here and.
The Pharisees sent officers to take him. They came back and they said, well, why haven't you bought him? And he they said no man ever spake with this man.
Just to arm ourselves, you know in these verses 11 down to the ones our brother read that perhaps more and more a believer who walks in the pathway of faith is going to be.
Labeled as an evildoer, even perhaps by other Christians accused of, you know, David went up and his brother and said to him, we know the naughtiness of your heart and that he was come up to see the battle. And if you walk it's gathered through the Lord's name. People are going to accuse you of pride and to walk in obedience to the word of God. And in the world when I grew up in the 60s, teenager that, you know civil, the doctrine of civil disobedience came in.
But we see here there that it is by subjection, and to every human institution, as it says for the Lord for the Lord's sake.
And so it's not by involving ourselves in the affairs of this world and fighting against things, but it is in submission. And you see that so lovely with the Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they said, when he asked who would deliver them out of the fiery furnace, he says it's not convenient for us to answer thee in this matter. But they didn't. They weren't disobedient. They bore the consequence of refusing to bow down. They obeyed God.
The man tells his son to get up and do something, and I put out my hand to stop him and he does it. He's not being disobedient. He's obeying the proper authority and we need to learn the pathway of submission and that there will be far more power in that. And I say this in our testimony that often the world it says in Timothy who teach that gain is godliness, that the general character of Christendom is that those that are successful in business and successful in sports and so on and get ahead.
Are used as great testimonies, but I believe the more powerful testimony is going to be when people look on and see.
That perhaps are being treated unfairly and walking with God in it than if it's successful.
Universities, our brother, read that before. This is where into your call. What's that like? Submission and the Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect pattern for you.
When I read the.
And it's nice to just consider the end of our chapter a little bit and see the beautiful.
Picture here we have of the submission of the Lord Jesus, and how that when he was reviled reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him, the judges righteously, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, and so on.
And I was thinking what a beautiful picture we have of the Lord Jesus in this way in the life of Joseph, and how that he went down to his brethren in love and he went down to see how his brethren did just so much like the Lord Jesus coming down to his own, and yet his own received him not. And so they cast him out. And we all know the story of Joseph, so I won't go into that, but we know the end of Joseph too, and how that.
He suffered there in prison, and how he was misunderstood and yet he he committed himself to him, the judges righteously. And when God's time was right, he was brought out of prison, and he was set in the second place on the throne and below Pharaoh. He was next to Pharaoh and.
So we find there that whenever in the time of need when the the.
When that dream was being fulfilled.
The people would come to Pharaoh and he and he would say and they would want something to eat. Well, the mention was made of the Lord Jesus as being our reference point, you know, And what did Pharaoh say to these people? Go to Joseph. Go to Joseph. And so Joseph was reference point for the people at that time. And when they when they to get sustained, they went to Joseph.
And so it's no different now, is it? Our reference point is Christ. We want our soul satisfied. We go to Joseph, we go to our Joseph. And so there's a there's an interesting verse in in Deuteronomy chapter 33. Just.
01:00:07
We'll just briefly read it.
That.
Goes along with our chapter here.
Deuteronomy 33 and verse 13.
And it's to do with the blessings of Joseph.
And of Joseph he said, verse 13 Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dude, and for the deep the couch that's beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon.
And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof. And for the goodwill of him that dwelt in the Bush, let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brother. And so we get a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus here. Who now the one who was separated from his brethren, shall we say, is the cornerstone.
And what a beautiful picture we have of how we are to operate down here. The the, the submission He that exalted himself shall be abased. He that humbleth himself shall be exalted. And so Joseph is a beautiful picture of that, is he not? And you and I have a beautiful example to follow here in the person of the Lord Jesus. And if we're ever some mention was made of being wrongly accused while committed to him, the judge of righteously.
And he'll take care of the matter. But let us look off unto Jesus, this one who has chosen us of God precious, and that the the chief corner, the cornerstone elect precious. And he that believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you, therefore which believe he is the preciousness.
#260.
Lord Jesus, come and take thy rightful place.
As son of man.
Of all the themes come, Lord to reign or all supreme Lord Jesus come.
Lord Jesus, come, man of sorrows. Once the man of patience waiting, now the man of joy forever. Thou come, Savior, come.
Lord Jesus, come crowned with thy many crowns.
The crucified the Lamb once flames who washed away sin Crimson stains. Lord Jesus come 260 beginning at verse 4.
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Shamgar-Judges 3:31, More on Shamgar, Lessions of the Wilderness

Open—K. Harman, W. Porter, R. Klassen
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.
The second sentence. Now therefore, we are all here, present before God.
To hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
We've been reminded recently.
That God can use instruments of an unpredictable sort. We'll pray and ask God's help for this meeting.
Our gracious, loving Father and our God.
I'd like to turn for a verse to start with in the Book of the Judges.
Judges Chapter.
Three.
And verse 31.
And after him was Shamgar.
The son of enough which slew of the Philistines?
600 men with an ox goat, and he also delivered Israel.
And then?
To Ephesians.
Chapter 6.
Verse 10.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
But on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil, where we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand an evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching thereunto with all perseverance.
And supplication for All Saints. And then we'll turn to a verse in.
First Peter, I believe it is.
First Peter, chapter 5.
00:05:01
We might begin at verse one.
The elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ.
And also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind either, as being Lords over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory, the fadeth not away.
Suppose that's enough.
All right, going back to Shamgar, sometimes about all we know about Shamgar is what we sing in the Sunday school.
And I suppose we could ask any of these children to stand up and they could sing that little chorus. Shamgar had an ox code and so on. So there's not too much spoken of about Shamgar. But we had before us in the previous meeting about how God is able to use anybody.
And umm, it doesn't need to be an eloquent person. That's why I'm here.
But God is willing to use, as we had before us, an empty vessel. I appreciate the little hymn that her brother Cassandra read prior to giving thanks for the food. The empty vessel.
And to fill us with that, with the desire to be used as a vessel for him.
And taking no glory for the instrument. How wonderful this is to be able to look beyond the instrument.
And see that God has something for us.
And so we look at Shamgar here, and he lived in a day where there was no king in Israel and everyone did that which was right in his own eyes. And it's a shameful, a shameful story to read. And yet I've been so encouraged in reading through the judges because it is so much like the day in which we are living right now. And.
And we see that God has given us the things that were written before time, were written for our learning, that we, through pay, comfort and patience, and through the comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.
And so we look at these scriptures, we say, what is God telling us here? We go back to the time when in Israel's history where they were the people of God, and yet they had found themselves under the enemy's power.
Time and time and time again a wonderful dis to read about Joshua, you know.
Coming into the land and the children of Israel coming into their privileges, entering into the land to enjoy that which God had given them. Beautiful to see this. And we thought, you know what, they could have only remained there and enjoyed the land that flowed with milk and honey. All that God had provided for them was there. Plus he said, I will be with you, I will be your God. And they found time and time again that all they had to do was commit themselves to God and He would go before them and destroy the enemy.
And they had enemies in the land, and as they went in, they confronted these enemies and they defeated them one after the other after the other.
And they found whenever they tried to do it in their own strength, they were defeated. But God was faithful.
And he kept on.
Sending ones in to encourage them to.
Depend on me, depend on me. And so we come to the time as we read. If we just.
Go back in Judges just for a bit in the second chapter.
And we'll read just the odd verse here, and chapter 2 and verse two. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land. You shall throw down their altars.
And what does it say? But you have not obeyed my voice. Why have you done this?
And then verse 7.
And the people serve the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had been, who had seen all the great works of the Lord that he did for Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old, and they buried him in the border of his inheritance in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gash. And also all that generation were gathered under their fathers.
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And there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and Sir Balaam. And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed their other gods of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And they forsook the Lord, and serve Balaam and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. And He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies roundabouts, so they could not any longer stand.
Before their enemies, well, we could go on and it's a repetition it seems, of the same thing. And they were delivered into the hands of their enemies and then God would raise up.
Someone to deliver them.
But it wasn't until they cried unto the Lord, and they would cry unto the Lord in their ******* and he would raise up a savior.
Well, the first three enemies that we meet in the Book of Judges.
Shushan, Richard. Sam.
And there is Eglin.
And then there is Jabin first three.
Shushan, Russia. Sam, What does that mean?
It's the blackness of double wickedness.
Double darkness, if you will.
Eglin was a fat man.
And he is portrayed to us, I believe, as the flesh, the ugliness of the flesh.
And Jaben is a picture of that king who the thought of his name is that he's on a mound.
And he also had other kings under him. And we right away think of what we get in Ephesians, the principalities and powers in wicked in high places, and the wickedness, the darkness of those principalities and powers there that are in that unseen world that you and I are contending with. We don't see them, but they're there. And we have to. There are part of our enemies. And so we get the lust, we get the world, which is figurative. We get figured in Shushan Orisha them.
The world in its wickedness, its blackness.
Darkness, double wickedness, and we get the flesh and we get the devil, our three enemies that we are contending with all the time. And God has raised up, He raised up judges to deal with those enemies.
And he is able to do it now. He is able to do the same thing now. Those are the same enemies that confront you and me. They're the same enemies that keep us in *******.
They are the same enemies that the Saints of God have to that prevent the Saints of God from possessing their possession.
But we get in the book of Ephesians is we're blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
And He wants you and me, brethren, to enter into them. How much are we enjoying our possessions? How much do we enter into these possessions? Every one of us in this room, everyone young and old.
If you have the Spirit of God dwelling in you, you are a believer in the Lord Jesus. He has given you the power and He has given you the life to be able to enter into all these blessings that He has given us.
We might not enter into them fully, but you know the little bit we can enter into them.
We enjoy them, but there's enemies of our souls that wants to keep us and hinder us from entering into them.
One of these enemies.
We are three of these enemies. We mentioned there's another one and it's the Philistine.
The Philistines were the ones that Shamgar conquered. How did he do it with what he had at hand?
Shamgar was.
Perhaps a peasant?
He had an oxcope.
He handled oxen.
He was not a very diplomatic person. No doubt like you, Hood was in the next one.
Nor was he the warrior like we did an autonomy all the first one, but he was perhaps a simple peasant.
And he used what he had in his hand to deliver the Saints of God.
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And with that aux code he slew 600 Philistines. I believe it's the first time the Philistines are mentioned here. Where did the Philistines come from, do you know?
Well, Philistines, it is believed, came perhaps from the Isles of the Mediterranean and from there, and they came over into Egypt and they followed Egypt along, which is in your map, in the back of your Bible, the way of the Philistine.
And they came up into the land where God says I have placed my name. That's where the Philistines ended up. But they didn't know anything about the brick kilns of Egypt. They didn't know anything about the blood on the doorpost and on the lentil. They didn't know anything about the first born being slain. They didn't know anything about about going to that Red Sea and being and being confronted with the enemy and crying to God.
And he delivered them, and they went through on dry land through the Red Sea. They didn't know anything about that. They just simply came across and they went up and they came into the land of the easiest way, and they got into the land where God had placed his name.
The children of Israel came into that land too. They started in Egypt. They ended up in Canaan, but they came by way of all of the blood. They came by way of resurrection. They went through the Red Sea and they came into the land. They went through Jordan, that first of all the Red Sea. It was a death of Christ for them. And then they came by by Jordan, and that was their death in Christ with Christ.
And so they recognized all this, and that brought them right up into the promised land, and there they were able to cross that land. And there are those stones in the bottom of Jordan and those stones up on the shore which we know is in Jordan. There is just for the eye of God to see that they are dead with Christ.
And then the stones on the other side are life of Christ. Now what a wonderful picture this is.
And it's in the land now. They're brought through into the land and they're able to enjoy all these things. But the Philistines came through a different way.
And I believe, I would submit this, that the thought is the Philistines are characteristic, would represent that part, that system in this world today, that ecclesiastical system, it was known as Christendom. We are part of the brethren. Don't let anybody say we are not part of prison. We are.
We're in this world, we're in Christina, but there is that part in Christendom that is a systematic thing that that.
Hinders the people of God and that brings them into captivity and keeps them from enjoying their blessings. Keeps you from enjoying the Word of God. Keeps me from enjoying it.
And yet all the time, outwardly, it is that which is Christian.
But that is another enemy. Another enemy.
And it is a very real enemy, I believe, that we don't realize.
That we are contending with.
I've been going to.
Conferences for the last 50 years.
And there's many of my acquaintances that I don't see anymore. And I'm sure there's each one here can say the same thing. Where's brother so and so? Where is sister so and so? Where is this one, this young person that you know? Well, they've left. Where did they go? Well, they went into the camp.
They wanted some place where a little more activity.
They did not see that wall, that way of separation unto God, and so they're gone. They have been lured away by the enemy.
These are very real things.
There was a time in my life when I had to come to that point.
And I got to, I got to the point where I had to see that it was a system.
It was not the people.
Let's separate it. We have to keep it separated. Sure, the people are in the system.
But it is the system that is wrong.
And it was that system that I had to get to the point where I could see it's not a case of finding this group better than that group and then leaving after me to decide that that's where I should be.
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When I saw that the whole thing was wrong.
We made it clear.
And then we have to get our focal point has to be Christ. And we look up there and we sit beside him and we say, we look down, we say, what does he see?
And that's what I see. And if we don't see that?
We won't get the true vision of what it is all about.
And so we need deliverance.
Perhaps.
And it can start right here.
Right here in our own souls. Let's get a look at Christ, see what is honoring to him what He is worthy of.
Focal point, not brother, so and so. Not this group or that group.
They might be very, very nice groups, they may be very enjoyable. They may have lots of activity, a lot for me to enjoy and entertain me. And if you've got any gift, they're they'll welcome it, They welcome you and they'll use it.
But if Christ is our focal point, we will see that we have to start there.
And then we find that everything else falls into place.
I challenge you young people and older ones too.
That you begin there.
Get along with God as we are told. It's important that we need to get along with God.
And see what he would tell us.
And get the answer from him.
Shanghai appreciated the Saints of God. He appreciated the land. He appreciated what God had given them.
And the time came in his life. Let's turn to the fifth chapter, just for a moment, and we'll see what it was like in the time of Shamgar.
In verse six, in the days of Shamgar the son of Anna, in the days of jail, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways. The inhabitants of the villages ceased. They ceased in Israel until it I, Deborah arose that I arose a mother in Israel. They chose a new new gods. Then was war in the gates. Was there a short? Was there a shield or spear seen among 40,000 in Israel?
My heart is toward the governors of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people.
Maybe that's as far as we need to go.
The result of the enemy coming in the land, into the land was that the highways were shut up. It was dangerous for them to go out onto the highways. The villages were no longer because they needed protection and so they didn't want to be left alone. They went, they assembled in perhaps towns.
The villages were shot up, the highways were were not safe to travel on, it says here. And so there was.
The inhabitants of the villages ceased.
The visible, we might say the visible unity of the of of the people was gone.
The visible unity of the people was gone then in verse.
Three, they chose new gods. Then was war in the gates, and so idolatry had become their religion and they had forsaken God.
And then in verse.
Still, in that verse, was there a shield or spear seen among 40,000 in Israel? There wasn't anything in their hands that they could combat the enemy. Their power was gone.
They couldn't protect themselves and so the enemy had literally.
Had literally taken away their unity, their liberty, and all that they should have been holding.
It was gone. Why?
Because they had not obeyed the word of God.
So Shamgar rises up and he says this is not right. We need our liberty. God is our God.
We are in ******* here, and so these Philistines come in, and he rises up in the energy of the Spirit of God with this ox foot, and he slaves 600 Philistines, and it says that he also delivered Israel.
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And Israel had peace.
How can we do this, brother? Do we rise up in this same way?
No.
It has to begin here.
Right here.
I read those verses in.
Ephesians about the putting on the whole armor of God we wrestle not against.
Flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers in heavenly places.
Our enemy is very, very real and we need to put on the whole armor of God. I don't know what armor Shamgar had. It doesn't look like he he had any armor except that desire to serve God and to deliver his people.
Are we concerned about the whole Church of God, or are we just concerned about our own little number?
The truth of God is for the Saints of God.
God has a place, He has a path for faith, and I thank God I can say from the bottom of my heart I know I'm there.
But there is a.
The Saints of God in general are in ******* and we need to pray for them. We need to realize that the truth of God is for them too, and for ourselves. How can I deliver the Saints of God? Oh, I can't go out with an army. I can't go out with an ox goat, but I can use what's at hand.
And I ask God.
To help me to walk, to please him, then make straight paths for my own feet, and then I might encourage you.
To go on for him to.
Or you can make straight tiles for your feet and encourage me. And in that sense we can each working together.
We can be deliverers together of the Saints of God to keep us in the enjoyment.
Of our possessions, of that which is good, of that which God has given us. He wants us to enjoy them now, not wait until we get there.
When we get there, there shouldn't be that much change.
We stepped from this scene into that scene as their brother brought before us.
Enoch walked with God 300 years.
And that he was not. And I like that thought, you know, that Enoch was walking down here. He got up in the morning and went to bed at night.
He got up the next morning and he went about his daily chores duties and he but in it all he pleased God.
He walked with God. Is that my desire? Is that your desire?
Her brother was bringing before some previous meeting. That doesn't matter what you're doing, working with your hands, a thing that is needful that we may have to give to him that needed.
That's one thing that we can serve God.
Just the little things of life, those things that God puts in our hand to do.
And we can do them with all our might and do them to the glory of God.
And in that way we can strengthen the hands that hang down and the feeble knees.
Maybe our own needs and our own hands that need to be strengthened first, but in so doing.
It encourages others too, isn't it not an encouragement to see a young brother or a young sister or an older one too, To just have their, their, their face set, as it were, as a Flint to go on?
It is.
And how encouraging that is. And the opposite is true as well, when we see them fail and succumb to the enemy.
But you and I, brethren, we can do the little bit that God has given to our hand. And there I read in Philippians in first Peter chapter one and verse chapter 5 rather first Peter chapter 5.
About God's heritage, the people of God.
Shamgar served the people of God.
And he served God in doing so, and he delivered them.
He did what God had given him to do, and then he goes off the scene.
Like someone has said, we use the knife to ourselves. We serve all and we pass on.
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That's our life as we go into this world.
Use the knife to ourselves. We serve all and then we pass on David. He served his own generation and fell asleep.
Everyone of us, if the Lord doesn't leave us, if the Lord doesn't come first, we're going to serve our generation in some way or other. Wouldn't it be nice to be a shamgar? Wouldn't it be nice to be an off meal? Wouldn't it be nice to be an E hood or, or one of those, those judges that we read out there that God used in a simple way? And I believe, if I'm correct in saying this.
That everyone of those judges we read of, There's 13 in the book of judges.
And 13 is the number of rebellions.
That's what we find in the Book of Judges, isn't it?
But everyone of them, I believe, comes from a different tribe.
There are from a different walk of life. They're not all the same. They're not all great people. Othniel was a Prince, you might say, and he was one. He was a nephew of of Caleb, and he came from a family that really was a relative of Esau.
God uses whoever he wants, He's gracious and he brings in from the oddest place. Rahab was a harlot.
And we just heard about Jacob, who's a Rascal.
So.
Let's not look at ourselves and say, oh, I'm just too bad for God to use. I just I've wasted my life. Hey, there's a henceforth from here. Let's go on. Let's be an E HUD. Let's be a chem guard.
Let's be enough.
Just remember that.
God has given us a portion and it's God's land right now. It's God's testimony.
It's God's people and the time is very short. I was just impressed in this thinking. In this last meeting somewhat dimension the year the year was mentioned 2001, the Lord was crucified when in about the year AD 29 or 33, we're not sure exact date.
2001 Do we stop to realize how much longer, how much time has gone by since the Lord died?
Isn't he patient?
And he's waited that you and I might be able to be.
Co heirs together with him of all that he has earned by his death.
We are Co heirs with Christ. We can be Co sufferers with him too.
And then we'll walk. When he calls us, we'll step into glory with Him.
To inherit, to enter into our inheritance in a real way. But all we can, we can fight for it right now, you know, we can be overcomers, we can be Shamgars.
And so there in the book of First Peter, we are told, let's read that just for a moment.
Before we close.
Again.
Peter failed. You know, it's so appropriate that Peter writes this by the Spirit of God.
He says, feed my flock, please feed the sheep of God. Who told him to feed the flock, The Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, he says. It says here when the chief shepherd shall appear. Peter knew what he was talking about. Peter knew what it was like to fail.
But he also knew what it was like to be an overcomer.
And God, the Lord Jesus said to him, feed my flock. And he said, Peter, I prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou art restored.
What does he say?
When our resort.
Strengthen my brother.
Strengthen thy brethren.
How can we strengthen our brethren?
Can you sisters strengthen your brother? You sure can. Yes, you can.
The brother said to me once, many years ago, and I don't think I've never forgotten what he said. It's just a simple thing, he said. You know, if you want to, if you want to help your brethren.
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Walk with the Lord, just like that walk with the Lord.
Something for the conscience.
As I walk through the scene, am I walking with Christ?
Am I conscious of the enemy? Am I aware of what God has given me?
Am I enjoying them? Have I bought them? Have I paid the price? Have I bought the truth and am I keeping it?
And so in Peter says here feed the flock of God, which is among you.
Taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly. Not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.
Neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock I.
I know this is speaking to the elders there, but can't each one of us take this to heart? Feed the flock of God which is among you.
And for those who are the brothers taking the oversight?
Not sitting down and saying, waiting for somebody to say, will you do this for the people of God?
Or will you do this?
We're not being nominated to do it, brother, but.
Ehud felt, or I should say Shamgar had the sense in his soul that something had to be done to deliver the Saints of God, and he used what he had, and he smote the enemy. He delivered not only himself, but the Saints of God.
And we can do this, perhaps in a small local way, but they're the flock of God. And it says taking the oversight, those of us to whom it speaks to.
I can't point you out, but does it speak to your heart? You say I'd like to feed the I'd like to help the people of God. Then that's speaking to you. Do something about it. Use what God has given you and say, yes, Lord. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, it says ye shall receive a crown of glory. The fate is not away. Let's do it, brother. There's still time.
But it won't be for very long, because he that shall come will come and will not tarry, and we will not be able to.
To pick up the loose ends, shall we say, and do something then that we should have done, but now is the time. And I just encourage your own heart as well as my own, that let's look at these ones who delivered Israel and say, by the grace of God, I want to be a shame guard.
Let's turn to a verse in Exodus chapter 4.
I'm not going to.
I want to speak to some others this afternoon that may be Shamgars.
And maybe they don't know it yet.
I think as the older ones lookout on a group like this.
They have to say there's an awful lot of potential here.
Potential to.
Honor the Lord and be a blessing to His people.
And also as our brother has mentioned.
Potential to be castaway.
Next to this chapter 4 and verse 13.
Moses is speaking to the Lord.
And he said, Oh my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
Now Moses here, as we know, is trying to get away from his responsibility.
And some of us may be as we're sitting in our seats, maybe we would like to.
Get away from some responsibility.
Because the work of being a shepherd seeking to.
Speak a word in due season.
Is sometimes not an easy thing.
But I think the question for each one of us is.
Are we one whom the Lord will send?
As our brother Ken was mentioning.
That doesn't mean we're going off to do some great work.
It doesn't mean the Lord is going to send us off to a foreign land to preach the gospel to those that have never heard.
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Maybe you have a brother that's going astray.
Maybe there's someone in your assembly just needs a little word of encouragement.
Are you there for him?
Send, I pray thee, by the hand of whom thou wilt send.
And I want to go on a little further in Exodus in chapter 30.
Exodus chapter 30 and verse 13.
By the way, Moses here had taken that challenge and had gone.
As he felt the Lord sent him to do.
And he became that one the Lord wanted him to become.
And may each of us among us, as has been mentioned, you don't have to be a brother. There is a lot of work for sisters. There are those whose hands hang down. There are those with feeble knees.
And they need at least an example.
In Exodus 3013 it says this. They shall give everyone that passeth among them that are numbered half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary.
I just want to take that phrase out of this verse.
Among them that are numbered now, there came a time in.
In the life of a young Israelite.
Boy that he got to a certain age and it was time for him to take his place.
Among them that are numbered, we've sometimes heard that expression. You can count on me.
I wonder today if there's a desire with us to be counted for the testimony of God.
There was one, you know, in the New Testament that the Lord speaks of. She was just a widow and she had two mites.
It was all her living.
How much did she give to the Lord?
None. One. No, no, she gave them both.
And I want to challenge each of us.
Are we willing to pass among them that are numbered?
Have you taken up?
With what God has given you.
The work he's given you.
You know, he's given talents, he's given pounds, he gives to each of his own something that can be useful.
To the people of God.
And we don't want to put it in a napkin.
We don't want to bury it in the earth.
Are you willing to stand up?
Among them that are numbered.
Let's look at a passage.
I think it's first chains.
Chapter 18.
First Kings 18. We'll start with verse.
41 And the setting for this story is that Elijah was up on Mount Carmel, all the prophets of bail, and they were going to find out who the Lord was, if the Lord was really there or not.
And after that fire of the Lord had fallen in verse 38.
And the prophets of Baal are slain in verse 40.
Then we find an interesting passage that I just want to speak about a little this afternoon.
Verse 41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees.
And he said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked and said, there is nothing. And he said, go again seven times.
And it came to pass at the 7th time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand.
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He said, Go up Santa, have prepared thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain.
Stop the knot. And it came to pass in the meanwhile that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. In the hand of the Lord is on Elijah. And he girded up his loins, and he ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
I like to take this sound of abundance of rain.
As the blessing of God coming down from heaven, I'm from Walla Walla, WA. We have a lot of wheat farmers out there and they appreciate the rain. Some of us don't like the rain because it gets our car dirty or it makes a mess for playing ball or whatever.
But generally speaking.
Rain is that kind of a picture to us of blessing of God coming down from heaven.
The earth and the plants, they sit there and they wait for that refreshing rain from heaven.
Well, Elijah said. There's a sound of it, but it isn't here yet.
You know me, it's a good thing for us to desire the blessing of the people of God.
We want that rain to fall on God's dear people.
Elijah went up to the top of Carmel while he was waiting for this to happen. He had a sense that it was coming. He said there's a sound of it, but he went up to the top of Carmel. And I just like to think of Elijah as representing the older ones here among us today.
There are those that have been in the way a long time.
There are lows like Elijah that have fought very definite battles for the Lord.
And the Lord has brought in blessing.
I like to think of this older one. Now he's waiting for the blessing of the Lord to fall. He's on the top of Carmel and he says to his servant.
Go up now in verse 43, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked and he came back and said there's nothing there. What do you want me to look for?
And I like to think of this as.
Elijah, by his servant, was surveying over the sea of faces, just like I'm doing today.
You know, the older ones have been here a long time and they've looked out over God's people.
And they're looking for blessing to come.
And they say, I wonder where blessing is going to come from.
And he sends his servant to look and he comes back and he says, I don't see anything.
He says well, go again. He goes again, He comes back to that. I still don't see anything.
Goes again, goes again and finally the 7th time he comes back and he said.
I see a little cloud coming out of the sea.
Now, what kind of a shape was that little cloud?
Middle of verse 44. A little cloud out of a sea, like a man's hand.
And I like to think that Elijah was cheered in his soul to see a little hand reach up out of that sea.
And say he wanted to take hold the things of God.
Is there anyone here today?
They will purpose in their heart.
That they want to be among those that are numbered.
There's a lot of potential here.
And the older ones are looking on, wondering is there anyone that's going to come along, take a hold of the truth of God?
There were those that were read we were reading about just a few minutes ago.
It had a purpose that God's inheritance.
Would be maintained for his people.
Do you have a desire like that today? Thank the Lord if you do.
And I think I can say for those that are older, I have a few Gray hairs, but I think I can say for those that are older that it's such a cheer to their heart.
To see those that will reach out and take a hold.
Of that truth and be willing to be counted. And what does it say after that then verse 45.
Came to pass in the meanwhile that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.
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Mr. Darby says a great pour of rain, and that's what we desire, isn't it, brethren?
The Lord had poured out a blessing on his people.
Who will be willing?
To take up the cause. Who is willing to be counted for the testimony of God? Who is willing to put in their two mites?
And give the role to God's testimony so there can be blessing for his people.
Again this meeting by singing 242.
And.
This is what it says.
Sing aloud to God our strength.
He has brought us hitherto the next birth.
Sing aloud to God our strength. Sing with wonder of his love.
Next verse sing aloud to God our strength.
He is with us where we go.
What a wonderful thing for us to realize that we have a promise from God that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
We know that he is for it.
How do we know that he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all?
How shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?
There were.
Two things that children of Israel had to learn.
When they left the land of Egypt.
God's purpose was to bring them out of Egypt.
Into Canaan, the promised land.
But we see that.
Israel.
Spent 40 years.
In the wilderness.
This was not God's purpose that Israel should spend 40 years in the wilderness.
But it was in God's ways.
Now why would we?
Believe that God, in his ways, would allow his people to spend 40 years in the wilderness.
I believe in when we read in Deuteronomy, we see the reason.
There are two lessons that we need to learn.
The one is.
Is that in myself dwelleth no good thing. There's nothing to look for in the flesh.
This is the most important lesson for us to learn that we are helpless and hopeless. There's nothing in the flesh the Lord Jesus could say without me you can do nothing.
The Apostle Paul said in my flesh.
Dwelleth no good thing. That's the truth of God's Word.
But it doesn't stop there. The other lesson that God had for his people to learn was that of His faithfulness in spite of what?
Man was in spite of what his people were, how they complained and murmured against the Lord. God was faithful. He brought them through the wilderness into the land of Canaan.
Our God is faithful. He will bring us home at last. And this is what we're looking for, isn't it, beloved?
Thanks to God to be with and like our Savior.
Do we deserve to have such a place of privilege?
I'm sure you can stay with me.
We have failed.
And we don't deserve anything, and if it weren't for the grace of God, we would have nothing.
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I would like to look at.
A verse in Psalms the 34th.
Some pardon me, I think it's the 39th Psalm.
Just to encourage our hearts to show us exactly what.
We're made out of.
Psalm 39.
Verse 4.
Lord, this is a prayer of David. Lord, make me to know my name.
And the measure of my days, what it is that I may know how frail I am.
Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand breath, and mine age. It is as nothing before thee.
Verily, every man at his best state is all together vanity.
Zero pause. Meditate.
Man at his best state is altogether vanity. That's quite a.
Lesson for us to learn, isn't it, especially in this world.
Where we live, where man is set up as being something he set up to.
As the one to be looked at as being.
Everything.
But man at his best state.
Altogether, vanity. That's what God says about man.
That's what we can know, too.
Let's turn to.
Psalm 89.
Some 89.
Verse 47.
Remember.
How short my time is?
We're going to stop at that point.
Remember how short my time is?
This rather interesting that this Psalm.
Ends one of the books.
And the 90th Dom begins another book.
Of the Psalms, you know there's five books in the Psalms, but in the next Psalm.
It says.
In verse 9.
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath. We spend our years as a tale that is told.
The days of our years, our three score years and 10.
And if by reason of strength they be 4 score years, yet as their strength, labor and sorrow for it is soon cut, cut off, and we fly away.
Three score 10 years.
Beloved, the one who stands up here speaks, speaking to you tonight.
Three store in 10 years.
Not that I would draw attention to myself.
But the days of my life.
Vanity.
When I look back over.
My youth.
I have a lot of memories.
But I don't know where the time went. It's gone.
Young people, Children.
Your life lies before you.
We've already heard this afternoon.
That.
Only one life that will soon be passed.
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Only what's done for Christ will last.
There's nothing in the flesh, as we mentioned, that can honor please God.
In order for us to please God.
There's got to be a new life.
The life of Christ.
And then to live in the good of that life, that there may be fruit.
For him.
We have no strength of our own because we've already noticed.
The Lord is our strength.
Without him, we can do nothing.
With him, we are invincible.
One is reminded of Jehoshaphat, king in Israel.
Who was confronted with the tremendous army of the Ammonites?
Let's just turn to that a moment because I believe it's very helpful that we find that in Second Chronicles.
Won't read very much of it, but just to get the point.
It says in verse 13 and all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives.
And their children.
Then upon Jehaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaya, the son of Gil the son of Matina Naya, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. And he said, Hearken ye all, Israel.
Ye and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat.
Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid or dismayed by reason of this great multitude.
For the battle is not yours, but God, but God.
Tomorrow, going down against them, behold, they come up by the way, by the Cliff of Ziz, and ye shall find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel, and ye shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem, fear not nor be dismayed.
Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all chewed in. The inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.
And the Levites, of the children of the Coasites and of the children of the Chorites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel.
With allowed with a loud voice on high.
This is our physician, beloved brother. We are weak.
The testimony of the Lord Jesus is not going to be increased with numbers as the days advanced, but I believe it's going to get weaker and weaker.
That does that hinder God?
Not in the slightest.
God delight to work through weakness.
Someone has made this statement. God does not work.
Because of.
Weakness.
Are does not show himself because there is difficulty.
But he works in spite of impossibility. Now how can we?
This account that we read about in.
Second Chronicles, 20.
How could that possibly?
Win the battle. Naturally speaking, it was impossible. There was number way.
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But we underestimate, I believe I underestimate God sometimes.
He doesn't need.
Made.
To do his work, he's given me the opportunity to do it, but he doesn't need me.
He could do it far better.
Himself.
But what God wants?
Is our heart.
The Father is seeking worshippers.
And that's what he delights in. He delights in.
Obedience to His word, He delights that I, you and I should.
Look to Him and see that all our fullness dwells in Him.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, in Him is everything.
Our life is hid with Christ and God. God is completely through with the flesh. There is no use even trying anymore to please God that way.
It's totally by the grace of God.
After we're saved and when we think of.
The Apostle Paul, probably the Lord's greatest servant.
Who was used more mightily than any other man that we know.
You know God gave him a thorn for the flesh.
You might say, well, why he couldn't fail.
Oh yes, God knew he could fail.
In our translation it says the 4th thorn in the flesh, but I believe the correct rendering is a thorn for the flesh. Sometimes we need a thorn for the flesh to be reminded how frail we are.
Paul did, and he gloried in his infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon him.
We've had a delightful.
Three meetings so far.
And oh, how delightful it is to be occupied.
With the one who meets God's approval, the man in whom was found all his delight.
Man at his best state is altogether vanity.
But the Lord Jesus.
Was that perfect man recalled upon, you know, in Psalm 37 to mark that perfect man?
And as we read through the Gospels, we can see that perfect man there was.
No flaw in him, he was perfect in every way.
We just heard about that lamb in Exodus and we see how that it was to be without blemish.
And that's what we find in the Lord Jesus. I believe yesterday we learned about that corn of wheat that fell into the ground.
And we see that God was so delighted in his own beloved Son that He wanted a family just like Him. Beloved, you and I are part of that family.
In one Peter Two we read that.
Christ Jesus left us an example that we should follow his steps who did no sin, neither was guile thong in his mouth.
When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself unto him. The judgeth righteously. This path in this world for you and me is not going to be an easy one, but it's going to be a happy one if you follow the Lord Jesus and follow in His steps.
He made himself of no reputation.
The one who created the universe. The universe which man has never ever even begun to measure its depth. He's got all the stars numbered and named.
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Imagine such a one.
That same one became one of us.
He became a man.
And through weakness and defeat, he won the Median crown.
He trod all his foes beneath his feet by being trodden down.
We've learned that it's not a position that we really delight in being trodden down, but.
If a creator of the universe, the God of glory.
The king of Eternity.
If he was willing to be humbled, shouldn't you and I be willing to be that way?
We heard this afternoon that God uses broken Bethel, beloved.
I pray that each of us may be a broken vessel, that we might be used.
Of God.
Before we pray, I'd just like to read a verse.
Might not even tell you where it is. You don't need to turn to it.
It is Ezekiel 34, verse 26.
And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing. And I will cause the shower to come down in his season.
There shall be showers of blessing.
Our God and Father we have.
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1 Cor 3:11-15-The House, A Grain of Wheat, Dealing with Serious Problems

Open—D. Imbeau, N. Whatmough, B. Prost
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Oh.
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We've had before us through the Lord's mercy and grace.
A portion that certainly turns our eyes heavenward.
And in first Peter chapter 2, that house, that building, that structure which above mentioned earlier is upward. It's for God's glory.
And each one of us in this room, each one that's in the body of Christ, is there, put there for God's glory.
To honor him, to worship Him, to exalt him and the person of his Son, the Lord Jesus.
I was thinking of all the young people that are in this room this afternoon, many of them.
And you know, each one that knows the Lord Jesus Christ in this room is part of that house, part of that building.
Let's turn to 1St Corinthians chapter 3 for another of.
And they are, as our brother earlier mentioned, they are both founded on the same foundation. The one in First Peter is on that stone, the chief cornerstone. The one in Corinthians is on the same person, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And when the Lord said to Peter upon this stone, it wasn't upon Peter that he was.
Going to build his church. It was on the confession of who he was. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And so the Lord Jesus immediately says upon thou art Peter and upon this stone Speaking of the testimony given, will I build my church that's going on today. First Corinthians chapter 3 is that church that's being built. Let's read a little bit of it. I'm not going to talk very long.
What I want to say is this, that each and everyone in this room that knows the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior is involved in this. What I'm going to read each one of us don't don't think that there are any that are excluded. We are all responsible.
As to how we build, how we help, how we.
Instruct what we do for God's people, what we do to encourage.
Or on the other side of the coin, discourage. Sad to say, we often do that. That's not what God wants. First Corinthians, chapter 3.
Verse 11.
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ. Now if any man build on this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire.
And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide which hath built, thereupon he shall receive a reward.
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved. Yet so is by fire. You know, when it says every man, it could just as well say every man and woman, because we're all responsible. We're responsible to do that which is right in the sight of God. That's going to be helpful.
Not an hindrance.
The Lord Jesus was here. He spoke about the talents and the pounds and the word to the one that was faithful was well done. Thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Each and every one of us in this room, I'm sure.
Are trusting to get a commendation from the Lord. Well done thou good and faithful servant.
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We can.
It was brought up beautifully both this morning and this afternoon in the reading in regard to the one whom we are to look to the one who?
Not only.
Demands it.
But His love should cause us to break forth in praise.
And worship and adoration, and not only soul, but in service.
You know, in John 4 the Lord said to that Lady who came to him at the well.
He didn't say God seek a servant to serve him, but God seeketh worshippers to worship Him in spirit and in truth. But as was brought out earlier in the meetings, just the love of our heart.
In response to the love that he has for us should draw forth.
Service, worthy service. And so this building that is in First Corinthians 3 is the Church of God that's being built, and it's been going on for about 1960 years.
And it's still going on.
That church is still being built. It isn't finished yet. If it were, we wouldn't be here. And when that is finished, we're all going to be called unto himself and then we will get what's here.
Then then we will find out what we've been building with and how we've been building.
I exhort to young people, don't wait until you're Gray haired so your hair is all falling out and your balls. But when you're young?
Seek by the mercy of God and the grace of God to serve Him in a way that's acceptable to Him. And how do we know what is acceptable to Him only? Only by reading this.
The Bible, the holy book of God, his word, the.
Or, I'm not saying that other writings are not too good for instruction, but here's where you get God's word here, right here.
And if you don't read it, you don't know it. And if you don't know it, you can't do it.
There's a saying and if you were driving down the highway and a policeman stops you and you said, Sir, I, I didn't know that, that the speed limit was 45 miles an hour. And he and he will say that ignorance is no excuse.
You know, ignorance of God's word is no excuse either.
If we don't know it.
If we don't read it, we don't know it.
We have to read it. We have to know what God wants for us. And how are we going to help his people if we don't know what God wants for his people?
Every man shall be given. Let's read it again.
12Th verse Now if any man builds upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble, every man's work shall be tried, for the day shall declare it, and that's the day that he calls us himself. And when we sit or stand, whatever it is, I don't know, none of us do at that great judgement seat of Christ.
That's when this will come forth, That's when what we have done.
Will be.
Judged Notice that it's not a matter of being saved and lost here.
It's a matter of what we've done to ABET.
His Church, His bride, what have we done?
Have we done everything to help or have we done everything to hinder?
You know, if we look back, some of us in this room are well up in age, and as we look back on the history of even our short life, we see much that is sad.
But the Apostle Paul says the time that is left, each one in this room has a time that is left.
And what are we going to do with it? Are we going to hinder?
Or are we going to help?
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We had much both this morning and this afternoon about love.
God is love. God is love, and if we leave love out of our life, as far as our actions with our brethren were wrong, were wrong.
God is love, and He looks for something from out of our heart that would respond to His heart.
Of love. And when we deal with our brethren, it better be in love. And that's the way to build up. That's the way the church is built up.
Those.
Perfectly fit together by joints and bands and it serves one another.
And he picked up. If you haven't read it, find it and read it beautiful.
And that's what God wants. God wants each one of us to receive our reward.
From His heart of love, He desires that. He desires you and me to walk in love one toward another, and not forget His love.
I have them on my heart to speak on some very simple things in connection with what we've had before us this morning and this afternoon. And I think there's some very simple illustrations of these truths that might be helpful to even one of the youngest ones. Perhaps there's a young person here that got just saved just this last week. And I think there's some precious things we can learn from God's Word. So I'd like to speak about a grain of wheat. I'd like to speak of a handful of wheat.
I'd like to speak of two loaves of bread.
Like to speak of one loaf of bread. I like to speak of a body. I like to speak of an assembly.
And I think these are simple things that even the youngest one can understand. We've all seen each one of those things, an assembly of people. And with God's help, I'd like to turn to God's Word and look at these things because I believe that they're helpful to us. Perhaps you could start by looking in John's Gospel, chapter 2.
And a verse.
In verse 19.
This will lead us, I believe full circle is first. We'll go to John 12 after this.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, 40 and six years was this temple and building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them, And they believe the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
Now let's turn to John, chapter 12.
And verse 23.
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hours come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I stand to you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die. It abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it, and that he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be.
And if any man serve me, him will my father honor.
Well, we have a very simple thing before us here, a corn of wheat or a grain of wheat. And then we could each imagine opening up our hand and seeing a grain of wheat. And this is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we see in John's gospel people say, well, what is eternal life? Eternal life was a person. That's what John does. He takes us and he says, you want to know what eternal life is? It's a person.
And the Son of God came into this world, and as in Mr. Darby's translation, he was that grain of wheat that was falling into the ground to die. But, you know, I think we all understand something, even the children understand something about a grain of wheat, that if we were to put that into our pocket and leave it there, and we were to come back, Lord willing, if the assembly in Des Moines invited us to meetings next year, and we reached into our pocket and there was a grain of wheat, it would still be the same grain of wheat that was there in our pocket.
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But if you take that grain of wheat, and if it's a pure strain of wheat and you put it into the ground, something happens to it, it dies.
But it comes up. But it doesn't abide alone.
And each grain of wheat on that stalk of wheat is a partaker of the life and nature of that grain that went into the ground.
If you take a pure strained petunia seed, red petunia seed, and you put it in the ground, you get red petunias. And that's a wonderful thing that even a young child can understand that if they were saved yesterday, that they possessed the life and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I think that's lovely to realize. You're just mentioning that downstairs that there was a living stone, and each stone in that temple is just like that living stone with a perfect place to fit into that temple that's rising up to God. I just say this to the young children because when I was saved, you know, I'm going to just say something that might sound silly to some of the older brethren, but I thought that when I got to heaven, I was going to be the one to ruin heaven. And I was going to, I was going to sin and ruin heaven. But it was a wonderful realization that came to my soul is that I had the same life and nature as the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
And so that corn of wheat, it fell into the ground, and it did not die. It did not abide alone, but it died that it might bring forth much fruit. I'd like to turn to a verse at the end of Matthew's Gospel.
In Matthew 27, the last chapter, Matthew's Gospel. Rather, I believe this helps us understand something too.
Matthew 27.
In connection with the Lord Jesus Christ dying.
Verse 50 Jesus, when he had cried again, with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost, and behold, the veil of the temple was rent and twain from top to bottom.
And the earth did quake, and the rocks ran, and the graves were opened, and the bodies of Saints which slept arose.
And came out of the grave after his resurrection, and went into the holiest city, and appeared unto many. Now these Saints, they arose when the Lord arose. Because you see that grain of wheat that went into the ground and died at a bite alone, that it might not abide alone. But when it rose, it didn't come up one. If you planted one seed, and on the stock of grain you had one seed, you'd be disappointed. But that grain of wheat was falling into the ground, and it died. That might not abide alone, but it came out. Now here we have a beautiful thing in connection with the resurrection.
Is that not only do we have a life in nature like that, but we're going to have a body like the Lord Jesus.
We get that, and it's interesting, the expression that we have here. You know, if you go into Christendom, you'll hear a lot of expressions about soul sleep and what is death, and it's very unclear many of these things. But you know what it says here is that the bodies of the Saints had slept when we put one to rest, as Brother Barry was recently laid to rest. His body is asleep, but he is in a conscious, present enjoyment of the Lord Jesus Christ now.
His body's asleep. Scripture never speaks about the sleep of the soul.
The body was put to sleep. And so here we have a little picture here in connection with this that we have in the 23rd of Leviticus, and we might just turn to it to just amplify this picture.
Because let's just turn to it in Leviticus 23.
Now there's divisions in this chapter here, and you'll notice that the divisions are marked by and the Lord spake unto Moses saying, just make a little comment about this and Leviticus 23 you have the seven feasts of the Lord.
I just make this little outline to encourage the young people to look into some of these things. And the word of God. God gives us little outlines of things to help us to sort of flush them out. You know, you go into school and they give you an outline of the course. You open up a textbook and there's a table of contents at the front. And God's given us little outlines of things. And in the you open up the word of God. And our brother Ewell was speaking about the first Adam, and the last Adam is in the first chapter of the book. You get a little outline.
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Of this creation from the very beginning to the very end. And so you have that given to us an outline form in the seven days of creation.
And so as far as this creation is concerned, this present creation in which we're living.
We see how it all ends with God entering into his rest, the beast of the field coming to the man.
Picture of the Lord Jesus Christ there and in subjection to him, and God entering into his wrath when you get the Feast of Jehovah in the 23rd of Leviticus.
You get the history of Israel from the beginning, from the Passover right to the very end, the Feast of Booths, when they're all dwelling.
In the Feast of Tabernacles, when they're all dwelling in their own booths and there's peace on this earth.
You also get two other sevens in the scripture. I'll just mention this quickly. In the book of Matthew 13, when the Kingdom of heaven was established, he was rejected by his own and he went back into heaven to receive for himself a Kingdom. That he gives us a little outline of this situation, the Kingdom of heaven here, a place of responsible testimony here on the earth, and He gives us a history of it from the beginning of the to the end in the seven parables of the Kingdom of heaven.
In Matthew chapter 13, and so we get a little outline of that. And then when you get the church as a responsible thing in the Book of Revelation, John gives us a little outline. The Spirit of God, the Lord gives to John a little outline of the history of the church from the beginning to the end in the seven churches. It's good to get these outlines. Paul desired that Timothy would have an outline of sound words.
Well, I don't want to depart too much from what's on my heart when I say that, but just encourage you to look on these things to get an outline of things. And then you can fill in the pieces as you go if you get an outline of sound words. But here in this 23rd of Leviticus, I just want to take.
This particular division at the beginning we have to the Feast of Unleavened bread, Bread and the Passover.
And this really spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was that unleavened bread leaven speaks of evil working.
But He was that pure one, and the Passover which speaks of Christ in His death for us. But what particularly was on my heart is in ninth verse here. Was that the moral after the Passover? That was on what we call the Lord's day, or the first day of the week.
That something happened, Let's just read that. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, when you be coming to the land.
I give you, and you shall reap the harvest thereof. You shall bring a sheath of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest, and he shall wave the sheep before the Lord to be accepted for you. On the Morrow after the Sabbath, the priest shall wave it, and ye shall offer it that day when you wave the sheep and he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering under the Lord.
Well, you can see the picture here. The Lord died on the Passover. He was put in the grave and our guest and our resurrection is exactly like the Lord Jesus. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.
He dismissed his spirit and he was absent from the body and present with the Lord. His body was laid in a grave. Now a man came to my office years ago and I was teaching and he spoke about the Lord going into hell and so on. And there's these thoughts, even an evangelical Christian. And no, the body, the Lord's body was laid in a grave, but he was absent from the body and present with the Lord. That thief they laid at the malefactor that confessed the Lord as his Savior. He said, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. His body was laid, laid in the grave.
And he?
In spirit went to be with the Lord.
And so I believe he was the first one that knew that he was going to be with the father.
And where he was going to be clearly when He died. But here we have now on the feast of the first fruits, this grain, now not the grain of wheat had fallen into the ground and died, so to speak, in picture on the Passover. But now they take a sheaf of grain, and they wave it before the Lord, Because, as we read in Matthew, He died alone, but He did not rise alone when He arose. The bodies of the Saints that slept, many bodies of Saints had slept, arose and walked about in Jerusalem.
And was a token of what is going to happen, just as somebody might farm a great field and go out into the field and say come back.
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At the time he thinks it's ready for the harvest and bring a sample in and say to his wife, he says, I think this is ready for harvest. And it's a wonderful thing to realize that that corn of wheat fell into the ground and died, that he might not abide alone and that each grain that came up is a partaker of the life and nature of that seed that went into the ground and died. The simplest believer that was saved yesterday has the life and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's just turn to a verse in Colossians in connection with that.
I think these things are so important.
Verse three of Colossians chapter 3.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ and God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
So we now possess the life and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And in resurrection, we are in the rapture. We're going to see that there. We're going to possess bodies just like the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a token of that in the Lord's resurrection. I don't believe that those that rose in Matthew 27 and walked about in Jerusalem, they had to roll away the stone like with Lazarus, that they rose.
Out of the graves and they walked about as a token of that harvest. Just like the farmer comes in and says to his wife, this grain is ready for the harvest.
And that's what we're going to have. We're going to have not only lives like the Lord, a life.
Be partakers of the life and nature of the Lord Jesus as we are now. But we're going to have bodies like the Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to look at that. But this was to be waived before the Lord because he died, but he wasn't going to be alone. And this ought to rejoice our hearts. It's a wonderful thing because it encompasses everyone that you ever met and met somebody in the bus depot or at the gas station. You gave them a track and they smile and they said, oh, I know the Lord Jesus Christ is my Savior. You hear a story about somebody, you read up a book, and maybe you never meet them again in this team, but you know.
That they're part of that fruit of the Lord Jesus Christ and falling into the ground and dying, and we're going to see them again in glory, and He shall. We often think of what it means to us that the Lord Jesus Christ died, but what does it mean to his heart? He shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.
Do you ever think of that? What a wonderful thing it is to going to be in heaven and to see all these ones that you've heard about, that you've seen that you've met, and to realize you're going to be with them there in the glory for the Lord. This was a thing on the day of resurrection. This was waived before the Lord.
And so with it the IT was with the and I obviously don't have perhaps the the ability or the time to develop all of this, but it was on he lamb without blemish. The first year for a burnt offering under the Lord, as we realize with that there was to realize the cost of that it was the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not so much the aspect of a sin offering here, but a burnt offering that he died that he might not abide alone.
And so this was raised to the Lord.
And now we come down to the 15th 1St, which is still part of this section that starts at the ninth verse. And he says, And ye shall count unto the Morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that she brought the sheep of the wave offering seventh Sabbath shall be complete, even under the moral. After the 7th Sabbath she shall #50 days. And ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. And ye shall bring out of your habitations 2 wavelengths of 2/10 steals, and they shall be a fine flower, and they shall be bacon with leaven, and they are the first fruits unto the Lord.
And you shall offer the bread with the bread, 7 lambs without blemish of the first year, one young Bullock and two Rams. And they shall be a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat offering and their drink offering, even an offering made by fire, a sweet savour unto the Lord.
Well here now we have this 210 steals a week that we're way before the Lord now fifty days later on the day of Pentecost, 2 loaves were waived before the Lord. Now we have something about the thought of an inn gathering because you see, he died that he might gather together and won the children of God that are scattered abroad, and we should never lose sight of that.
We should never lose sight of that. We may rejoice in the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins. And I say many believers don't go beyond the thought that to get their souls out of hell. But what was his purpose? What was he looking for? He died that he might gather together and won the children of God that are scattered abroad. And so these two wave loads. They now spoke of an ingathering. There was leaven in them because they were there was skin connected with it, but it had been through the fire. And so he made him to be sin. He who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. But there was an ingathering.
00:35:20
And that was seen there at Pentecost, an abundant testimony of those gathered in that the Lord Jesus who died alone, his disciples forsook him and fled, that they're at Pentecost was that great company that were there and partakers of the life and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our brother Ewell said that about Saul of Tarsus, his conscience being pricked. And I have no doubt of it, looking at Stephen because he saw a man.
But I also believe there was Saul of Tarsus, and had pricked him in his conscience. And he said, what was the thing outwardly concerning the law? He was blameless. But what was it that pricked it that was working the commandment that slew him? Thou shalt not covet. And here he sought his great company there at Pentecost, and they had all things in common, the exact opposite of covetousness. They were sharing everything. And he saw that, and what he desired, what the law could not give him, but could only condemn him, for he could see that what Christ had produced in this great company of people.
And it aggravated his conscience, I believe. And so he decided to try to stamp out this testimony. But there was a testimony there. But now we see something as we go on here, we see that there's a further revelation given to us by Paul. And let's just turn to 1St Corinthians chapter 10.
I realize this is quite an incomplete development of these things, but.
Just look at 1St Corinthians 10.
I think most know, but I just repeat this for the younger ones. In First Corinthians 10 we have the Lord's Table and in First Corinthians 11 we have the Lord's Supper.
And the Lord's Supper is intended to be and at the Lord's table.
And we have the Lord's Table mentioned, but there's something unusual about this, and I just point this out that has been pointed out to us a number of times. In verse 16, the cup is mentioned first, the cup of blessing which we bless. Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ, the bread which we break? Is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Now.
Why does it mention the cup first?
The cup of blessing which we bless because our right entitled to be at the Lords Table is that we're washed in the blood of Christ, as opposed to Judaism which was an outward thing. We have. A different thing here now is that only those that are washed in the blood of the Lamb have right and title to be at that table.
But the bread which we break is not the communion of the body of Christ. Because you see, we see two things in that body. We see that in the 1St Corinthians 11. We see this is my body, which is broken for you. But we also see that He formed a body, a corporate testimony for weeping. Many are one bred, for we are all partakers of that one loaf.
That one bread for all partakers of that one bread. I just say this, that it is in partaking of the bread that we give expression to the truth that we're members of the one body of Christ.
We are at Pentecost a wonderful thing happened. The Spirit of God came down and made of many members one body.
And the Lord has a body here on this earth, and it's made of living members here on this earth.
Now I don't have the same living members now as when I was born. Some of my living members, I don't have the same fingernails and the same skin as I did when I was born, but I have the same body. And so there are living members that have gone on, but there is a living body here on this earth. But how do I give expression to that truth? We come to this wonderful thing called the church and the Lord's table, because the church, though the body, is made-up of every living member here on this earth. We have something now called the church, a place where we can give expression to that. And I say I point this out that it is not simply in the one unbroken loaf that we see, there's one body.
That's true, but we give expression to that truth by being partaking of that loaf.
It's by partaking of that loaf we give expression to the truth that we're members of the body of Christ. That's what we see very clearly here.
We were baptized by 1 Spirit into one body there, because He took many members and he formed one body, a living thing. If one member suffer, all suffer. My grandmother's with the Lord. She's not suffering now, but when we read, as we heard the other night in the prayer meeting, there are many suffering Saints, and we suffer with them, as was said, because we're living members of that body here in the earth. But we have the possibility of giving expression to that truth now by being at the Lord's table and remembering the Lord Jesus Christ and His death.
00:40:25
And so we have what is called the Church.
And the church. I just would like to say this in scripture.
Is not an invisible thing.
We've often heard this expression in prison and it talks about the invisible church or the church invisible. And I believe it's a very mischievous statement of the devil to talk about the church as being an invisible thing. It is not an invisible thing. This is not an invisible company. Two or three people gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is not an invisible thing. It's a called out company. And so that is what the church is. We see in the Word of God and it was a local thing.
Because in scripture it speaks about the church at Corinth. We read about the church at.
At Rome we read about the church at Laodicea, the church at Colossians, so on. We read about the churches in Galatians and Syria and Celestia and so on, because those were regions. You could talk about the assemblies in Iowa, but scripturally speaking we can only talk about the assembly in Pleasant Hill.
Because there's a local expression to the truth of this thing, and the very character of Scripture points that out. Because an epistle was written to the Corinthians, An epistle was written to the Ephesians. The condition of the assembly of Corinth was not the same as that at Ephesus. Ephesus was not far from Colossi, I believe, but it wasn't the same condition in Colossians, Ephesus. But they were members of the same body. But they were local expressions of that, and each had.
A local, responsible testimony is to that. But as members of the body of Christ, how do I give expression to that fact? It's by identifying myself with that local expression of the and I am a living member of that.
And so I don't cease to be a living member of the body of Christ. But if I'm not with the assembly, when the assembly, when the whole church comes together, I'm not giving expression to that truth.
And so this becomes a practical side of things is that I find myself when the assembly comes together, it says when the whole church become together. Are you there now? You know, I live in a city where there's two assembly plants. And I think it was helpful to me as I thought of that. I drove by there and then one, they make 1300 cars a day and they take, they assemble cars, they take parts and they assemble cars. Now cars aren't living bodies, but we can see the illustration is that they assemble parts.
And the assembly is individual members being brought together in a practical way to give expression to something.
But you drive down the road and you see a hubcap by the side of the road and you say.
Is that hubcap part of the car? Yes, it is. What is where it belongs? No.
And so.
You see somebody you know, sometimes you see parts to cars lying by the side of the road, taken off, taken out, and you say, well, they're part of the car, but they're not where they should be.
And so we see that there's a functioning thing called the assembly that we should identify ourselves with and that we're a part of. There is a living body here in the earth, and it's composed of every believer. But we see here in Scripture that there is a place at Corinth. That expression was given to that wonderful truth.
I just like to look a little bit further.
This in Second Corinthians chapter 5 in connection with our bodies because it brings in.
And I realize I'm.
Really taking up things in a rather vast way, but sometimes it helps to get a rather broad picture rather than a narrow picture of things in connection with our bodies.
Because the body has to do with sanctification. Because if we're partakers of the life and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, how do I give expression?
If I may put it that way, to the life and nature that I have, but through my body.
What comes out of my mouth?
What I do with my hands, what I do with my feet, that's how I give expression to the life and nature of what I have. And so you think perhaps this chapter may help because we're going to see what is going to happen.
00:45:15
At the resurrection.
First Second Corinthians chapter 5 For we know that if our earthly house, that is this Tabernacle, we're dissolved, we have a building, a house not made with hands eternal in the heaven.
Where we've grown earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven, If so being clothed that we shall not be found naked.
For we that are in this Tabernacle grown, being burdened, not that we should be unclothed, but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up in life.
Now he that wrought for us the self same thing as God, who have given us unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, rather willing to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.
Wherefore we labor that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him, where we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according.
To that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, and are made manifest unto God. And I trust also that are made manifest in your consciences.
And you say, well, why did you read this at this point? Because there's two points. Here is one.
Is we realize that when dyes are absent from the body and present with the Lord, we see that with the Lord Himself, we see that with the malefactor.
We see that there's a separation. Death is a separation between the body and the spirit. And we realize what we've grown to be is to have our Tabernacle, a body like the Lord's. Because one day we are going to be not just have the life and nature of the Lord, but we're going to have a body just like the Lord is a man. We're not going to have a different life and nature in heaven than we have right now. We're going to have different bodies, and that's what we've grown for. But now what we labor for is that we'd be found acceptable of Him.
And that is what we do with these bodies. That is what we do with these bodies.
And so the use that we make of these bodies.
And that is really what?
The pathway of the Christian is here is that we now we've grown with these bodies having the life and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. We wait for the day when we're going to be with him and like him in our bodies and we're going to be free from every hindrance in a practical way, but that's what sanctification is in a practical way is that we live what we are. Christianity has become a great religion in the world has become a great religion of do to get but it's a wonderful thing to realize that when.
The Lord Jesus Christ, that was the carnival. He fell and was falling into the ground and died. That he might not abide alone, but that he might bear much fruit is that he came up. And so if any man is in Christ, it is a new creation. We are, we're a new creation. We have a different life and a different nature when we're in Christ. The day that we got saved.
And what we await now is to have body just like the Lord Jesus Christ. That's going to happen.
At the resurrection, the sleeping Saints whose body are in the grave.
That are absent from the body now and present with the Lord. They're going to rise. First we get that in Thessalonians and then we which are alive and remain, we're going to be changed and we're going to be like the Lord, but in a practical way.
The Lord would have us, and that's why he says here He brings the practical exhortation into connection with this, that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And here he's Speaking of the general principle, whether saved or lost, every man is going to have a give an account of himself for what he has done in the body.
And so perhaps there's one who said I was listening to tape. Our brother Clarence London, a young man, said after gospel meeting. He came up and he said.
I've made my decision and they said we're so happy, said you don't understand, he said. I've decided to live a life of sin for a year and go to hell.
And that young man died.
He did what he said he was going to do. A very, very solemn, sad thing. That rich man who lifted up his eyes in hell, he's still in hell.
And he's in a place where he cannot give expression to his lusts and his bodily desires. He would desire to even have a drop of water put on his tongue, but he couldn't. There was no repentance with him. He couldn't. And so if there's anyone here who's not saved, it's that knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. It's an awful thing to think about. And for those of us who are believers too, we realize that there's a general principle that Paul brings in here. We must all give account of ourselves.
00:50:30
With what we do and so I realize I kind of scanned a great number of things, but.
It's in this, in this practical way that we see this, that it will help us, I believe to to walk for the Lord in this scene.
Well, I just trust the Lord would help us with these thoughts.
Could we just read?
2 verses, both of them in second Samuel.
There isn't time to develop the history of these two men, but I think the brief comments will make it clear.
Second Samuel 17 for the first one.
And verse 23.
Second Samuel 17 and verse 23.
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed.
He saddled his *** and arose and got him home to his house, to his city.
And put his household in order. And hanged himself. And died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
We might well question why a hefty fell came to this end.
We don't have time to refer to the verses, but if you look back, you find out that the council of Ahithophel, because he was David's counselor.
Was as if one had inquired at the oracles of God.
And yet when Absalom came along and wanted to usurp the throne from David.
We find that it seems to be a very simple matter for Absalom to send for a HIPAA fell from his city and a HIPAA fell, it seems, was ready and waiting to be called upon and he comes to Absalom.
And he gives them counsel about how to deal with the situation.
And it obviously was good counsel.
And the HIPAA fell was so forward.
That at the beginning of this 17th chapter, he wants to take an army and lead it in person.
And.
Go and get David and kill him and bring all Israel under Absalom's control.
Why?
Why you say? What got into a heterophile to want to do that?
But if you read the history carefully, you find there's a very solemn and it seems on the human level, a good reason for it.
He was the grandfather of Bathsheba.
And he was likely one of the few that knew the inside story. And you can only imagine if I may use those words without going beyond scripture.
The anger.
The betrayal.
The emotions that must have welled up in his soul.
What happened? Did he have a righteous reason to be angry? Indeed he did. Did he have a righteous reason to feel that David had forfeited every right to sit on the throne of Israel? Humanly speaking, he did.
But he didn't have the mind of God.
And so God orders a Hushai to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel. And when Ahithophel sees that his counsel isn't followed, he knows very well that it's all going to fail as far as Absalom is concerned.
And he goes and hangs himself, and a man whose counsel was that of the oracles of God.
Is lost.
00:55:01
Now turn over to the 23rd chapter of Second Samuel.
And the catalog of David's mighty men.
Give me a moment here to.
Find the verse.
See it here right away. Just a moment.
Yes, the 34th verse.
The last clause of the verse.
Helium, the son of Ahithophel Gilani.
Here is an even closer relationship.
He was the father of Bathsheba.
He likewise must have known the inside story about what went on.
Can you imagine the thoughts and feelings of him as a father?
When he saw what David had done and probably was one of the few that knew what happened.
But he's found in the catalogue of David's mighty man Why? Oh, because may I suggest that his thoughts and feelings rose beyond.
That personal difficulty in his family, that awful crime that had been committed by God's rightful King and his beautiful daughter and his son-in-law, the objects of it all.
And the cover up?
The killing of Uriah the Hittite. He must have known all about it.
But he's found in the catalogue of David's mighty men.
And you say, Bill, why are you reading all that?
I just say this that in these last days.
You and I may see things that are wrong.
And we may be perhaps justly upset about them.
But I've asked my own soul how am I going to react?
Am I going to react like an Ahithophel or am I going to react like an Elyse?
Ahithophel seemed to have every good reason from the human side to say what he said and to do what he did.
But did God have the situation in control?
A Hefa Fell's vision was like what Brother Bob said this morning.
He had a narrow vision of something that affected his own soul and his own family, no doubt so severely that he could see only one way to deal with it, not realizing that God had the whole situation under control and was going to look after it. As far as David was concerned, was there a government of God? Indeed there was. Was God going to look after it? Indeed he was.
But it wasn't God's mind that David be removed from the throne.
And so I hit the fellow, missed a chance, missed an opportunity.
But otherwise could have been his to continue in David's service and to be found faithful to the end.
But Helium, it seems, didn't fall into that same trap, although he perhaps had an even closer.
Relationship and even more perhaps, reason to.
Be thoroughly devastated by what had happened. And perhaps he was.
But it seems that he reacts in the right way, and he's found here, listed at the end.
Of those that were faithful to David.
Again, I challenge my own heart more than any other. As I challenge each one of us. How do we react to the serious problems and difficulties that the Lord may allow? Do I react like in a HIPAA or do I react like an alien?
LV98 And here thy heaven, their voice.
01:00:01
Present grace well may our hearts rejoice.
270.
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The Gift

Children—D. Macy
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.
On which side are you?
One door and only one and.
Harmonious side? On which side are you?
Good, yeah, what would you 40? Good. That's always a favorite, isn't it? Jesus loves me #40.
Jesus loves me, the signal with all unto him belongs. They are waiting for He is wrong.
Young in God's faith.
Yeah, she lost me.
Help me so.
Lord, may he hold on.
To.
Why he will walk away my sins.
Like a little joyful children.
Yeah, she does love me.
Yeah, because was great. The Bible tells me so.
She does love me all I want to make me.
Was way to hold me in the thorn peacefully, safe from every harm.
Your Jesus love me, yeah.
Jesus taught me.
Yes.
I tell me so.
Lost me, lost me.
When I'm burying.
Me, where I lie.
Young people love me.
Yeah, Jesus love me.
Yeah, she goes love me.
The Bible tells me so.
He will say.
Hold behind me all the way.
If I trust him, should I?
He will Take Me Home on high.
Yes, please go for it.
Yeah, she's also lost me.
Yes, she's gone closely.
The Bible tells me so.
Good, we need somebody from over this side. Who's got a favorite You going? What would you like? 41 The next song down #41.
Around the throne of God in heaven will many children.
Are all for him. We'll have the spring singing glory.
Glory.
Glory.
On morning.
00:05:02
In joining.
Everlasting life and joy.
That never.
Faith singing glory.
Glory.
Glory.
What brings them to the world of peace and joy and lost? How come those children?
They're singing glory.
Glory, glory.
Big.
Most precious put me all them wise, and please sing.
Glory.
Glory.
Glory, glory.
We'll take one or two more. What would you like?
42 good #42.
A little child, or seven, or even 3 or 4.
May enter into.
Heaven through Christ they talk and or.
When the heart fails, leave us.
On price of North.
God.
Receive.
A salvation.
From this one.
Michael.
44 Another favorite, isn't it gypsy boy #44?
And so what's and where are gifts? The boy lay dying alone at the close of the day.
Here's all salvation we carry that he nobody.
Ever has sold it to me.
So it's all good.
Solid organ.
Salvation story raising.
All the children of men.
Nobody ever has told me before.
This is all of me, all for less, old boy.
Stand on to me all good, fighting for joy.
I don't care if my hand will behold.
Nobody.
Ever lost story, households?
Power Morgan.
Salvation. Salvation story.
Children of men.
Nobody.
Of her household, maybe for.
That thing we thought all last words of his breath.
00:10:05
God does. He answers all the Ali altars.
Then I am sure that he sent him for me.
Salvation.
Story.
Before a Lord.
Till I can say all the children of men.
Nobody.
Ever has told me before.
I think we better stop boys and girls, and let's pray before we go any further. Let's talk to the Lord Jesus.
Our God and our Father, we thank Thee for this beautiful Lord's Day morning.
Now, I think a lot of you have been working hard all week to learn a memory verse, a verse from the Bible. Have you? I'm wondering if anybody wants the chance to say it this morning.
Eric, go ahead.
Let's start with I.
I give.
Unto them.
Eternal, Eternal.
Life.
And.
I'll never.
Neither shall.
Any man?
Leadership.
My.
10.
28 Good. Now maybe if you didn't learn that verse, you learn another one so you can say whatever verse you learn. Who else would like a chance? Go ahead.
Did you learn the same one that he did? I give unto them.
Neither shall any man.
What then?
Good, John 1028, right? Who else? Curtis, Go ahead.
Good, thank you. Different verse. Proverbs 1625.
Go ahead.
Good. Thank you.
Yes, go ahead.
Thank you. Good. How about any more girls? Go ahead, Jessica.
And they shall.
Good.
Who else would like to try Lydia?
Good, Stephanie, did you want you to?
Very good.
00:15:01
Anybody else want a chance?
You want to give it a try? Go ahead.
Very good. Thank you.
You know, we don't have time to go all the way around the room and maybe some of you are kind of like, I was probably at your agent, just a little shy too, so that's OK. We got a good sampling of people saying the verse and I want to talk about the 1St 2 words of the verse that most of you said. What were the 1St 2 words? What were they? I give, I give. How many of you kids have gotten presents, have gotten gifts? You ever gotten a present?
Who did you get a present from? Who gave you a present?
Who did you get a present from?
Your relatives. Who are your relatives?
Uncle and Aunt. OK, Who else? Who did? Who did you get a present from? Grandpa. How about you, Grandma?
Couple important people haven't even been mentioned yet, have they? Who did you get presents from?
Dad and mom, right? They like to give. Dads like to give and moms like to give. And grandpas and grandmas like to give. Aunts and uncles, friends give. And in our verse it says somebody else likes to give. Who's that?
Yes, God, who are you going to say, Joanna?
Jesus gives.
So I want to tell you a story and talk about a story from the word of God. I wonder how many of you kids were?
Listening last night when we heard about a man who walked.
For 30 miles in one day.
Did you hear about him?
Who was it that walked for 30 miles in one day?
Curtis.
Jesus, he walked 30 miles in one day. The story I'm going to tell you about He walked. It was a different day.
But when I looked at the map, it looked like it was maybe 30 or more miles that he walked this other day, this story I'm going to tell you about.
And 30 miles, I don't know if we know what that is.
You know how many of you are staying in the motel?
You came from the motel this morning? I did too, and I wanted to make sure. So I checked on my little meter in my car and said, how far is it from the hotel to here? Do you think it's 30 miles?
No. You know how many it is? How many is this?
6 miles. So 30 miles is like going to a hotel from here 5 times.
How many of us walked here this morning? Anybody walked six miles this morning? No, we hop in our cars and we just quick speed down the highway and here we are.
Well, what do you think it felt like for the Lord Jesus to walk? Not 6 miles or 7:00 or 8:00, but 30 or 40? I don't know how many it was.
How do you think he felt when he got to this place he stopped at? It really wasn't where he was going. He was going even farther N but but he stopped at a certain spot. How do you think he felt? What do you think he felt like after walking all those miles?
Tired. I do too. I think he was tired. Well, you know, I don't think they had, you know, a nice wooden floor like this one, or pavement like we have outside.
Or even nice walking shoes, or, you know, they have nice shoes these days that make it comfortable to hike and walk. You think that's what he had? Oh, I think you wore sandals. And I don't think the roads were paved, so they were dusty, dirty. How do you think Jesus felt when he got done, when he stopped at this one spot? He's tired.
I don't know, it doesn't say, but I picture it being really hot. And when you get hot, you do what?
00:20:04
You sweat. And if you're walking on a dirt road and you're sweating, oh, and you wipe it off and it's all dirty and you feel greasy and oh.
Ah, he sits down.
Who knows what story I'm talking about? Where does Jesus sit down to rest?
Near the well? What's the well?
What is it?
Place where you get water is that what you were going to say is that we go to a well for yeah we go to our kitchen sink don't we? And just turn on the the tap or the faucet or whatever we call it and outcomes water. But in their day they had these things called wells that was a hole that was dug or drilled in the ground and and way way, way down there is what.
Water. Can you just swap down and scoop some up like that and get water real quick?
How come?
Got to have a bucket.
You think our our traveler, our man that's traveling does have a bucket with him, so he's sitting by the.
He's sitting by the well and way, way, way down. There is water, but I don't think this one.
Had a bucket tell you why in a minute.
Way down there is water, but this poor man's tired.
And he's maybe dusty. He's also something else we didn't say.
What do you think?
What might you want water for after 30 miles of walking? What would you like it for?
To drink. You're thirsty, right? Yeah, I'd be thirsty after six miles and he's gone 30 or 40. But here he sits and way down there is the water. But.
How can you get it? Here comes somebody.
Here comes somebody walking. He sees somebody walking towards him. It's a woman. And look, she's got a They call it a water pot. We'll call it a bucket.
She's got what we need, right?
So here she comes, she walks up, she's got what she needs to get the water out of the well.
Is she going to give him a drink?
You know what? She stands off a little ways and she, I don't know if she had her bucket on her head or if she was holding it in her arms, but she keeps holding it.
And she looks at that man, and she says to him.
I'm not supposed to talk to you and you're not supposed to talk to me. You're a Jew and I'm a what?
Not quite. What was the word?
No, not quite a Gentile. She was a Samaritan.
But she says, you know, Jews and Samaritans, we don't have anything to do with each other. And so she stands there. She holds her bucket. He's.
Tired and thirsty and he's not getting a drink. You know what? He's a stranger to her.
He's a stranger.
She doesn't know him. Is there anybody here that doesn't know Jesus? Is he still a stranger to you?
We just sang that song that said there was a boy who had never heard about the Lord Jesus.
I wonder if you like this woman?
Here's Jesus the Lord.
But he's a stranger to her and she stands off with her bucket and she's not going to let it down and give him any drink.
Oh, how sad. Is there anybody like that here this morning? I hope not. Boys and girls, that's what we're here for.
We don't want you to be a stranger to Jesus like this woman was. You know what? As they talk.
Jesus talks to this woman and they have some questions and some answers back and forth between them, and we find out something else about this woman.
She's a Sinner.
She's a Sinner.
Is there anybody else here with that problem?
You know, I'll tell you I had that problem.
I'm a Sinner. Is there anybody else here like that?
Susanna, yeah.
Who can tell me the verse from the Bible that would tell us that everyone of our hands has to be up?
When I say, is there anybody that has the thin problem? What's the verse? There is no difference.
For what? Who can finish that verse? What would you?
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God all.
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Does that leave anybody out, Kyle?
No, all have sinned. You know, there's another verse. You've got to help me finish this one.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and then it says the wages of.
Sin is what?
Death, good wages of sin, is death. Now here's another one.
It's appointed. It's appointed to everyone. Every man, every boy, every girl, every woman.
Wants to die, to die once.
No second chance. You don't get to try it over, God says once.
To die and then after that what?
Judgment. Oh, this is getting worse, isn't it?
All have sinned. That woman standing there, she eventually as she talks to the Lord Jesus, she has to admit she's a Sinner.
But everyone of us, we're in the same situation. We're in the same way, aren't we? All have sinned, and God says sin leads to death. Oh, do boys and girls die? That's just for older people, isn't it? Is it? No, boys and girls die, don't they?
You know, I have a little niece who's with the Lord Jesus. She was four years old when she died. Now I think probably most or all of you are at least four or more, aren't you? So do children have to be ready to die? Yes, we do, don't we? Big people do too.
All have sinned, and the result of sin is death.
You know this woman standing there holding her bucket, not going to give any water. She's a Sinner and she's going.
Her life is leading towards death and after death, judgment. And where's judgment?
Where do sinners go for judgment?
Hell, we don't like to talk about that. Where do we boys and girls? But we've got to think about it.
God says that's the result of sin.
But now I want you to think of another memory verse that has that word. All we said, all have sinned.
All have sinned. Now I want you to finish another verse for me that has all in it and starts out the blood.
The Blood of.
Jesus, can you finish the verse for me? The blood of Jesus.
Christ.
What's next, Jessica?
The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, God's Son, cleanseth us from how many sins?
Oh, isn't that wonderful? Here's a Sinner standing before the Lord Jesus and he's got a gift for her, member of her said. I give, the Lord Jesus wants to give.
What's his gift? All he says the Bible says the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. How about this verse?
God so loved the world that what?
He gave, There it is again, right? He gave His only begotten Son.
That what else, Bethany?
Whosoever.
There's that word perish again too from our verse, isn't it? God gave the Lord. Jesus was here to give a gift to this woman, a gift she could never pay for, never earn.
But something she really needed very badly. She needed the forgiveness of her sins.
And there was the man who could give it to her. And that man is the one we talked about today that can give you.
The forgiveness of your sins, wash them clean so that when God looks at you, he says.
You're ready to come to heaven. You don't go to hell. Your sins are cleansed, they're washed. They're gone.
Isn't that wonderful gift from the Lord Jesus? He says, I give, I give that gift. And that woman, as she talked to the Lord Jesus, something was going on in her heart. First she has to acknowledge, she has to say to the Lord Jesus, I'm a Sinner. But.
When she does that, why there's a wonderful thing happens in her heart.
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And the Lord Jesus says, I'm here to give you the gift of eternal life.
She goes back to the town where she came from and she says come, come, come see this man.
That's what we want to say to you this morning. We don't. The Lord Jesus isn't a man standing here this morning, but I want you to think about him, not me.
But him look to the Lord Jesus, he's the one with open arms that's saying come to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. This woman went back and said come see this man, isn't he the Christ? Later on the people say some other people say yes, he's the Christ, he's the Savior of the world.
Is he your savior?
Have you received His gift? The gift of God is eternal life.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord God doesn't have any other way for us to get those sins cleansed.
But you come to Jesus.
And he'll wash the mall. The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sins.
And he says, here's my gift for you.
How much does a gift cost you?
Sorry, I don't have any gifts here this morning to give you, but if I had a package all nicely wrapped up and I said here this is for you, how much money am I looking for you to give me so that I give you that gift?
None, right? A gift is free, isn't it? Isn't that wonderful that the Lord Jesus says I give, I give. He's not looking for money. Does that mean this gift is cheap or didn't cost anything?
What about an elephant?
It was very expensive, wasn't it?
The gift for Jesus to be able to offer to you.
To say boys, girls come.
I want to wash your sins clean. Why? You know what he had to do to pay for it? What was it?
He had to suffer on Calvary's cross. That's exactly right. He had to hang up there and be punished by God. God took every one of my sins and laid them on the Lord Jesus.
And said I'm going to punish Jesus.
Just as though he had done everyone of them sins, every lie, every cheating, every stealing, everything that I ever did, all the thoughts, every one of them went on to Jesus as he hung on the cross.
And God punished him instead of Maine. That's how God can come to me and say, here's my gift. Jesus paid for it instead of you.
Are you going to turn away and say no thanks?
Another time I'll think about it when I'm older.
Is that what you do with a gift?
Who here has ever had a gift sitting on the table at home and it's all nicely wrapped and comes time maybe after supper sometime and it's dad and mom say OK, it's time to open that present and it's got your name written right on. You know it's for you.
Who's ever said, ah, I want to go out and play?
No thanks.
Have you ever done that, Curtis, to a gift from your dad and mom or from anybody? We don't usually do that, do we? We can't wait to rip it open and get in there and find out what it is, right?
And yet here is the most expensive, the best gift of all that anybody could ever give us. It's not a big package wrapped up with pretty paper and bows and all that on it, but it's the gift of God. God himself from heaven is wants to give you a gift.
And is anybody here turning his back to it and saying no thanks?
Now I'm not interested.
You know what, there's nobody here that would be so bold, I don't think to just openly come up and say that. But in your heart, boys and girls, have you received Jesus as your Savior and said yes to him, Said yes. Lord Jesus, I am a Sinner. I need to be saved.
And I can't come any other way. It has to be through the Lord Jesus. What is the Lord Jesus saying? No man, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me, Jesus said. And that's the gift he wants to give you. Now before I close, I want to talk about two other words.
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In this story.
Where the Lord Jesus said to the woman, if you knew the gift of God, if you knew the gift of God, you'd ask of me, I want to give it to you. You see, God's a giver and he was right there. Jesus is God, isn't he? And he was right there to give his gift to that woman and she got it. She received it. By the end of the story, she's a saved person. You don't look at that woman anymore and say.
There that that woman, she's a Sinner. No, she's saved. She's telling others come see this man and then the Lord Jesus earlier on in the story, but I want to use it right now, 2 words that the Lord Jesus says, he says to her, give me, give me. He said in our memory verse, I give and he wants to give to us boys and girls. But now I want to turn it around and say if you have taken the Lord Jesus and said I want that gift.
Yes, Lord Jesus, please be my savior. I need to be saved for my sins and now you say he's my savior. You know what he says to us? This is all of us big people and little kids too. He says give me a drink.
Tell me, did the Lord Jesus ever get any water out of that well?
I don't know that it tells us that that day he ever got a drink of water.
But you know, he got something far, far better. He got something that the thirst of his own heart was looking for. You know what that is? A Sinner that gets saved, a boy, a girl that says yes, Lord Jesus, I want you to be my Savior.
And tell me when you get that gift.
You know that nice box that's all wrapped up on the table and it's time to open it?
What are some of the first words that you sometimes say when you get a gift?
Christine.
Thank you.
Sometimes we say, wow, just what I wanted right when we rip into the paper and get out whatever it is and we see what it is and we're just so excited. But somewhere along the way, it's a good idea. It's a good habit, isn't it? To be in and and as we get older, even nice before you ever get into the box, when the person gives it to you to say what? Thank you, thank you boys and girls. God has given us the best gift he ever could give.
Have you said thank you to him?
Yet this morning.
Have we in our hearts said thank you to God? He says, give me a drink.
He's looking for us to respond. You know, it says we had the verse quoted to us or read yesterday.
In Hebrews 13 it says by Him. Therefore let us offer.
The sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips. Giving what?
Who remembers that verse? Maybe I got to go to one of the older ones. Anybody. Do you remember giving giving thanks? Thank you. Giving thanks to his name. That verse has a lot of big words for little kids, but those two giving thanks are wonderful.
Are wonderful words for us to remember. Let's give thanks. That's how we can give a drink of water. Not not a glass of water, but something that refreshes, gives enjoyment.
To the Lord Jesus heart, when a boy, a girl, anyone of us says thank you to God. Thank you to the Lord Jesus because he died for us and gave us that wonderful gift of eternal life. Let's pray.
Our God and our Father, once more we want to give thanks.
For.
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Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah

Address—S. Jacobsen
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.
A sort of a survey of what to expect. My subject has three parts and so I would like us to sing 3 hymns, one at the beginning, one at the ending and one towards the middle.
And I hope that each hymn brings out the exercise that I have in connection with the portion. The first hymn that we're just seeing is #336.
Behold, what wondrous love and grace when we were wretched and undone to save a ruined, helpless race, the Father gave his only son of twice 10,000 gifts. Divine. No gift like this could ever shine. Someone please start 336.
Look to the Lord, to God for His blessing, our God and Father. We thank you for the opportunity. Let's turn for the the focus of of the meeting to the 36th chapter of Jeremiah and we'll read from verses 22 Through 25.
And while we're turning.
In the 25th verse there are three people's names mentioned that the Spirit of God has put them in a certain order because of what their names mean, not only because of the circumstances of the particular moment, which are very, very significant and serious. So it's Jeremiah 36 and verse 22. Now the king sat in the winter house in the ninth month, and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.
And it came to pass that when Yehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the heart. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king nor any of his servants that heard all these words.
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Nevertheless, L Nathan and Delia and Gemmaria had made intercession to the king, that he would not burn the role, but he would not hear them. Certainly a subject is involved in connection with El Nathan. We heard of him before in the book of Jeremiah, and there's a subject in connection with the king. But let's concentrate for the moment, for the afternoon, in connection with the meaning of these three names.
And will give the meaning of the three names. And then we're going to go into portions of scripture that illustrate for us the application of what their names mean. And Nathan means God is a giver.
And Delia means drawn or made free.
And Gemariah means completed and if for some reason we had to disband it.
In 30 seconds you could understand, and I could understand that it's the whole pathway of the believer. God is a giver and what he has given, drawn or made free and completed. And so let's look. I have written out and I'm sure that there are many more, but I'll just read some of the things that God has given us. And then let's turn to the New Testament.
For a specific scripture he has given us the Son of God. God thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
He's given us faith. He's given us sins, forgiven, eternal life, inheritance, sonship, children, the relationship of children, assurances, earnest of the spirit, peace of conscience. And we could go on. And if we desired to, which would be the desire of my heart is like with children, you know, go down the line, what's one that for you? What's 1 for you? And every one of us could have something different, that we know that God is a giver.
Now I've chosen 2 portions in the New Testament. Let's turn to them the second chapter of Ephesians.
As illustrative, certainly not inclusive or exclusive.
But illustrating.
The depths of what God has given us. So let's read from the first verse and if we make very little comment. I've tried to I put my watch out trying to watch the time. And so we proportioned the three parts properly, Ephesians 2 and verse one. And you who were dead in trespasses and sins, were in time past. You walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
The Gentile, among whom also we all had our conversation, the Jew in times past, and the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. And we're by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy for His great love, wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins, have quickened us together with Christ. By grace you're saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together.
In heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace.
In his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved.
Through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of work, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them.
Let's turn to Romans 8, and there according to the particular perspective of Romans, let's turn to the 14th verse. And there will be led into other aspects of what God, as a giver God has given us.
Romans 8 and verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God.
They are the sons of God. So we found in the second chapter of Ephesians that we've been given the gift of faith. We've been given that we're seated in heavily places. And here it doesn't. The verse that we read doesn't explicitly say that we've been given the Spirit, but it's obvious for as many as are led by the spirit of God. They're the children of God. They're the sons of God. Marvelous relationship, marvelous grace. We think of that verse in Luke. The Lord said I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straightened until it be accomplished?
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And to think of the floodgates of God's heart of love and grace for this dispensation that's been told out. We're we're not only children, sons, but we're members of the body of Christ. The spirit of God dwells within. You know what a rich.
Portion that we have is children of God. For you have not received the spirit of ******* again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption.
Whereby we cry ABBA Father, the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Now I want to read to the end of the sum and the end of the chapter with just a little bit of an ad Lib. Back in 1961 we were asked by Mr. Willis.
To go see Mrs. Lemel in the city of Seattle in a rest home. He wanted permission to use her hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. And so we found her in this rest home. She was blind at the time and I'll never forget her quoting these verses.
From verse 37 on my memory, of course, Nay, and all these things we are a more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things that come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. At that time we had been speaking to her about the Lord's coming.
She couldn't see me, but she could tell where my voice was coming from. And she said like this. From the scriptures you have quoted and the things you've said, I know you believe in the Lords coming. This was 40 years ago, she said. Do you believe he could come now?
There was number use, getting a sanctimonious expression on my face which expressed an agreement. It had to come from the heart.
And I said, by God's grace, I do.
What a sister. She told us a story of some missionaries. We're going into a head hunting tribe and they were very concerned because of their tendency.
And they heard some noise.
And pretty soon, as they got closer, the natives that was with them said we can relax.
Someone has gotten in ahead of us.
And they're saved and they're singing. Turn your eyes.
Upon Jesus. And you know, whether it's in salvation, which is not this afternoon, or for us as believers, what an expression. Turn your eyes upon Jesus to think of of God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, and it's The Gazette upon him that transfixes my heart and yours. Well, we better go on.
And so let's sing #166.
As an overture to what we have in connection with Delia.
And that is in connection with the fourth word in the first verse of 166. It says, Lord, thou hast drawn us after thee. And in connection with the comments that are going to be made, I'm going to combine drawn and made free. And I believe that if we look in Scripture properly, we're going to see that if the Lord is making us free from something, it's that He's drawn us closer.
To himself. So let's sing #166.
Let's turn to First Samuel 23 and verse 16 for an example of someone.
Who needed?
To be made free.
And there may be someone here this afternoon.
That needs to be made free from the same hindrance as it was for Jonathan. It may be the hindrance in your life, and it may not.
I'll prelude what I have to say about Jonathan, which is the story of First Samuel 2316, with this thought.
There may be things that you need to be drawn or made free from.
That are of a different character. It may not be your father's house. It may be that you want to be free from your father's house because of the restrictions that you conceive are being imposed upon you.
And all I can say in that subject is simply this.
That if you have turned your eyes upon Jesus, you will find him the satisfying portion of your heart.
And you won't want a wider path.
The path of Christianity is exactly explicitly.
What the Lord told blind Bartimaeus as soon as he was healed, the Lord said, Go thy way. And what did he do?
Followed Jesus in the way. Beautiful. You talk about restrictions. You talk about a wider path than maybe what the assembly allows is what the word of God allows and parents. But you know, if you have our eyes upon Jesus and we recognize that we've heard he's opened our blind eyes to give us salvation and then we understand that he has said to the blind man go thy way, that's perfect divine liberty.
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To do as I please, but the point is.
I now please to please Him. And so I, by His grace, you and I hear the words of the Lord. We understand that it's divine, perfect liberty, liberty of the kind we have never heard before. Because now the Lord is telling you and me go thy way. That's what we've always wanted. Before we were saved, but now it's a different way.
We follow Jesus.
In the way now, Samuel?
And Jonathan?
First Samuel 23 verse 16 and Jonathan Saul's son arose and went to David into the wood and strengthened his hand in God.
This is a man of faith, you'll say. What's the wrong man? I thought you'd talk about somebody that was That was.
Failing, and needed to be drawn or made free. Well, let's, let's wait and strengthen his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not for the hand of Saul, my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel.
I hesitate to even read what in my Bible is the next line, and I shall be next unto thee. And that also saw my father knoweth, and they too made a covenant before the Lord, and David abode in the wood.
And Jonathan went to his house. No lack of affection, no lack of discernment of the ways of God with respect to David.
But there seems to be a utter lack of perception as to the significance of Jonathan's alliance, not with David, but with his father's house. Now there are times when our hearts are entertained, are entertained thoughts of the Blessed Lord and and we we thank him for dying for us on the cross.
But there seems to be sometimes those hidden things that are hindrances. See, this is a progression given of God. And so we've established that God has given us salvation. He's given us a new nature, the Spirit of God, inheritance, the coming glory. But we're in the wilderness and He's leading us along. He's drawing us.
And we find in connection with Jonathan, he perceived properly.
That David was going to be king, not Saul, somehow was going to be set aside.
It doesn't appear that Jonathan delineates that and he wanted to be next to David.
One of David's mighty men.
Wouldn't have been beautiful.
He needed to be made free. He needed to be drawn. And we need to be drawn in our experiences and our desires, away from something. I may have you, I may have a desire for.
A host of different things that are hindrances. We could have taken up Romans 7.
And there. And I don't like the word to be applied to Scripture, but it's the classical it's the typical. It's the the epitome of ******* and it's so full of eye and lack of liberty. And the liberty doesn't come until the end of the chapter, thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and whatever you may be under ******* about, whatever I may be under ******* about.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Jonathan.
Went to battle against the Philistines and I don't know why they were so far north and east.
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And David was, through the Providence of God, kept from being anywhere near him near that battle, because Ziglag was sort of down in the southwestern part and he and there was something that happened down there but through the Providence of God that took David miles away. So that he was never he was far removed from what he wanted to do, was to go do battle against his own people.
God preserved him ziglag way down here Mount Gilboa way up there. God in his marvelous Providence and and he's the it's the same with you and with me that there may be circumstances in our lives that we're we're treading wrongly and he he he brings in Providence but you know Jonathan didn't wasn't next unto David he died.
And David's lament in second Samuel the first chapter.
Seems to emphasize that.
That Saul and Jonathan.
Were not separate. They never separated, even in death. And I wonder if that wasn't the lament of David's heart, that.
He had affection for David, and you as a believer may have affection for the Lord Jesus. If you are the Lord, you do have affection, But there may be something hidden away. That's a hindrance, A hindrance, A hindrance. And God wants you to be drawn, made free from that and that. Delia, I don't know about his life personally, but I do know that his name means drawn or made free.
And so let's turn to John 8. Find the Lorde words.
And it doesn't necessarily mean that we have a red letter edition Bible because it's all divine. It's all inspired. But in John 8 and verse 3132 and then on to verse 36 we find.
The divine source of being made free then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him.
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed?
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you.
Free. Free. Ever taken a long hike? Depending upon your age, your weight, the weight of the fact is appropriate. 2530, five, 45 lbs. And then when you get to camp that night, you take it off and the weight is lifted. You know, made free, made free. And the freedom that God intends for his children is one that leads in the paths of righteousness.
For his name's sake, free and now verse.
36 If the sun therefore shall make you free.
Ye shall be free indeed.
The believer.
Isolated in thought from what the world has to say, the flesh in its tendencies and the power of the Spirit knows.
That he has the best portion here and the best portion to come. He knows that. He's assured of it.
And then our guard is let down in the world and the flesh, and Satan come in, and we're deluded into thinking that there is something that God has given in, that there is out there that God hasn't seemed to give to us. That's going to enhance my joy, my privileges, my happiness, my freedom. Now let's be sure that we understand that God has given us richly, all things to enjoy.
I enjoy watching the moon and coming up into full moon. I watch the calendar. That's the day I missed it because of the of the clouds and and a sunset. Beautiful. Beautiful. The sunsets were particularly beautiful after the explosion of Mount Saint Helens. They've been beautiful at other times when they're extra dust in the air, because that's the way it works.
00:30:10
So we enjoy God's creation. We're thankful for it. It's a part of what God has given us in balance. Because we're spirit, soul and body. We're not all spirit, we're not all soul, we're not all body. But remember in Thessalonians it says.
Very specific, definite article before each one of them. They're not an influence, they're a specific part of what God has given us. It's the spirit, the soul, the body, and we're to be preserved blameless. When all three are synchronized, we're not, we're not exercising at the health club to the exclusion of soul, to the exclusion of reading the word.
We're not reading the word to the exclusion of the enjoyment of the sunset.
Or taking a walk to our health. The combination of those 3.
And so we have.
Liberty were made free. That's what God wants us to do, and to have as a believer assurance of salvation, seated in heavenly places. But the enjoyment of those things depends upon the possibility that in our hearts, in our lives, that we are allowance of things that are.
A hindrance now without singing the third hymn which will sing at the end, let's go on to our third subject and the third subject is completed.
There's not a one of us that should ever think that while we're here in this world that God's purposes respecting our hearts is completed.
We're going to progress in connection with that and then have a hymn.
That, I trust, is helpful in connection with it, but let's turn to the second chapter of Philippians.
And there we find.
After that wonderful portion that so often read in the breaking of bread. But now let's read from the next verse after that, which is verse 12. This is Philippians, the second chapter and verse 12. And in these two verses is the perspective.
Of what? There is a work of God in the heart, not to convince of sin, that's in connection with salvation, But let's read it. Philippians 2 and verse 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, workout your own salvation with fear and trembling for this God, which worketh in you both the will and to do of his good pleasure.
Brethren that lived in the Bay Area of the United States recount that during the Second World War they were given a portion of land, a little plot in in the famous part, one of the famous parks. They could dig up the sod. They had to dig up the sod. They could plant their carrots, they could plant this. It was a victory garden. And so they were given a little plot and so some paid no attention to it and the weeds came up. And that's the way of our lives.
Does it affect salvation? No. We've established that That's a giver, God that has given us the gift of faith. But now it's in connection with what God is working in us, both the will and the dew of his good pleasure. And there's we need to see that it's not completed yet. Oh, I thought my salvation was.
All atoned for all? Indeed it is. But there's an aspect of salvation.
That has to do, and we find it in Romans in connection with the final deliverance. But I believe there's something more.
Here and let's turn back to Romans 8, verses 28 and 29.
And we often quote verse 28, but I believe that verse 29 is a very needed extension.
If you will to verse 28. So let's read both of them verses Romans 8, verse 28 and 29.
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And we know in somewhat opposition of not knowing how to pray, but we do know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose.
What's his purpose? Well, I have lack of patience and and I lost my job and and and I I know that God will lead me to something different and better and and I need to just trust him. That's true. Not setting that aside but what does the next verse say?
For whom he did? For no, he also did predestinate. Here it is. Here it is to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among.
Many brethren.
I may not acknowledge it, and if you come to me at a given time, especially when I'm down, and remind me of it, I might say.
Go away. This isn't the time for you to tell me that, because I'm not seeing what I'm going to say.
Every circumstance that God allows in your life and mine, in my life and yours.
Is for only one purpose.
Some of us have been to Mount Rushmore and there are two significant things there. Three one is that realize that that was just rock before.
And there was a man that had the ability to design and to execute.
That every time they hammered away and let loose some rock that is still lying at the bottom, he had an image in mind. And when?
God strikes his blow.
On you and me.
He has a divine plan.
And he's a divine architect.
And he's a divine executioner and every blow.
Is handled in a divine way, so that no more is done than to get rid of what hinders the image of his son in your life and mine.
It's a known fact that in the milling of of ore.
That the real ore is connected with a lot of what they call gang.
And it's a very expensive process to put it into what is commonly called a rod mill or a ball mill, Rods, long balls, balls. And so the metallurgist takes a sample and he looks at it under the microscope, and he says this particular charge doesn't need any more grinding. And they say, oh, we're so thankful It's expensive. It takes a lot of energy. But another load comes in and he says, no, we're only half through.
Brethren.
And I want this to be said in reverence.
The Divine Metallurgist never allows in your life or mine.
Anymore grinding than is necessary to separate out the gang from that which is precious.
See, he has a purpose in mind in your life and mine, and it's to be conformed to the image of his son. Before we sing our last hymn, let's turn to 1St John, the third chapter. And I think it's the second verse.
I'm not trying to make inspired, Mr. Mrs. Lemos him, but turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full and his wonderful face see.
Well, let's read first John 3 verse 2.
Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, For we shall see him as he is every view that the Spirit of God has given you and me during our lifetime and separated out the gang. Remove some of the rock, so that there's more of the image of his Son.
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Every view that we have had of his Son and God's purpose was that we would be conformed to the image of his Son.
Is going to be completed and that's Gemariah completed when we're.
Taken up and the first look.
That we're going to have of the Blessed Lord is going to complete the work His Spirit started in this world.
Let's sing #18 in the appendix. And is it so? I shall be like thy son? Is this the grace?
Which he for me has won start number excuse me #18 in the appendix.
I shall be like thy soul.
Forever in the ground oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
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El Nathan.
God is a giver, Delia drawn, made free.
Gemariah Completed. Completed.
Doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be.
Like him?
We shall see him.
As he is completed all the purposes of God.
Concerning his children that the Spirit of God started.
Here in this weary world will be completed with that look.
Upon his face as he is.
Our God and Father, we thank Thee for being a giver God.
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Broken Vessels

Address—R. Thonney
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.
Like to start this afternoon with a few verses at the end of Marks Gospel Mark chapter 16.
Beginning with verse 9.
Now, when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
Out of whom he had cast 7 devils.
She went and told them that had been with him as they mourned and wept.
And they, when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen at her, believed not.
After that he appeared in another form, and to two of them as they walked and went into the country, and they went and told it unto the residue. Neither believe they them.
Afterward he appeared unto the 11 as they sat at me, and upbraided them.
With their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not him which had seen him after he was risen.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.
Verse 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them.
He was received up into heaven and sat on the right end of God, and they went forth and preached everywhere.
The Lord working with them and confirming the Word with signs following.
Amen.
I just enjoy this portion so much, brethren, because here in Mark's Gospel we have the Lord Jesus presented as the perfect servant.
And hereafter his resurrection, he meets with one and another.
Interchanging with them, interacting with them according to their varied needs.
And then in verse 19, it's as if he walks right into the glory of God and sits down at the right hand of God.
I must confess, brethren, I don't believe the truth.
Of the present at God's right hand. Of a real living man of flesh and bones, Has laid hold of our heart like it ought to.
He continues to work. Notice Verse.
20 says they went forth and preached everywhere, but then it says the Lord working with them, and it's beautiful to see the Lord working in this world.
The privilege that I value very highly as I move around a bit, brethren, to see real evidences of the Lord working. He uses different instruments.
And to get to know some of those instruments and to know how God has worked in their lives to make them instruments of His blessing as a tremendous privilege to get to know some of those dear people that God is using in a marked way. And I know that everyone here in this room, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, have a desire in your place to serve the Lord.
Let's never get the idea that the servants of the Lord are a certain class amongst God's people. We are all servants of the Lord. In fact, it is interesting.
That Paul addressing those who were really slaves in Colossians, chapter 3.
Says to them, you know, a slave never had his own liberty to go about as he wanted to. He was always at the command of his master. And many of those slaves had unsaved masters. But he tells those slaves they were called servants in Colossians 3.
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Ye serve the Lord Christ.
Sometimes I said is to the brethren in South America, and I believe it is true. Brethren, the idea that to serve the Lord you must leave your secular job and go out with your Bible in your hands to preach has done tremendous damage in the Christian testimony. No, wherever you are, you serve the Lord Christ. If you're a bricklayer, you serve the Lord Christ laying bricks.
If you are an accountant, you should serve the Lord Christ by pushing that pencil or using the computer, but you serve.
The Lord Christ. And if you do it in that sense, you're going to do it properly.
Because he's the one that really gives the rewards. The rewards aren't the paycheck at the end of the pay period.
And so I want to speak and encourage each one in their desire to serve the Lord, not only.
Brothers, but sisters as well, because there are some very effective servants of the Lord that are sisters.
Wonderful to see how God uses them. But you know what has impressed me in recent times, brethren? Because we do live in a time of the history of this world that is called in Scripture man's day, when man has his thoughts, his ideas, his program.
You and I passing through.
The world that we are are often affected by those kind of thoughts.
And we need to be challenged.
And I'd like to read before we go too much further.
A series of verses in the Old Testament.
That has impressed me in recent times.
About brokenness.
You know God uses broken vests.
Anybody here like to be broken?
I can say I don't like it.
But I approved in my own brief experience that it is a necessary thing in the ways of God if he's going to use a vessel.
To break.
And who of us would choose that way? None of us would. But that's what our God does so that he can use us. And I suppose we can say the reason why he has to break this vessel of mine is because there's a strong natural will that wants to do his thing. And if he doesn't break it?
He can't use me like he once to use me. Let's go to Psalm.
34 to start.
The few verses to show this principle because to me it is so marked.
In the word of God.
Verse Psalm 34 and verse 18. The Lord.
Is 9 unto them that are of a.
Broken heart and saveth, such as be of a contrite spirit. The Lord is nigh.
To those that are of a broken heart.
Another well known verse in Psalm 51.
That, to me is extremely beautiful.
Psalm 51 and verse 17. This is David song or Psalm of repentance.
After he had sinned so grievously.
But this verse 17 is an extremely.
Beautiful word for our hearts to encourage us even when we may have failed severely.
The sacrifices of God.
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Are a broken spirit.
A broken and a contrite heart. Oh God, thou wilt not despise, Isn't that beautiful?
Not pleasant, but beautiful.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
Isaiah chapter 57.
Verse 15.
For thus saith the high and lofty 1.
That inhabit of eternity, whose name?
Is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place.
With him also, that is of a contrite and humble spirit.
To revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
One more place.
Isaiah 66.
Verses one and two.
Thus saith the Lord.
The heaven is my throne.
The earth is my footstool.
Where is the house that he build unto me? Where is the place of my rest for all these things at mine handmade?
And all those things have been, saith the Lord, but to this.
Man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembling at my word.
Brethren, these verses the Lord seems to have brought home to my own soul recently.
The importance of brokenness in the hand of our God.
If we want to be instruments for blessing for him, and again I say the reason I believe it is necessary.
Is that we are so affected by the culture we're passing through.
Where man is set forward that we tend to get that mentality.
Of setting ourselves forward in one way or another, and we hinder.
Definitely hinder God's working in this world by that kind of a mentality, and so he has to.
OFT times break.
The will break the heart, break the vessel.
In Second Corinthians chapter four, we don't have time to go to it now, but we had that verse read yesterday I think it was.
That the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ. And then it says, we have this treasure in earthen vessels. That the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of men.
God is going to do the work in such a way, brethren, that we will not be able to take any glory for it. Yes, He does use human instruments, but the men the the moment the human instrument starts to take the glory for himself, he hinders the work of God.
An example.
Gideon in the Old Testament.
Was one who was small in his own eyes.
And God came and.
Told him to go against the Midianites.
And immediately Gideon blows the trumpet and 32,000 men of Israel follow him. Pretty good sized army.
And the Lord said.
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Today the Excellency of the power is of God and not admin.
If I give the victory to Israel with 32,000 men, they're going to glory and save.
We have done it with our own might.
Tell all the ones that are afraid to go home.
22,000 went home. That's reducing your army pretty drastically. 10,000 Well, maybe Gideon thought I could work with 10,000.
The Lord says no, still too many, 10 thousands too many.
Even though the Midianites were spread out in the valley, innumerable.
Still, that was too many, and the Lord brings into another test that the waters.
And after that test, only 300 were left, only 300. Brethren, it's a lesson we have to learn. The Excellency of the power is of God and not of us, and how readily we start to think that we are something that God has used and that we are important. And immediately we start to hinder the work of God. What happened?
Gideon won a great victory.
He stood around the camp of the Midianites.
And at a given signal at night, it happened because the arms that they had in their hands, one was an earthen vessel with a lighted torch inside, and the other was a trumpet.
Figurative of the two forms of testimony that we have, the light and the word.
It's not only what we say, brethren, that is a testimony. It is what we are, and we are the light of the world. But before that light could shine, Gideon gives the signal, and they break that earthen vessel. It was necessary that the vessel be broken so that the light would shine around the camp of the Midianites, and they blew the trumpets, and the Lord went before.
And the Midianites beat down themselves and there was a great V1 Tremendous victory.
What does Gideon do afterwards?
You get some of the spoils together, and he makes the golden ephod.
And.
That ephod is a snare to all Israel.
Isn't it the story of our own heart how easily we tend to think that we are important? Brethren, if we I must say, in my own experience, if the Lord hasn't used some heavy blows to keep me down, I don't think there would be any way I could keep any measure of equilibrium. May the Lord help us, brethren, not to glory in men. God may use gifts amongst us.
And we thank God.
For gifts that he gives. But as an older brother has said amongst us many times, brethren.
I don't know if we've really heard what he said. You don't give thanks to the gift, you give thanks to the giver of the gift.
The Lord help us in that, brethren. So I just feel that sometimes we push certain ones forward to the point they couldn't keep their equilibrium and they didn't.
The Lord help us to keep our eyes on that man in the glory. Blessing comes because of his presence there at God's right hand. He is the head of the body. It is through him that all blessing comes down here. Brethren, it is such a lesson to me in Latin America, down in Bolivia, they have a lot more conferences than they do up here in the United States. And I don't want to be glorying about the brethren in Bolivia. Please don't get me wrong.
But sometimes they get together.
In quite a bit of weakness.
And you look around and say, where is somebody that's going to minister the word here?
But when there is simplicity of looking up to the Lord Jesus.
As head in heaven, I've been amazed, brethren, at the way the Lord opens blessing out to those dear ones some time ago.
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They were having announced a conference up in La Paz, Bolivia. That's at 13,000 feet above sea level on the Alta Plano, Bolivia.
And they didn't have a large enough room for it, so they pitched a tent outside the.
Meeting room.
The only problem when they got together for prayer the next morning, they get together about 6:30 in the morning.
It had snowed the night before.
And it was rather cool.
Snow doesn't last very long down there because they're not that far below the equator.
But they did get together in spite of the snow, and the Lord did give blessing. Brethren, God uses instruments and we thank God for the instruments that He uses. But let's not glory in man. Let's glory in that man that it's that God's right hand above. I think it's so majestic to think of our Lord Jesus walking here, interacting amongst his people down here.
And the moment comes after those 40 days, He walks right into the glory of God and sits down at God's right end. And what is he doing there? Continuing to work amongst his people. And he wants to use human instruments, and he will use them if we make ourselves available to Him.
Scripture speaks about it, but I'd like to go back to the Old Testament now, to one of the examples we have there of an instrument God used. Maybe we don't think he would qualify.
The way he lived for a servant of the Lord. But I love to think of how God used him. I'm talking about Jacob. Let's go back to Genesis chapter.
28.
Jacob was a twin.
He had an older brother that was born just before he was Esau, but before the two children were born.
The Lord told the mother.
That two nations were inner womb.
And that the elder would serve the younger. So it was before they were even born.
They knew that Jacob was going to be the one that would be served by the elder Eson.
The struggle still goes on over in the Land of Israel and the surrounding lands today.
But it is sure God's purpose, and in the coming day Israel will be the head of the nations. But it is interesting. As these two boys grew, I would suspect that if you would have gotten to know Esau and Jacob. But now the blessing.
By deceiving his father, Dorsey's mother was the one who told him how to do it.
Which is kind of sad, but that's what happens sometimes.
But Jacob has to flee for his life.
You know when you take things in your own hands, you only make things harder for yourself. You really do.
Listen to me young people, taking things into your own hands, you make it harder for yourself.
But as he's escaping, the Lord meets him, and I think this is beautiful. Let's read from verse 10. Jacob went out from Beersheba and went forward, went toward Heron, and he lighted upon a certain place and carried there all night, because the sun was set. And he took of the stones of that place and put them for pillows.
And laid down in that place to sleep. I wonder who is here has ever used a stone for a pillow?
I slept on cement sometimes, which is kind of hard and and you're glad when morning comes so you can get up off of it. But I've never used a stone pillow. I think that'd be tough.
It is tough when you try.
To make your own way.
It's tough, It's hard.
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Verse 12 And he dreamed, and behold, the latter sat on.
The earth and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac the land where on thou liest to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the West, and to the east, and to the north and to the South. And indeed.
And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed, And behold, I am with thee.
And will keep thee in all places whither thou goeth, And will bring thee again into this land, For I will not leave thee.
Until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Want to stop there and ask you to look at those verses. Is there some condition?
That he would have to perform so that this promise that the Lord gave him would be true. Did he say, Jacob, if you behave rightly, I'll do all this for you, Not a word of it for the promise of God.
Did Jacob believe it?
His actions.
Showed that he really didn't believe it.
Still, it's true God pronounced the Word, and for as much as he didn't believe it.
It was still true. Only God was going to have to use hard circumstances in Jacob's life to bring him to the point of simply believing God.
Notice what he says toward the end of the chapter, verse 16. And Jacob awaked out of his sleeping set. Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not, and he was afraid.
Why was he afraid? I'm afraid that Jacob didn't have a good conscience. He knew that he wasn't acting right. Still, the Lord had blessed him. And when you're not walking in a good conscious conscience, you cannot enjoy the blessings that God has for you. They're yours if you are one of God's people.
But you cannot enjoy them if you do not walk in a good conscience before God.
And he said, How dreadful is this place? This is none other but the House of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel. The name of that city was called Luz at the 1St. And Jacob bowed a vow. Now listen to his vow contrasted to what the Lord had told him if.
God will keep me. Now he's making a contract with God. God had given him.
Unconditional blessing. And here comes Jacob now with his contract. If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God. And this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house. And of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the 10 unto thee.
I don't know that we ever have any record of Jacob's given attempt to the Lord.
Now he kept it all pretty well for himself. He didn't keep his side of the bargain very well.
But can you get the picture? Dear young brother and sister and the Lord, I'm speaking to all of us today. Here's God's unconditional blessing that applies to him unconditionally and here.
Been attracted naturally to Esau. He was a better looking fellow.
And it says that Jacob was just kind of a plain man.
Isaac liked Esau better. He.
Haunted and brought in the meat and stewed it up in a way that.
Isaac Love.
But why was it?
That years later the Lord could say Jacob.
Have I loved Esau? Have I hated? Remember, that was not said before.
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They were born. That was said years afterwards. Why? Because Jacob, for all his scoundrelness, for all his naughty nuts, had an appreciation for the things of God. He appreciated the birthright.
And Esau was a profane man.
What does profane mean? It means to treat sacred things as if they were common. And when it came to his birthright, which was given to him of God, he treated it as if it were something that was common. I'd just soon have a bowl of little soup instead of that birthright. That's profanity. That's treating things that are sacred.
As if they were common. And God appreciates those who value his word, and Jacob did.
But I'd like to go back to see how God worked in Jacob's life because it's instructive. I really believe in chapter 28.
Jacob because of the way he deceived his father.
And got not only the birthright, but now the blessing.
By deceiving his father, of course, his mother was the one who told him how to do it, which is kind of sad, but that's what happens sometimes.
But Jacob has to flee for his life.
You know when you take things in your own hands, you only make things harder for yourself. You really do.
Listen to me young people, taking things into your own hands, you make it harder for yourself.
But as he's escaping, the Lord meets him, and I think this is beautiful. Let's read from verse 10. Jacob went out from Beersheba and went forward, went toward Heron, and he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night because the sun was set. And he took of the stones of that place and put them for pillows.
And laid down in that place to sleep. I wonder who is here has ever used a stone for a pillow?
I've slept on cement sometimes, which is kind of hard and and you're glad when morning comes so you can get up off of it. But I've never used a stone pillow. I think that'd be tough.
It is tough when you try.
To make your own way.
It's tough, It's hard.
Verse 12 And he dreamed, and behold, the latter set on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac the land, where on thou liest to thee will I give it into thy seed, and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth.
And thou shalt spread abroad to the West, and to the east, and to the north and to the South, and indeed, and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be black. And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring me again into this land. For I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Want to stop there and ask you to look at those verses. Is there some condition?
That he would have to perform so that this promise that the Lord gave him would be true.
Did he say, Jacob, if you behave rightly, I'll do all this for you, Not a word of it. It's unconditional, the promise of God.
Did Jacob believe it?
His actions.
Showed that he really didn't believe it.
Still, it's true God pronounced the Word, and for as much as he didn't believe it.
It was still true. Only God was going to have to use hard circumstances in Jacob's life to bring him to the point of simply believing God.
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Notice what he says toward the end of the chapter, verse 16. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, surely the Lord is in this place. And I knew it not, and he was afraid.
When was he afraid? I'm afraid that Jacob didn't have a good conscience. He knew that he wasn't acting right. Still, the Lord had blessed him. And when you're not walking in a good conscience, conscience you cannot enjoy.
The blessings that God has for you, they're yours if you are one of God's people, but you cannot enjoy them if you do not walk in a good conscience before God.
And he said, How dreadful is this place? This is none other but the House of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillow and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel. The name of that city was called Love at the 1St. And Jacob vowed a Val. Now listen to his vow contrasted to what the Lord had told him. If God will keep me, now he's making a contract with God. God had given him unconditional blessings.
And here comes Jacob now with his contract.
If God will be with me.
And will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on.
So that I come again to my Father's house in peace. Then shall the Lord be my God, and this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house. And of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the 10th unto thee.
I don't know that we ever have any record of Jacob given attempt to the Lord.
Now he kept it all pretty well for himself. He didn't keep his side of the bargain very well.
But can you get the picture? Dear young brother and sister and the Lord, I'm speaking to all of us today. Here's God.
Unconditional blessing that applies to him unconditionally. And here on the other side, Jacob makes his own contract, which is a lot less really, and he has to perform to get his part. For God to perform, he has to perform.
And Jacob, as you know, was a scoundrel.
When he went up to his uncle.
House and there he got his two wives.
And there he got lots of cattle. God was performing his unconditional blessing to Jacob. He was keeping him in spite of it. But every time Jacob schemes and tries to bring about the blessing through his own machinations, he only brings greater problems on himself. And that's what happens when we don't.
Simply believe God and rest in His promise. Now go over to verse chapter 32 because in chapter 32 after a number of years.
In Edinerum he comes back now to the land of Canaan.
And it says in verse one Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him.
When Jacob saw them, he said this is God's oath. God was performing his part of that unconditional promise.
He was keeping him to tell you. That's a great comfort to know that the angels of God are going before you and taking care of you.
Lot better than any human army to have the angels of God going before you.
And yet when he sends messengers ahead into the land of Canaan to tell Isaiah's brother.
And the messengers return in the following verses to tell them He saw us coming with 400 men.
Jacob gets tremendously scared.
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If I was mad, he's going to get me this time. He's going to kill us all.
Fear. Why that fear? Because he didn't believe God, simply believe God. Oh what lessons these are for our Christian lives. Dear brethren, God promises are valid in the year 2001. They are just as valid as they are when the book was written.
You can trust God, He is faithful even if we believe not yet He abideth faithful. He cannot deny Himself. You can trust Him.
You're a young person you can trust.
In amazed at how many I've met up with recently that has serious doubts as to God in his word.
I say if it's doubtless to my person, I can understand why you would doubt me.
It's doubt, says to any other person. I can understand that to, but never allow a doubt to penetrate your heart.
About God and about His Word, because it comes straight from the devil and he only wants to level you on the battlefield of life.
Don't allow it to happen. Put up the shield of faith. Say I believe God.
And search for his promises, lay hold of them. So here's Jacob, and he does a series of things. We don't have time to talk about it all. How he arranges presents for his brother Isaiah to appease his anger. And he goes and he sends the message, thy servant Jacob to my Lord Esau.
Is this the one?
Esau was going to serve.
He didn't really hadn't grasped the promises of God yet, but I love this.
As you get down a little further in this 32nd chapter, it says in verse.
24 Jacob was left alone. You know, it's important sometimes that we be alone with God.
In fact, that's where issues are really settled. It's nice to be at a conference like this and be encouraged with the presence of a lot of other brethren with their tongues. A time when there's issues that you have to settle alone with God.
And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
He didn't get any sleep that night. It was wrestle, wrestle, wrestle that whole dark night through.
Who was that man that he was wrestling with?
It was the Angel with a capital A. It was the Lord himself. You know, I marvel at that. The Lord wrestled all night with Jacob. You mean it took the Lord that long to break that man down?
And he says, verse 25 when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he.
Touch the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him.
He couldn't get anywhere with Jacob. Jacob, it was so tenacious, that tendency to want to manage his own life, to do the things his way that he wouldn't let loose. He kept right on a wrestling until the Lord breaks, the vessel touches his thigh, his thigh goes out of joint, and that's a painful situation and Jacob can't wrestle any longer.
What does Jacob do now? The Angel says to him. Let me go for the dawn horizon.
The day break it. What does Jacob say? I will not let you thee go, except thou bless me.
Oh, I think here finally Jacob comes to a realization that it's not his own efforts that's going to bring the blessing of God. What's going to bring the blessing of God in his life is to simply lay hold on that Angel. And the Angel asked him his name and he says, what is thy name? He says Jacob says thy name won't be called no more Jacob, but Israel.
00:45:10
For as a Prince thou hast power.
With God and with men and half prevail. What? What is this saying, Jacob? This scoundrel, this guy that was always deceiving, doing things his own way, He prevails with God. That's what it's saying.
Oh, I think this is so wonderful.
He prevails with God, and it's at that point he prevailed when he couldn't wrestle any longer, He could not take things in his own hands any longer, and he lets loose of the situations of life and he lays hold simply on that Angel in appreciation of the blessing that was there for him.
Jacob's life finishes much brighter than Isaacs life because he got to this point.
In fact, a little later on in the Book of Genesis and we don't have time or time's up.
Will allow me to stay a little later on in the Book of Genesis, Jacob's down in Egypt.
And Joseph, his son, takes them into Pharaoh's presence.
And Pharaoh asked him.
How many years old he was?
And he said, you and evil have been the days of the life of my pilgrimage.
But Jacob ends up blessing peril. I would guess that Pharaoh probably was the mightiest monarch on earth at that time.
And Scripture tells us in another place, without controversy, the lesser is blessed of the greater.
And so Jacob has a place, morally speaking, greater than Pharaoh there in Egypt.
Oh, how God had worked in the life of that man, Jacob. And that's what he's doing in our lives too, brethren. More and more I'm convinced in my own soul that it's not the work we do for God that is important.
It is the work that God does through human instruments and perhaps.
I may be an instrument if I am a vessel ready for his use.
The Lord help us to keep our eyes on that man and the glory to not glory in men.
But the glory in the Lord, let's just pray.
Gracious Father, we're thankful.
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The Gospel Trumpet, The Most Importent Question

Gospel—A. Coleman
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.
Hospital hymn sheet #15 in your gospel hymn sheet.
I like to start.
A gospel meeting with this hymn because tonight with the Lords health I want to blow the gospel trumpet.
I want to blow the gospel trumpet.
And this says, O blessed gospel sound, yet there is room. Now the story behind this song is probably you. Most of you know this story is about a man that was invited to a gospel meeting.
And didn't want to come, and that's quite often the case is that they don't want to come.
And upon thinking about a little more, he decided, well, maybe I'll come.
Baby, I'll come. And so this man came to the Gospel meeting room and the place was full. It was full.
And.
Being determined and thinking that there must be something here because it's full.
He climbed up the front.
Somehow to the top window.
And he opened the window.
And he heard this song, he heard this, these words.
Get there is room.
And they're wonderful. And tonight we can say this, Yet there is room. After lost and in your sins. Tonight you can come, because yet there is room. And so let's think this.
Is.
00:05:25
We pray of Joel.
You know, the minor prophets have some good gospel verses in them too, but the verse that I have in mind, it doesn't really refer to the gospel. It refers to a coming day. But I'd like to translate it into the gospel if I have the Lord's mind in doing so, and I think I have.
First of all.
Chapter 3.
Verse 14. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.
In the valley of decision.
And you're going on this day without Christ.
Crowds, people, cars, trains, planes, going somewhere, doing something. So much to do the rush.
Of the everyday living.
Multitudes, Multitudes in the valley of decision.
We have a street corner in Vancouver that I go to quite often and there's multitudes, multitudes right on that very corner.
But I'd hate to tell you what they look like and where they come from and what they're doing.
They'll receive the gospel.
But they're all there.
Sad, sad cases. Multitudes of them.
Turn to Chapter 2.
Joel Chapter 2.
Sorry.
Blow ye the trumpet.
In Zion, sound and alarm in my holy mountain.
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord cometh.
For it is nigh at hand, You know, this is Speaking of a coming day. The Lord is coming for his own, to bring his church home to himself. That's not his coming here that we have here. This is when he's coming back to this earth.
And he's going to stir his rights over this earth and put down all his enemies.
And he's going to restore Israel to himself.
And then he's going to bring in that millennial 1000 ring, the millennial thousand year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe this is the day of the Lord.
But this says blow the trumpet, blow the trumpet.
The gospel trumpet And what is the gospel? For I declare unto you the gospel, how that Christ?
I guess I'm getting nervous.
I.
Prague.
How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. That's beautiful, isn't it? The gospel? How about John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. How about Matthew 1128? Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. That's the gospel.
Coming from a loving heart of God, God beseeching sinners to come to him tonight, the Gospel.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That's the gospel.
He's seeking you tonight if you're still lost in your sins.
00:10:06
You know, this afternoon as I was listening in the reading meeting, I had my hearing aids on and I had them cranked up.
And I could hear the crosswalk paper around me, and there were little girls around me and they were writing on their paper and.
And I suppose they were writing things and playing with their paper and coloring and that. Now, how many of you got a paper in front of you right now? Well, just get that pencil out. And I want you to do something for me. I want you to write saved. Just write that word saved.
You know, my son and I were coming home from Everett, WA and we were on the highway and we were going along the highway. I guess this guy was registering about 65 miles an hour and.
All of a sudden, ah, henna this.
What's that, Stan?
Oh, 65 miles an hour and we're heading straight for them. You know what it was?
It was a duck.
With maybe a dozen ducklings and we were headed straight for them.
At 65 miles an hour.
A quick look in the rearview mirror and behind me and I shudder to think what was going to happen.
That very fortunately we turned right over and we missed them all. But I was impressed with that duck, that she had those little ducklings all around her right tight and she was hidden for that shoulder of the road and she made it. She made it.
Turn to Matthew chapter.
24.
How often would I have gathered you as a hind? Oh yeah, Matthew 23. I'm sorry. Verse 37. O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, all this is the Lord.
Thou that kills the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together?
Even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not.
Think of those words and you would not.
But those little chicks made it across the highway because they were right close to that mother hand and that mother hens. She had her head and her beak.
Was just pointed forward.
And they were so close and they were so safe. Now how about you? How about you?
Are you going to be like this here and this first? And they would not. They would not. I don't want it. You know what? I was a little boy. It was my case. I would not. I would not. I would not. I was a young man before I got saved. But thank God the Lord saved me.
And you would not.
Have you got that word written down now? Saved.
OK, now write these words in front of it. Are you really?
Are you really?
Are you really?
Are you sure of your salvation? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior? These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that He has eternal life. God wants us to be sure of our salvation. He wants us to know.
You know, Philip could say to the Lord, Lord, we don't know the way. We don't know the way.
You know what the Lord could say, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. There's only ways, only through a person, a glorious person, God's beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Savior of sinners. It says in Acts 1338. Be it known unto you men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sin. You want your sins forgiven tonight.
00:15:26
Do you want your sins forgiven tonight? You know it says in that in John 637. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. You'll never turn your side.
A wonderful Savior of glorious Savior who's willing and just wants to save lost sinners. Tonight I'm amazed at the grace of God, at the long-suffering of God, how He delights to save souls. He delights to save souls. His arms are outstretched to this world tonight.
Just as it was that day many years ago when the Lord was here in this earth.
And he could say in John 737, If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. Let him come to me and drink. Are you thirsty tonight?
Long ago I was thirsty for this world.
I was thirsty for this world. I wanted this world. I wanted everything of this world.
And I found out that this world couldn't satisfy me.
I came home with a bad breath. I came home with a big head. I came home to parents that were.
Praying for me day by day that this rebellious son of theirs would get saved.
Thank God for mothers. Thank God for fathers.
Thank God for Christian, Christian parents. Wonderful.
How blessed.
And his arms are outstretched to you, to the little children. He says, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not. For such as the Kingdom of heaven do you and I everyone here, whosoever will may come.
He's inviting souls to come to him tonight, yet there is room. There is room still tonight and still the gospel goes out. 2000 years that this blessed gospel has been going out and God has been saving precious souls. But some guests will be the last.
Tomorrow might be too late for you.
Will it be too late for you, dear friend, tonight if you're lost, if you're still without the Savior of sinners?
You're in an awful predicament.
You're toying with the eternal destiny of your soul.
Dear young boys, young girls, sitting beside your mother and father.
Have you ever come to the Lord Jesus and said, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight?
Have you ever thanked the Lord Jesus for dying in Calvary's cross for you? That's what he wants to hear.
If I could use that verse, let me hear thy voice, for sweet as thy voice.
He wants to hear your voice. He wants to hear your cry.
I like that verse in Psalm 5015. I believe that's the 9/11 call to heaven.
Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
And that's a wonderful God that is approachable and wants to be approached.
And you can come tonight, knowing that he will receive you. This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. Beautiful in him. Beautiful. What a Savior, longing and waiting for you to come.
Are you going to turn the Savior aside tonight? Say no some other day.
The song that I sometimes think about as this. I gave my life for thee. My precious blood I shed.
00:20:00
I suffered much for thee.
Can't remember all the lines.
I gave my life for thee.
What hast thou given to me? What have you given to Him? He wants the fruit of your lips, giving thanks to his name. Oh friend, tonight come to the Lord Jesus before it's forever too late. There might not be another gospel meeting tomorrow night.
The Lord Jesus would come and be too late. Think of that. Someone left in their seat to face a lost eternity forever.
Solemn thought, dear one, tonight, solemn thought.
That verse in that Joel, if we could go back to it.
Joel chapter 2 and verse one. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion. Oh, I like to, I just like to say this about this verse. Blow the gospel trumpet in Des Moines, IA. Blow the gospel trumpet in Illinois. Blow the gospel trumpet in the United States.
Sounded forth all over this world, blow that trumpet. All that wonderful story about the Lord Jesus, how he came into this world and went to Calvary Cross and died. For the life of you and I and Calvary's cross, blow that trumpet. Tell that story wherever you are. Found it out all over the land. Glorious, glorious message. Hallelujah. What a savior, what a savior.
Blow.
That trumpet in Zion, sound and alarm. Why the sound and alarm? Because of coming judgment. And is coming upon the land. Coming judgment is coming, is coming.
Let all the let all the inhabitants of the land tremble. Couldn't we just say, let all the inhabitants of the land?
Repent. Repent.
It says in Acts 17 verse 31, God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge this world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained. Oh, you know he wants you to repent of your sins, to be sorry for your sins. You know you have sinned against God. Those sins have separated you from a holy God.
And it says in Romans 323, you've heard it over and over again. All have seemed to come short of the glory of God. Oh, but you know, there's a verse that goes along with that. And this first John one and seven, the blood of Jesus Christ, God Son, cleanseth us from all sin. All my sins, thank God, are gone, washed in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Come now, let us reason together. Set the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be red like Crimson.
Shall be as woe. Oh, he says, Come now, let us reason together. Let us. I like to think of it this way, reason together. He does the talking, I do the listening.
You know, many, many a man does argues it out with God. No, Listen to what God is saying to you. Listen to the word of God. It saves. It's a wonderful book that we have opened before us.
Yeah, yeah, there's, there's a, there's a brother in Newfoundland that I'm going to see pretty soon and he picked up the word of God. He was given the word of God.
And God saved his soul.
And there was another man that picked up the word of God in Newfoundland, and God saved his soul too.
It's the word of God.
Beautiful word of God. There's words of life in this precious book. Oh, take it up and read it. How precious it is.
00:25:04
Luke Chapter 7.
Verse 32.
They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace and calling one to another and saying, we've piped unto you and you have not danced. We have mourned to you and you have not wept. Oh, what is this? You know the gospel coming to you here tonight hasn't been any response to from you any response at all. Are you going to just say this is just another meeting?
We come to a conference here with mom and dad or whoever. It's just another meeting. No response.
The gospel trumpet is being sounded and there's these children like that sitting in the marketplace and the pipe and you haven't danced.
No response to the white, joyful news of the gospel.
We have mourned unto you.
And ye have not wept all that there would be weeping tonight for one year tonight.
That came to Christ as a guilty, lost Sinner.
That there would be one here tonight that would come to Christ as a guilty, lost Sinner.
We have mourned to you and he have not left no response whatsoever.
Turn to Mark Chapter 8.
Verse 18 having eyes no, I'll go. Verse 17 And when Jesus knew it, he said unto them, Why reason He because you have no bread, proceed not ye neither understand have ye your heart get hardened? Having eyes see not.
Having ears hear ye not. And do ye not remember you have eyes?
Each one of us have eyes, and what are we looking at? The precious word of God. These are wonderful words of life.
Eyes to see the precious word of God. These two in Newfoundland, they use their eyes. They saw the precious word of God, and God save their souls.
Wonderful, isn't it?
Happy New Years and hear you not. Oh, there's a problem there I can't hear properly.
It's all mixed up in there.
But you know, I believe that there's a lot of people that are like that, too. You talk to them and give you them, give them the gospel to them, and it's just like talking to a blank wall. You're not listening to me.
That was the case with this person here.
When I was a young fella.
Gal, you're not listening to me. And my mother would scold me again and again, and I just keep on doing the same old things over and over again.
And I had to get canned for some of the things I did, you know?
He was looking after the welfare of my soul and I thank God for her. She's now 96.
And yet I kept on on my course.
One day my dad caught me smoking in the Bush and I got really tan, good and proper.
I couldn't sit down for a week.
But did that stop me from smoking? I kept on going.
You see, there's something to this, you know, it says none but Christ can satisfy.
He satisfies along his soul.
And all those things that I did when I was young.
They never satisfied me.
Don't try them. Don't try them. Take it from a person that did. Don't try the world. The world has nothing to give you down to the gutter and leave you there.
00:30:07
That's what the enemy of your souls will do.
Having eyes see, not having ears hear ye not, And do ye not remember you got a memory?
How about Ecclesiastes 1212 and one Did you ever memorize that in Sunday school? What is it? Do you remember?
Do you know what the first word says? It says remember, Remember what? Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. Oh, what's that saying? The time to come to Christ is when you're in your youth, when you're young.
I didn't even think about that.
Those were wasted years, wasted years. And do ye not remember? Have you? Your heart get hardened?
Is that heart of yours hardened?
My brother-in-law has a hard heart. You know the prayer that has gone up for that dear man over and over and over and over again.
And he's not saved.
And he hates to come to a gospel meeting. He hates it.
And each time he is more or less dragged.
Or bargained with to come to a gospel.
I asked my sister. Well, was there any reaction? No.
Why did you put me right next to the speaker?
Why, He's a miserable man, actually, you know.
He has his garage just jam packed full of things that I love to have.
I'd love to have a garage that I could work on cars like he could.
And you know, he's got everything.
But I he needs to find out that none but Christ can satisfy.
There's love and life and lasting joy. Lord Jesus found in thee. It's found in Christ alone. This world can't give it to you. No, it can't only Christ. Do you not remember? Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth.
I want to spend time in Luke Chapter 7 where we were just before.
This is a glorious chapter, beloved.
I preached the gospel on this chapter quite a few times and.
Just beautiful to see the Lord.
You know, you come to the very first verse.
Of this chapter, and you find that the Lord in the city of Capernaum. And then you come to the 11Th verse, and you find the Lord in the city of name.
You know, if you look in your math and try and map it out, you figure probably somewhere is around 30 miles. It says when it came to pass the next day after that, that he went into the city of name the next day. Have you ever walked 30 miles in one day? The Lord did 30 miles in one day. Incredible. I've I've walked probably 10-15 miles in one day, but not 30.
You think of those blessed feet.
How they must have been tired. How they must have been sore.
But she may. But he meets. It's perfect timing, isn't it? In the Lord's part. He meets the Sinner. Oh, he delights to meet a Sinner.
And an individual. And here's a woman carrying out her dead son. Oh, what a scene. What sorrow for that woman.
Her only son that would carry on the lifeline of her family. Everything gone that she's weeping.
And the Lord meets her right at the gate of that city.
And he says, woman, weep not. Oh, what a wonderful savior. Do you know this wonderful person? Do you know this wonderful person? The only person that can comfort, the only person that can give life, the only person that can give peace, the only person that can give joy, the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:35:19
That, oh, that's such a cost to himself. Oh, when you think of what he went through to go to that cross of Calvary, and there in those three dark hours and Calvary's cross when he was made sin for us and bare our sins.
In his own body, in the tree. Oh think of it, your sins and mine on the Lord Jesus Christ in those dark hours on Calvary Cross, he bore the sins of Al Coleman.
Yes he did. Praise be his blessed man and that is the person.
That I'm going to see very shortly, he says. I will come again and receive you unto myself, That where I am, there ye may be also. He's coming soon.
He's coming soon, His Lord is coming us very soon.
And I say that again and again. It may be tonight.
Go to the.
3830.
6th verse.
And one of the Pharisees desired him 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.
And the Pharisees hosts an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Oh, this must have been wonderful for the Lord. How refreshing this must have been to the Lord. But this Pharisee, did he have any thought about this to the Lord? A common courtesy to give the Lord.
And many.
Of treating the Lord coldly that way.
Are you treating the Lord coldly? No, No, Some other time. Some other time.
But think of this woman. There she was. She kissed his feet. She wiped his feet.
She stood confession. Have you confessed the Lord Jesus as Savior? He wept. Repentance have you? Have you repented of your sins?
She washed humiliation.
She.
Devotion.
She kissed affection.
She anointed adoration those blessed feet If you just hold your place in in Luke 7 here and go to the.
52nd of Isaiah.
Verse 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him our blessed Lord, that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publishes salvation, that. Seth unto Zion, thy God living those beautiful feet that.
Trod 30 miles.
To meet a woman at the city of Name.
Were anointed by this woman, this woman which was.
A Sinner.
And you think of this Pharisee as he viewed this scene of.
This woman anointing the feet of the Lord, And when the verse 39. And when the Pharisee which had been him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner a woman this is, it toucheth him, for she is a Sinner.
00:40:04
And Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he said, Master, say on you see this Thursday, look down on this woman.
Or she's nothing but a Sinner. But you know God can save sinners. This Pharisee wasn't classifying himself as a Sinner.
I'm much better than him, than her.
And Oh no, we have to get right down, right at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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. I have nothing to pay.
I have nothing to pay.
I can't buy my salvation.
You can by your salvation. When I was a young lad and doing all those bad things, I tried.
Something would happen, I'd get the strap or whatever and I'd say, well, I'll get some better, be a little better now and I would try and.
I couldn't get any better.
Not my works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
Not it works. Not it works. Everything's been done. Everything. The Lord Jesus did it all in Calvary's cross. It is finished.
Let us finish glorious words. Everything been done.
He had nothing to pay. He frankly forgave them both.
Which for them will love him the most. Oh, you think of this woman? She was a Sinner. She knew her condition. And she was at the feet of the Lord. Have you come to the feet of the Lord? He'll bless you. He'll save you tonight. He'll save you. Are you saved?
I'll ask you young children again, Are you really saved? Are you really saved?
If you are really saved, have you told your mom? Have you told your dad? It's a wonderful thing for a dad to have.
Come and tell him that I'm saved.
I got a phone call like that.
Few years ago, grandson.
Poppy unsaved, I know the Lord Jesus as my Savior.
It's nice to hear that, but you know the one who wants you to talk to him is the Lord Jesus Christ. He wants to hear little voices.
Then he returned to the turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, See as thou this woman, I entered into thine house. Thou gave us me no water for my feet, a common courtesy.
But she hath washed my feet with her with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Dog gave us me no kiss. But this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet, my head with oil. Thou didst not annoying.
But this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Wherefore I say unto you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven her.
Isn't that wonderful forgiveness of sins in whom we have redemption through his blood?
The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, beautiful in them.
You can have forgiveness of sins tonight. If you come to the Lord Jesus, He'll forgive you all your sins.
And he said unto her, Thy sins have forgiven thee. And they that sat at meet with him began to see within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins? Also, who is this? Oh, let me ask you this question tonight. Who is this person that we've been talking about tonight?
Who is this person? It's the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners, and this is the most important person that you must do with. Turn to Matthew chapter 27.
00:45:20
And verse 28 Pilate saith unto him, What shall I do then?
With Jesus, which is called the Christ.
There's a question, there's a question, and I want to leave this as a closing question tonight. And it's a very important question and it's the most important question of your life.
It's not the question as to who your friends are going to be, what your occupation is going to be.
Or all those important things, the kind of car you'll buy or whatever.
The most important question in your life is what shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ?
And you have to answer that question. You have to answer it. And will you do it tonight? Will you answer this question tonight? What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ? You know what the answer was there in Matthew 27. Away with this man, Crucify him, crucify him. You see, man's heart hasn't changed in 2000 years. No, it hasn't.
It's just the same. This heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately with it. This heart needs a great change.
And only the Lord Jesus Christ can change that sinful heart, make it white as snow, give us, give a new life in Christ, a new light in Christ, a whole new outlook on life, a whole new outlook. What a Savior we got. Do you know this wonderful person?
I'll ask that question again. What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ? What are you going to do about Him? What are you going to do about Him? Are you going to say some other day?
Some other moment. Have you got that moment? Do you know? Do you know for sure that you got that moment?
Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I trust that we're going to be here to remember the Lord.
But if the Lord would come, we wouldn't need that remembrance anymore.
But what a remembrance.
To be in his presence, to remember him tomorrow, what a privilege.
What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ? Are you going to say, Are we with this man, crucify him? We will not have this man to reign over us. Or are you going to say that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved? Oh, let me tell you something from experience.
That he satisfieth the longing soul he does.
What a savior we've got. He's satisfied. The longing soul that sing that song.
Oh Christ, in thee my soul hath found, and found in thee alone the peace, the joy I sought so long, the bliss till now unknown. Now none but Christ can satisfy none other name for the.
There's love and life and lasting joy Lord Jesus found in me.
Thank you #19 somebody started please.
Coming farther, we thank thee again for the Lord Jesus. We thank thee for His precious work on Calvary's cross.
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Pearl Harbor, India, School Reunion, Sick German Man, Death of Atheist

Gospel—B. Prost
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Full meeting tonight.
You know, the word gospel means good news, good news. And so we'd like to welcome everyone that's here tonight.
May I be allowed to say that I feel a special burden tonight for young people and children?
Not that that excludes any who are older.
But I like to sing a hymn together that was written by a young person #26.
There is life in a look.
At the Crucified One there is life at this moment for thee.
I've told the story before, but I'll repeat it again because some of you may not have heard it, but this hymn was written by a young woman who was 20 years old, written way back in the year 1832. She lived in the southwest of England and came from a wealthy home. Her name? Her name was Amelia Hull.
But there was number peace in her heart.
And she looked for something to satisfy her heart and couldn't find it.
One day some preachers came to town and preached the gospel.
She went to the gospel meeting and heard the story, the same story. I trust that we're going to preach tonight.
Well, she came home so impressed with what she had heard, and when her father, who was a worldly man that had no use for it all, found out where she'd been, he forbade her ever to go to any such meeting again.
Well, for a while it worked, but.
Then, some months later, the preachers came back to town.
And she thought, I have to go, I have to hear it again. I have to know where I can get peace.
So she went to the gospel meeting again, and that night she got saved. With a joyful heart, she came home and told her parents that she had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior.
Well, her father's fury, I understand, knew no bounds. And he said, young lady, you go upstairs for the night and think it over.
And be in my study at 8:00 tomorrow morning to be horse whipped.
There was number idle threat.
When she came down the next morning, there he was, standing in his study with his back to her horse. Whipped lay on the table.
But she hadn't been sleeping that night.
And when her father looked at her as much to say, well, what about it? She handed him the words of this hymn.
It had an effect on that man.
He read those words.
Sat down in the chair, crumpled his head on his hand.
And you probably can guess the rest of the story. He too got saved later on that day.
Well, I don't know everyone here tonight, but I hope that.
If there's someone here tonight, particularly a young person, that isn't safe.
That you too will come to the Lord Jesus #26 I'm going to ask that we stand and sing it please #26.
There is life in a look at the crucified one. There is life at this moment morning.
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There is life in my look at my Christine. I want their life by this moment.
For me.
We are healed by his stripes for slides to the world forever.
I don't know.
I love the.
Thy welcomes in God a secret.
They remain no more to be done.
That was in the end of the world.
Here.
I'm complaining of the world heavy.
This moment for me.
With rejoicing.
On Jesus at once.
The life ever lasting, he gave.
I know where I should come from, as I'm ever can't. I can't live. Can't I save you?
I right?
There is life in a long time.
This moment for thee.
Let's pray together.
Loving God our Father, we look up to Thee this evening, and we thank Thee for the words we have sung together.
One verse of another hymn please will just remain seated. Verse three of #25 #25 verse three only time is gliding swiftly by death and judgment both draw nigh to the arms of Jesus flies.
Be in time #25 verse 3.
Time is gliding swiftly by.
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Gray Accountable.
I may.
And your Christ, my soul may love.
Being I may cry, man.
What a voice of Jesus called your face.
I can turn you longer, right?
I be just too late.
In time.
The hymns that we have sung together bring before us.
What I might call the two aspects of the gospel.
We said earlier that the Gospel as the Word means good news, and it is good news that we have before you tonight.
But as we have just sung in this third verse of Hymn 25, there is a warning connected with it too.
And dear friends tonight, young people, children, older ones, we would be remiss.
If we didn't present both sides of the gospel.
I'd like to turn first of all tonight to a very solemn verse in Revelation chapter 3. Revelation chapter 3.
Now we are going to attempt to explain all the context of these verses.
But I believe they speak for themselves and so will read Revelation chapter 3.
Verse one.
And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis right these things, saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars.
I know thy works, that thou hast to name that thou livest.
And.
Art Dead.
Oh, I think this verse is very apropos as I look upon this company here tonight.
Because these verses were originally addressed to us, an assembly of Christians.
Or at least those that took the place of being Christians. And we are here in a Christian country tonight.
A place where the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, shall I say it, is well known. I know it's possible for those even in the United States of America not to know about the Lord Jesus Christ.
We had two little girls come to our Sunday school some years ago. That's up in Canada, of course, where I live, 8 years old and never had heard the name of the Lord Jesus Christ before. But we are living in a so-called Christian country. We are living in a land of an open Bible. We are living in a place where you could go to many different Christian places of worship tonight and hear about the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet is it possible that in this company.
There is someone who, in the words of what we have just read, has a name. That thou livest and art dead. What does the verse mean? Oh, it means that there are those who can live and move and act, perhaps like Christians, outwardly, and yet inside there is no real life toward God.
I'm reminded of a very solemn story. Some of us were talking about it last night after the meeting.
And reference was made to one of the evangelists in the early days of this country, back in the 18th century, by the name of George Whitfield, a man who preached the gospel fearlessly, mostly in the open air, a man who had a tremendous voice that could be heard a long ways away.
And he had a man who considered himself his good friend, a man who liked to go and hear him preach the gospel. And on one occasion this man was present when he was preaching the gospel in the open air and being of a mathematical bent of mind and being impressed with George Whitfield's voice and his ability to project his voice out to crowds there in the open air.
00:15:26
He started walking away from George Whitfield.
Until he got to the point where if he went any further, he wouldn't be able to hear him anymore.
And then he stood there and made a mental calculation.
And figured out accurately that George Whitfield could easily have preached to a crowd of 30.
1000 people and make himself heard.
But you know, the solemn part of the story is that the man who made that calculation?
His name is well known Benjamin Franklin.
And there is no evidence that he ever accepted Christ as his Savior. Forgive me for saying it with some emotion.
But it struck me when I read that story, a man who listened to the stirring words of George Whitfield, who was responsible personally for preaching the gospel to thousands, and through whom thousands were undoubtedly brought to Christ.
Now there was one who, as far as we know, we don't judge because God knows, but as far as any evidence.
Never came to Christ.
All young people here tonight and children, I'm looking at those who have grown up in Christian homes.
Young people who have sat under the sound of the gospel. Young people who know.
As well or better than I do the story that we are telling tonight about the Lord Jesus Christ.
And all I'd like to ask you in the solemn presence of God tonight.
Where do you stand deep down in your heart with the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, what a solemn thing it is for the Word of God to have to say here those words. I know thy works. Oh, there is one who can look beyond that facade that we can project so well. There's one who can look beyond the nice, pleasant words.
And the nice dress. And even the voice that sings.
Reminds me of the story of a young woman who used to sing in a church choir.
Not that we necessarily take any.
Shall we say position on talking about that tonight? As to the right or wrong of a choir, that's not the point.
The point is, she sung in a choir and had a beautiful voice and someone who knew her well said, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? No, she said, I don't. Well then, how can you sing those words? Oh, she said, I can just sing. I know the tune and I sing the words.
Oh, the man searched her heart. He said, What happens when you have to sing? Oh, happy day, that fixed my choice on thee, my Savior and my God, can you sing that one?
Oh. Her head went down.
She knew she couldn't sing it in truth.
I know thy works. Thou hast to name that thou livest and art dead. Oh, can we impress that on our souls tonight, That if there is anyone here who is sitting in these seats and we don't limit this.
Challenge to young people, but to each one of us.
Oh, how to solemn thing. What a solemn thing to be in this room, to live and move perhaps among believers, and be thought of as being a Christian.
And yet there'd be no reality inside.
Let's turn to another scripture, Acts Chapter 4.
Acts Chapter 4.
And we'll read from verse 10. This is the apostle Peter, Peter preaching the gospel in the early days of the church. And you know, we haven't had to change the gospel.
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We don't have to have something new to preach to you.
Verse 10 of Acts 4 Be it known unto you all.
And to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him, that this man stand here before you whole. That is a miracle of healing that Peter had done. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which has become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must.
Be saved and then turn over to Acts 13, this time from the lips of the Apostle Paul.
Acts, chapter 13, verse 38.
Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man.
Is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from.
All things from which he could not be justified by the law.
Of Moses.
Oh, tonight we have that same precious name to present to you. The name?
Of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, forgive me if you've heard me tell this story before, but I remember being impressed by it when I talked to the man involved a few years ago.
He made the practice of spending his time visiting in the hospitals in his area.
And he became well known because of the opportunities that he took to speak to souls about Christ.
And so they characteristically gave him the title of chaplain and said we'll let you know when anyone wants to hear about.
Religion, as they called it. We're not here to talk religion, friends. We're here to talk about Christ. But that's what they called it.
Well, he used to go in and visit various people, but one day he got an urgent call to go and see a woman in the intensive care unit. And when he went to see her, he recognized her. Not because he knew her personally, but he recognized the name. She was well known in business circles in that city. She had done very well for herself. She knew her way around the business world extremely well.
But there she was suddenly, and I don't know what had happened, but suddenly she was lying on a bed in intensive care.
Facing the possibility, the very distinct possibility, she wouldn't make it.
What did she talk about? Did she want to talk about business? Did she want to talk about the stock market? Did she want to talk about some kind of deal that was being made? No, she said. Chaplain, what comes after death? He told me this himself. What comes after death?
Well, he knew.
How well she could get around in the business world.
And so he answered her, I thought, in a very good way, he said, addressing her by name. He said it all depends on whom you know.
It all depends on whom you know.
Oh, she got the point right away, because in the business world it made a great deal of difference. Many times whom you knew and the right connections could make or break you. But oh, here was something far more important staring her in the face. It depends on whom you know.
Oh beloved friends, tonight you and I, one day, all of us, no matter who we are.
Will have to stand before God. We are going to spend eternity, Scripture tells us in one of two places.
And what happens after death depends on whom you know. Oh, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?
Last night, Brother Al read that verse from Matthew's Gospel chapter 27 that rings out down through the ages, the words originally said by Governor Pontius Pilate, before whom the Lord Jesus stood. Any issues this question? What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ?
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You can't dodge the issue. You can't pretend that it doesn't matter. You can't pretend that you don't have to face it. No, God has sent his Son into this world. And it tells us in the 17th chapter of this same book, referring to the times before the Lord Jesus came into this world and the times of this ignorance. God winked at her, passed over. That is, man was not held as responsible before the Lord Jesus came. Not that there was no responsibility. We don't mean that.
But now God says now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Why? Oh, because there is judgment coming. But all my friend, what we present to you tonight is the Lord Jesus Christ. Because as we read here, it says in verse 11, this is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which has become the head of the corner. Oh, we can all understand that the builders.
In this particular case, the nation of Israel said this man doesn't fit into what we're trying to build and beloved friend, this world today in essence is saying about the Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't fit into our plans. He doesn't fit into what we're doing. And so if you try to talk about the Lord Jesus Christ in the world of today, you won't find.
Men wanting to hear that blessed name, but all, what has God done? God has exalted him to the highest place. Why? Oh, because that blessed one, the Lord Jesus has glorified God as to the question of sin. And oh, tonight, friends, what we have to tell you is that.
The question of sin has been settled before a holy.
Is there anyone here tonight that would dare to stand up and say I have never sinned?
I can well remember being in Sunday school back home where I live many years ago now, and the preacher who was standing up there saying is there any boy or girl here that is never told a lie?
Well, to everyone's surprise, a boy about seven years old put his hand up and the preacher thought he hadn't understood, so he went down a little bit off the podium. He said, son, do is that right? You have never told a lie, never said anything that you knew to be wrong, anything that wasn't true. No, Sir, I haven't.
Well, the preacher was a little dumbfounded for a minute.
But, you know, unhappily for that boy, his mother was sitting beside him. So the preacher said, well, son, I think I'd like to ask your mom here about that. Mother hadn't said anything. So the preacher said, Mother, what about this boy? What about this statement that he has just made that he's never told a lie? Is that right?
Mother looked up, She said no, she said he just told one more.
He just told one more, you know, I think the poor boy was trying to be honest. Do you know what had happened? The same thing that happens to many of us. He'd forgotten. He'd forgotten. He didn't remember telling the lie. And so he'd forgotten. I don't think I remember that well. I was sitting there and I don't think the boy was trying to be a smart aleck. If I could use that expression, he'd forgotten. And you and I, that are older, we smile because we say, oh, yes.
He'd forgotten, but you know, before we condemned that boy too much. Are there those in this room that are pretending to be something in the sight of God?
It's not merely that you and I are sinners. We're lost sinners. We're lost sinners. And there are many that would like to say perhaps, yes, I've done things that are wrong, but oh, to admit that we can't do anything before a holy God, oh, that's a very humbling place to take. And old friends, tonight, unless you get to the point that you humble yourself in the sight of God and admit that you are a lost Sinner, you will never be saved. But oh, if you're willing to admit the truth of God's word, that there is no difference.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All then it says here.
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men.
00:30:03
Whereby we must be saved, or would you like to know that blessed Savior?
We said a moment ago that the question had been settled.
God has settled the issue.
Why do I say that? On the authority of the Word of God? And on what authority can we say it? Because God says it. How do we know it for sure? Because the Lord Jesus has been raised from the dead, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ gives us the absolute assurance that God accepted his work on Calvary's cross.
Calvary's Cross.
The world looks back to Calvary's cross with mixed feelings. Some make a great to do of it, Some would like to forget it.
That old beloved friend, I want to take you back tonight to the foot of Calvary's cross.
Because there and there only is a message of forgiveness for your sins.
God has been satisfied with what the Lord Jesus Christ has done and God says.
I present to you, my beloved Son, as your Savior. Are you going to raise questions if God is satisfied, or will you accept that message of forgiveness? We read in Acts 1338 there.
But there is a message of forgiveness.
Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.
Oh, it's a wonderful thing to be forgiven.
Sometimes we don't realize, though, that we need to be forgiven.
I read a touching story a while ago.
About a man who realized how much he had been forgiven in more than one way.
Everyone here.
Knows about Pearl Harbor.
The man who was the lead pilot in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a man by the name of.
Matsuhol, Fushida.
And he led that attack.
With every intention of devastating the American fleet preparatory.
To an attack in full scale on this country.
Well, we know what the result of it was.
And he records how that he was standing on the deck of the ship.
When the Japanese surrendered.
And he wondered where it all was going to end.
He began to raise questions in his own soul as to where he was going and what it all meant.
Not that we're here to talk in any way about politics. Nothing to nothing like that. We're telling a story.
But he'd seen his nation devastated in war. He'd seen the awful solemnity.
Of atomic warfare unleashed on his country.
And began to think about eternal matters. And God brought him in touch with those who told them that there was a message of forgiveness.
He came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior.
Well, in the course of time.
He was actually invited over to the United States of America to preach.
And you can imagine with what feelings he dared to come over to the country against whom he had fought so.
Strenuously only a few short years ago.
But then he tells a story about something that happened.
I believe it was in California.
And he had been given the privilege of preaching the gospel. He had learned a bit of English, although I believe on this occasion he spoke largely through an interpreter in order to have greater liberty.
And after the gospel meeting, various people came up and shook his hand.
And he says he couldn't believe how that there were those dearly beloved Christians who came up and grasped his hand and shook it warmly.
But he said one thing impressed him more than anything else.
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An elderly woman came up, perhaps in her 70s.
And with her, a boy who looked about 13.
This probably was in the early 50s.
And as they were chatting together, she said, I know the Lord Jesus as my Savior.
And so does my grandson here.
And we'd like to help.
With your work that you're doing for the Lord. And she pressed some money into his hand.
Well, he conversed briefly with them and he said.
Madam, this is your grandson, is that right? Yes.
And he turned to the grandson and asked his name and he was told.
Then he asked the question. He said, son, you're here with your grandmother.
Do you have parents? No.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Yes, the boy said. My mother died of a serious illness.
And what about your father, my boy?
He was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Oh, he said. That went to my soul deeper than anything else, to think of the forgiveness that was there.
That here this boy and his grandmother.
He said. I thought back to the awful crime.
The awful things in my background that I had been, amongst others, the means.
Of unleashing.
Those bombs.
That had rendered.
At least this boy, fatherless. And here I've been forgiven.
All beloved friends, tonight you and I weep when we hear that story. It brings tears to our eyes when we think of the forgiveness.
But all, beloved friend, how much more when we talk about the heart of God?
When we talk about a God against whom we have all sinned, not once, not twice, not 25 times, but thousands and hundreds of thousands and millions of times, and yet God has a message of forgiveness for you tonight.
And the very one who hung on Calvary's cross at your hand and mine, because we would have been there too, had we lived back then.
Don't let us think that our hearts are not capable of it, but all, beloved friend, God has a message of forgiveness. How to the precious blood of Christ. Let's read that verse again in first John chapter one.
I, John. Chapter One.
In verse 7.
Just the last clause of the verse.
The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanse up us from all sin.
Can we put your name in there tonight? I know if I went around this room, and I'm not going to do it, I know it would be no problem to pick out many in this room tonight who would gladly come up here and stand alongside of me and we could say this verse together. The blood.
Of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
As the blood cleansed your sin, oh unhappily, today there are those who would say.
We don't want to hear about that.
I've heard people say these very words. I don't want the blood religion.
Beloved friend, if you don't.
Want the precious blood of Christ? God has no other way.
God has no other way that he can put away sin.
Because it says without the shedding of blood there is no remission.
And you and I cannot choose our own way of salvation. No, we must.
Come God's way and God is only one way to be saved, and that is through the precious blood of Christ.
There are many today who want to come in some other way, who want to do something to save themselves, who think that somehow it doesn't matter which which way you come. There's a notion abroad today that it doesn't much matter what you believe or how you believe or anything like that. The notion is that somehow we're all going to end up at the same place, even though we all come different ways. All my friend.
00:40:27
God's Word says there is only one way.
And if you do not come through the Lord Jesus Christ and His precious blood, there is no salvation for you. Absolutely none.
I remember well.
Being in India a few years ago with a brother.
I was standing in line at a money changing facility there.
And of course, you didn't see too many people with whom you could converse in English.
But ahead of Maine, several paces in the line, I saw a man and I noticed that he carried a Swiss passport.
So I took a gamble and I addressed him in German, which I know a little, and he responded very well.
And we talked a little bit.
Bit of German, bit of English.
And he said, what are you doing in India?
Oh, I said, I've got some very good Christian friends here and I've come to enjoy their company and I've come here to tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, he said. Isn't that interesting? I'm here too, for spiritual reasons.
And we're not here to be critical of anyone, but rather we are here to point out, clearly, my friends, that there is only one way.
And he talked about some guru that he had come to see who was somehow going to give him peace and rest in his soul. Well, I tried to speak to him about Christ, but then his turn came up at the wicked, and he went on his way. But later on that evening, as I was sitting with another brother in a little restaurant in the basement of our hotel, sure enough, there he was. So he went over and had another conversation with him. And they'll never forget his words. He said to us, How can you be so arrogant?
As to claim that your way is the only way, how can you be so arrogant as to tell me?
That what I am doing is of no value in the sight of God.
O beloved friends, if it were my way, it would indeed be arrogance.
If it were something that someone had invented on their own, it would indeed be presumption and arrogance. To present it to you is the only way.
But all beloved friends were talking about the Word of God. We're talking about God's beloved son. We're talking about what God says, not what man says.
Why not come to Christ and be safe, Come under the shelter of that precious blood and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Let's turn over to Philippians now, chapter 2.
Philippians, Chapter 2.
And we'll read from verse 5, just the last part of the verse.
Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon in the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Now here was the verse I had in mind, Wherefore God also.
Hath highly exalted him.
And given him a name which is above every name, that name of Jesus. Every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
That at the name of Jesus, every knee.
Should bow.
00:45:06
When you're going to bow, now or in future?
He'll perhaps allow a personal story, but it really impressed me.
My class.
That I attended university with.
Holds a reunion from time to time.
And frequently I go.
Because it's always wonderful to see how God has worked.
The last time I was there.
There was a chap.
That if I might use the term advisedly.
Had been as big a Rascal.
As you could want to see.
Who had been thoroughly worldly, No use for the things of God.
A mouth that was used to profanity.
And all the rest of it.
But when we got together again, there was Lee Clark, a changed man.
He come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. And I said, Lee, how did it happen?
Well, he said it started many years ago when I went to a fair as a boy and a man was handing out tracks at the fair and he tried to interest me in the gospel. And he said my two friends were willing to listen. But I said no, I don't want to hear that. And I walked away and I wouldn't take the track.
But he said, you know, the Lord kept speaking to me along the way, and various ones talked to me about the gospel, and I knew deep down inside that I didn't have peace. And one day someone said to me, Lee, I want you to come to a gospel meeting.
He said. I went to the gospel meeting and there again I heard the same message.
And I went home and I said I've got to get saved.
I knew what I had to do. I knew I had.
Except the Lord Jesus Christ into my heart.
And so standing up there, I said the words, I said, Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Savior.
And he said I knew I wasn't saved. I knew I didn't mean it.
These are his own words. He told me this himself.
He said something said to me inside Lee. You haven't bowed and submitted yet. You're still pretending that there's something good in you. You haven't submitted to God.
He said. I've got to kneel down. I've got to kneel down.
But he said I found it hard to kneel down and I tried.
And I thought maybe it'll work if I just kneel down on one knee. So I kneel down on one knee and I said the words again.
Lord Jesus, I accept you as my savior, he said. I got up.
And I knew I wasn't safe.
And again, that voice seemed to say, Lee, you didn't mean it.
Knee early, you've got to kneel down and submit.
He said. I kneeled down again on one knee.
He said. Bill, you won't believe it. I had to take that other knee with my two hands.
And force it down on the floor.
And then the third time I said, Lord Jesus, I accept you as my savior, he said. That time when I get up off my knees, I knew I was safe.
All beloved friend, every knee is going to bow.
We're living in a day when man is priding himself on who he is and what he can do.
When man says I don't have to submit to anyone, When man says no one is going to tell me what to do. And I freely confess that naturally speaking, my own heart is just the same, and so is everyone else here in this room. But that's the kind of thinking that is going on.
But all, beloved friend, tonight, if you're going to be saved, you must bow the knee to God's beloved Son.
But oh, isn't he worthy? Isn't he worthy of you bowing your knee to him?
00:50:01
Think of that one who hung on Calvary's cross, enduring agony that none of us can ever understand.
In order that God might be able to offer salvation to you and to me.
Oh, there's a day coming, as it says here, when every knee shall bow, and what a solemn thing to stand before God.
Without the shelter of the blood of Christ, what a solemn thing for those who will one day stand before God.
And have nothing to cover their sins.
Let's turn to another scripture in John's Gospel Chapter 5.
John's Gospel, chapter 5 and verse 43.
The words of the Lord Jesus Himself.
I am come in my father's name, and ye receive me not.
If another shall come in his own name, him he will receive.
Oh, what a solemn verse this is.
We know that this Scripture, in its proper application, refers to Israel in a future day. That's not the point here tonight. The point is that the Lord Jesus has come, and God has borne witness to him as his beloved Son, as the only name by which you and I can be saved.
But the Lord Jesus solemnly reminds those to whom he was speaking, and he says, I am come in my Father's name, and ye believe me not.
Another shall come in his own name. Him you will receive.
Oh my friend, it reminds me of a story again that I read some time ago.
This took place in Germany, I believe came from the lips of a man who was the preacher of the gospel for many years.
And he tells of a man whom he had presented the gospel too many times over.
Could never get any response.
One day he got a call in the middle of the night from the man's wife. Please come quickly.
Come quickly, my husband is seriously ill.
He went right away to the house.
And I'm not sure of all of the circumstances, why he wasn't in hospital or something like that, but it doesn't matter for the purposes of the story. He went right away to the house, and there was the man seriously ill and staring death in the face. But he was still lucid. He was still able to think and talk and understand. And once again this precious book was opened. Once again, Christ was presented to him.
Once again it was urged on him that there was a way that he wicked man though he was.
Could be saved.
And all he could do was shake his head and say I can't, I can't, I can't.
What had happened?
He hadn't received Christ.
And now?
It was too late. There are many today that are holding on to other names. They have said, as it were, to the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't want that man.
We don't want him.
And now they're getting taken up with some other name. Anything, Any other name.
Satan doesn't care. Satan doesn't care what other name you take hold of. He doesn't care whether you get mixed up with some guru over in the Far East or whether you get attached to some figure in North America here.
It doesn't matter to him.
As long as it's not Christ.
Oh, we plead with you tonight. Our time is gone, and what more can we say?
Except once more to hold up to you, that blessed One, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We haven't said too much about judgment that lies ahead.
But it reminds me of another story. I'll take a moment to tell it.
About a man.
00:55:01
To whom someone handed a gospel tract.
And he looked at it for a moment.
Then he said, well, I don't know what to make of this.
He said I grew up an atheist, my father was an atheist.
My grandfather was an atheist, but he said it's interesting that you should give me this gospel tract.
Because something happened a week ago.
Let us set me thinking, he said. A week ago, my father died, and my father had been an atheist all his life and had no use for these things at all.
And we were gathered around my father's deathbed and he had been unconscious for some hours and it was only a matter of time.
Until he died. And so we were gathered around there, the rest of the family just quietly waiting for the last moment to come.
He said all of a sudden, and this is a true story. Believe me, it's true.
All of a sudden, my father sat up in his bed.
And half shouted, half screamed these awful words the.
There is a God. There is a health.
And I'm going to it.
He fell back on the bed and was gone.
All the man said. I can't forget the look on his face. I can't forget the tone of, if you could call it Voice City. Use the beloved friend tonight. May God spare you from ever being brought to that point where you stare so clearly into eternity.
And yet it's too late to do anything about it. Oh, I was thinking back as I sat in my seat just waiting to start the gospel meeting.
Of a gospel message that I suppose was preached almost 40 years ago in Toronto, ON. And I can well remember our late brother Ernie Wakefield standing there and then a voice that rung through the room. He said, beloved friends, there is a hell, but God has blocked the road to hell with the cross. God has blocked the road to hell with the cross. And beloved friend, tonight that is true.
If you go into a lost eternity, you have to go round the cross of Christ. You have to face up the cross of Christ and go around it.
In order to go into a lost eternity because God has blocked the road to hell with the cross.
Well.
Does anyone here who isn't saved, oh, don't go out of those doors tonight and just say, well, that was a, that was another gospel meeting. Let's talk about it. If there's anyone here that would like to talk, there are many here that would be glad to sit down with you as long as you want.
Talk and help you to see anything more clearly. Let's sing a hymn together in closing.
#10 #10.
Just the last verse He waited in patience for sinners to trust him.
And says, I receive thee now, just as though are salvation and pardon, I heartily offer.
To all who receive me by faith in their heart, just remain seated #10 Verse 4 only.
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Time Is Short. Bow the Knee Now

YP Sing Address—D. Whitaker
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.
Horsehair foot? Was that like deep?
4 sharp Z right?
No, we just weren't ready to guess. OK, let's turn it on. OK, here we go.
Every time.
You're always on the light glowing over the world where the world is.
How much time do we have left? It says we have the rest of our time. How much is that?
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Very short. Very short.
Not coming through.
All right.
OK, I deal a lot in my business with colors and I enjoy them very much. You understand and you know that in the rainbow is every single color that there is. You get the whole spectrum in the rainbow. Should we turn please to Genesis Chapter 9?
Next time we look at a rainbow, we can be thinking about these things.
Noah had just been through an awful flood. This earth had seen this wickedness grow, and violence and corruption have gotten to such a point where God had to judge this world. And in that case he did it with a flood.
And then after the flood, we have a very beautiful thing here.
Verse 12 of Genesis Chapter 9. How about starting with verse 8? And God spake unto Noah and to his sons with him, saying, Genesis 9, verse nine. And I behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seat after you, and with every living creature that is with you.
Of the file of the cattle, every beast of the earth with you, from all that go out of the ark to every beast of the earth, and I will establish my covenant with you. Neither shall all flesh be cut off anymore by waters, by the waters of a flood, neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth. God said This is the token of the covenant which I made make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations.
I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth, and shall come to pass when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud. And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and every living creature of all flesh. And the water shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature, and so on.
That beautiful rainbow that we see on occasion.
We see them. I'd like you to think of it this way.
First of all, how is it that God could ever come in and give a promise? We sing just a couple of hymns back there, standing on the promises. Beautiful song. I remember as a little child having that song sung to me by my my parents. Another song they sang with trust and obey well.
This promise here, think of it this way.
How did we get the promises that God has given to us? It all goes. In this case. It looked forward to the cross and now we look back to the cross. The cross is the center of everything, the cross, the cross of Christ.
And when light comes down, you see some clouds in the distance.
And you see, there it is, there it is. A rainbow starts up, and it starts up over the beautiful. What does it take to get a rainbow? Oh, you have to have pure white sunlight.
You have to have a dark dark cloud.
And you have to have water.
Now that light comes and hits that those water droplets and that diffuses out and it breaks that quite light up into the full spectrum and it puts a bow, beautiful bow out there. I want you to think of it this way when you see a rainbow.
What is the white light? In this case? It was the white light of God's judgment purity.
What was the dark, dark cloud?
All that was Calvary, that was where the Lord Jesus went and suffered under the righteous, under a righteous and holy God against sin. And what is the result? The Lord Jesus.
Could take that purity, as it were, and could diffuse it out into the whole spectrum. Think of the grace of God. Think of the goodness of God to man. If we were to take the typical teaching of those colors which I'm not able to do very well, we find all the beauties of Christ, all the beauties of Christ, and all when God looks upon Calvary.
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And he can see his son and what he did there.
For us at the Cross, beautiful thing.
I have asked you a question.
You belong to him if you bowed the knee to him.
Then we come to a story. I won't turn to it. We just have a moment. Joseph, His father gave him a coat of many colors. Why? Because he loved him now.
Those brothers in Israel, those brothers took that coat and what did they do? They tore it up and they stuffed it back in their Father's face, as it were. And they said, if this is your son's coat, see if it is or not. That's what this world has done to our blessed Savior and all of His beauty. He came down here in such a wonderful display of grace and love, faithfulness to God the Father, blessing in His heart to mankind, everlasting life offered. What did they do?
He came onto his own, and his own received him not.
But as many as received him, to then gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
Joseph coated many colors and then what happened?
At the end of the story, towards the end of the story, we find out that these brothers came and they bowed their knees, didn't they? They bowed their knees and they could see Joseph then and all of his glory and splendor there. There will come a time from the unbelievers of this world, to their own shame. They'll see the Lord Jesus and all of his splendor and all of his glory.
You and I, most of us, I believe here tonight about the need. We've seen beauty in him at this time. Then you get over to the book of Ephesians.
Ephesians chapter 3 is an interesting verse there.
And I think it can be.
Translate it this way.
39.
The last part of the eighth verse, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship but the dispensation of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
By the church might be made known. The church. Who's that? That's the believers in this room here tonight. Some part of the church.
These angels, these principalities, these powers are looking down and they're seeing something. They're seeing the manifold that's the all various colored wisdom of God.
They're looking down and they're seeing a display of Christ in you as a believer, in you as a believer.
They're seeing the manifold wisdom of God. Oh, and I suppose let's let this be an admonition to our hearts. Do you mean to say the Scripture does say that these.
These principalities and these powers in heavenly places are looking down and they're seeing in you the manifold wisdom of God, the all various wisdom of God, the graces that we've been speaking about in the meeting this morning especially.
Now I have a question. Have you filed any?
Every knee it says in the Old Testament, and it's also says that the book of Acts.
Every knee shall bow.
If there's 500 people this conference, 250 knees.
Sooner or later going to bow, if there are 10 million people that are going to be, unless they have been cut off for some reason or another, there's going to be 20 million people bowed, knees bowed, there's a man came into the business.
00:40:03
He needed to be saved, he said. So he went into his room and he got down on his knee, one knee. And he knew that he needed to confess Christ as his Savior then and now. And if he didn't, that's it. He had that feeling before God that it was last chance. He was a very proud pilot. He got one knee on the ground, but the other one wouldn't go down. And he figured that if he didn't get that other knee down, he wouldn't be saved. He'd go out of his room with a lost soul still.
He thought about, he said this is my chance. He was so proud. He wouldn't put that other knee on the ground, wouldn't put it out. He took his hands and he took that, that recalcitrant knee and he jammed it down to the floor. He got saved. That's what he did. Question, have you bowed the knee? Do it now or you'll do it later. Guaranteed 100% you will bow the knee. It says in the Old Testament, New Testament, every knee should bow.
Isn't he worthy? He's wonderful. The Old Testament says every shell bow. New Testament says every knee can bow. Let's say those words quite.
Every knee shall have bowed, or Jesus is going to be exalted. He's going to be extolled and he's going to be very high and even the kings of this earth are going to bow to him. You say, what about these great men? Tell you about some of them? Down the road from the house there's a man playing with William Gates. Richest man on earth. Usually it depends on the stock market.
And does he have a testimony to going into to his life and heart? I know the man that opens his mail for him and takes care of his children for him. I said to him.
Scott does Mr. Gates have a little gospel message? Oh, he says letters are sent to him pleading with him to come to the Lord Jesus. Poems, verses. Oh yes, he gets a testimony.
That's right.
The 1930, mid 30s I think it was, there was a man, his name was Brother Winter Hawk. He was riding the train in Germany and he was seeking to give the gospel to this man that was in the same section there with him. And this man got angry at an angry strange look in his eye.
I didn't know he was, and so he kept talking to him and he got no response. He rejected him. He wondered who it was. The next day he saw on paper Adolf Hitler, Yes.
There was a man came into the business and brother Bob Brimlow, he was dealing with this young man about the Lord.
And.
In the corner was standing another man listening.
And Bob was talking about the Lord, and these two men left, and the young man called back 15 minutes later. He said, Bob, I want to tell you, he said, that is the llama of the sake province of Tibet. That's my father. And I was in line to be that governor of that section of Tibet.
And my father is not saved. He says I'm saved, He says. I was afraid to confess.
To my father, he is one of these Buddhists, I believe.
Well, he got the gospel. The gospel God has not left himself without witness.
We've had the witness a beautiful gospel meeting tonight. Beautiful. I can take you, won't tell you where it is, but I can take you to a place where, you know, different assemblies have little, sometimes they have a little sheet of the people that are in fellowship. So the telephone numbers and so on. I can take you to a place and I can open up a sheet and I can show you someone that's at the Lord's table.
And the last thing I heard about that person was they didn't know if there was a God or not, and if there was a God, didn't have any reference to him.
So we want to be careful.
Our knees bow now.
Or they bow later.
That's a plain fact.
Why don't you let them bring them down, bring them down tonight, bring them down in his presence. He's worthy. He is totally and completely worthy. How much time do I have?
That's it. Time is up. So we.
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A Becoming Walk

YP Sing Address—N. Simon
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.
Anyone.
Well, I really don't mind if you forget my name.
I I won't hesitate to tell you that I'm quite nervous standing up in front of the were you young people? I've only been to a couple of young people things myself. I did not come into the assessment.
00:30:01
Emily until I was in my 20s and I had only been to a couple of things.
Before I was married and I guess that disqualified me from attending until today.
So.
Let's let's start by reading some verses by way of introduction and.
And I don't really intend to speak from the verses that I'm about to read, but just to introduce my thought. And they're found in Timothy, First Epistle of Timothy, First Epistle of Paul to Timothy in the second chapter.
Beginning in the eighth verse.
First Timothy, second chapter eight first. I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.
In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest insane placidness and sobriety. We could read that modesty and discretion not with broided hair or gold or pearls or costly array, but which becometh women professing godliness.
With good works that the woman learned with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to assert authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. I'll stop there.
Now, I'm not intending to stand here tonight and to lecture you on what you should or shouldn't wear.
But there is a walk that's becoming to a Christian.
And when I read these verses.
Some time ago and struck me as rather odd the juxtaposition of the two subjects.
It goes from men praying everywhere and then says to the women in like manner also and then it starts talking about dress, what a woman should wear. What has prayer and what a woman wears got to do with each other? Well, in First Timothy we have the church in order and as I said, I believe there is a walk that is characteristic of the Christian.
And that's really my subject tonight, not to give you something negative.
You know, there's two ways that I could tell you how to get to the motel. We're staying at the motel. I could say don't go down the street.
Don't go down that street, Take this road, do this, do that. There's another way I could say.
And that is, well, I'm driving down there. Follow me now. I don't want you to follow me tonight. I'm not important, I said. I didn't mind if you didn't remember my name. I want, if anything, tonight, I want to point you to one that I want you to follow. Follow him.
Now let's look to the Lord in prayer.
Now.
We've all heard and enjoyed some very good ministry. And my question to you is, is what are you going to do with us? What am I going to do with it? Tomorrow? I have to head back home to Colorado. And Tuesday, Lord willing, if we're left here, I'm supposed to be back at work and the week goes on just like the week that I left. What am I going to do with it? What are you going to do with it now if you leave this conference thinking to yourself?
But I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. I'm going to vow to live a better life. You are going to be disappointed, bitterly disappointed. You're going to be like Jacob. He couldn't keep what he vowed.
We need to.
To give up, to surrender ourselves.
To as we have in Romans, to reckon ourselves dead, let's.
Well, in these verses that I read, it spoke about men that spoke about women. Tonight you are here. Young men, Scripture calls you young men. Scripture calls you young women. I don't know that I ever mentioned young people, but there's other two terms are found in Scripture. Now, young men, you are characterized by strength, and I would also suggest that young women, you are characterized by beauty.
Scripture does not hesitate to mention that the women in it were beautiful.
But it's interesting the first mention of the beauty of the woman is found in in Genesis chapter 6. I believe it is.
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In the days of Noah, when things were going astray.
And the second verse of Genesis 6, the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which they chose. I don't intend to go into what that verse might mean in its entirety, but next mention of a fair woman was Tara, and it doesn't mention her beauty until it causes Abraham to stumble.
Rebecca it mentions that she is fair, but not by Isaac. Not until Isaac is stumbled by her beauty and then it mentioned that she was fair.
In those verses that we read in Timothy.
I would like to suggest that beauty for a woman is not what you put on. It's not what you do with your hair. There are those points covered in that verse. It's what's on the inside, a young man. I said strength characterized the young man. We have strength in Genesis again in Nimrod that says push the GAT Nimrod and he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter.
Before the Lord. Now that wasn't a good thing. That may sound like a good thing, but Nimrod went out in his own strength to a mighty hunter. Hunting involves cunning. Mighty involves strength. Strength and cunning. He went out to make a name for himself. And is that what you intend to do with yourself tonight, young men?
You want to go out to make a name for yourself.
Let's. In those verses we had in First Timothy, it said for.
The men.
To pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. You want to lift weights? Lift your hands up in prayer. You know this book here, Paul also says to Timothy.
Bodily exercises profit us for our level. It doesn't say a profit of nothing, but the value of it in your life overall is going to be small.
If you want strength, then find it in prayer now. I was told that I had about 15 minutes to speak.
And I was given some liberty to go overtime, but I don't want to take that liberty too far, so I want to keep this short.
But I wanted to look at one person in scripture and it was a woman.
You know, we had some examples today and I believe that all of men of service, but I want to bring before you a woman.
Now your sisters.
Your presence in the assembly is important.
Now I said originally that I always found it odd that a connected praying with how a woman should dress. A man's place in the assembly is public. He prays publicly. A woman's position in the assembly is not public speaking. But.
She can show by her adornment and that verse, those verses doesn't just mean what she wears, it means her whole department, how she carries herself.
She can be a testimony. Your place in the assembly is very important and as you go on, if the Lord should leave us here, if you have families, the place of the husband and of the wife in that family is very important. Don't think just because you're a woman that you don't have to think about these things, that you'll have a husband that will take care of them.
And husbands. Potential husbands.
Don't think that your physical strength is going to carry a marriage through. So anyway, before I drag this out longer than I intended, let's look at this example. Example I had in mind is Mary.
Let's look in Luke.
Chapter 10, the end of the chapter. Now all these verses are very familiar to you, I'm sure.
00:40:01
But we find Mary.
At Jesus feet, I said I wanted to point you to one to follow.
I want you to point. I want to point you to one at whose feet.
You should find yourself. Mary is found at Jesus feet three times. This is the first occasion to the end of Luke chapter 10.
Now Angel passes they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house, and she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word. But Martha was coming about with much serving and came to him and said, Lord does not doubt care that my sister has let me to serve alone. Bit her therefore that she helped me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.
But one thing is needful when Mary has chosen that good part that shall not be taken away from her.
So where is Mary found? Mary is found sitting at Jesus feet hearing His word and that's where you and I have to start hearing His word. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We had a gospel there tonight.
The sound went out.
We can't make you take it in.
Face cometh by hearing. You have to hear it and receive it into your house.
There's many scriptures I could point you to about the importance of this word, and I would encourage each one of you to read it.
No, in when I grew up, I grew up in a Christian home, I said. I didn't come into the assembly until I was in my 20s. I moved here from another country.
And but I grew up in a Christian home, and it was our custom to read the scriptures.
Together as a family every day. And the only times that we didn't, there are so few in my memory that they stick out in my mind. So you are now reaching an age where perhaps you've already gone out on your own. You're going to have to stop making decisions for yourself if you haven't started to make them already. And should you marry, you're going to have to stop making decisions, young men, for your family.
And you're going to need to have the word of God before you if you want to go on.
And even as a single person, you need to start reading this book, if you haven't already for yourself.
Now it's so easy.
To be discouraged in reading it, to put it off. I mean this.
I'll admit.
I can pick up a story and I can start reading that and not feel tired. And before I know it's late, I pick up the scriptures and I start reading it and I don't know why, but suddenly I stopped feeling tired. Maybe this wasn't the night for me to read. You know that the enemy has all sorts of ways of.
Having a.
To take us away from this.
This book, this precious book, sitting at his feet, listening to his word.
Time is moving on. I was.
Well, let me my watch is fast so.
We got three times I said that Mary was at Jesus speech. So we got two more to go through. But I just wanted to point you to some verses in Song of Solomon in the 5th chapter. This is a book that I really have enjoyed. You know, properly speaking, that's not the Christian.
Experience.
I'm not sure I put that exactly right, but nevertheless, I see my own heart in this book.
5th chapter of Song of Solomon.
This is how we are. The third verse across my coat. How shall I put it on? I've washed my feet. How shall we file? How shall I defile them?
We're laid out in peace, relaxing.
Why should I make the efforts?
My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door. My bowels were moved for him. I rose up. You see she was lying down. I rose up to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with murder, and my fingers sweet with sweet, smelling mirror upon the hammers. As I lost, I opened to my beloved, but my beloved hath withdrawn himself.
00:45:12
Now, is this the manner that you take up this book?
In your leisure.
Let's read on. She goes out.
The Watchmen that went about the city, you know, let me read the.
The rest of the sixth verse I saw him, but could not find him. I called him, but it gave me no answer. The watchman that went about the city found me. They smoked me, they wounded me. The keepers of the wall took my veil away from me, took my veil from me.
Is this how you search for your office? Are you searching them a in the wrong way?
It's your leisure. Are you searching for them in the wrong place in the city? Is that what you're looking for? Your answers? Are you asking the wrong people? The Watchmen you know? And since they took her veil away, the world is going to find out whether you're real or not.
I can't tell what your hearts are. I can't tell whether you're blessing or not.
The world has a way of finding that out. You know, I went through university and I like to fit in. I, I, I was a shy, very shy child. I don't find it easy to stand up and talk to people.
And a lot of times the shy people, they don't like to stick out and be noticed, and I like to fit in.
And one day a girl says to me at college, well, I know for a fact you're not a Christian.
You know that smoked me.
That's smoking.
The world has a way of finding out whether you're real or not.
Let's continue on to the next.
Point in Mary's life where we find her at Jesus feet.
Tennis in John.
The 11Th chapter, I have a little bit to say about Master Two. You know, we just saw Martha. She pointed her finger and said, what about her?
You know Peter pointed his finger at John and said, What about her? And tonight I want you to point the finger but this way and say, what about me?
What about me?
In the 11Th chapter of John.
Beginning with well, we know the story Lazarus side.
Beginning in the 21St. And Martha, Martha is kind of a busy person. She likes to be busy. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you don't point your finger and say what about her?
Mother is busy, and so she she says in the 21St And Master, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went out and met him, that Mary sat still in the house. Vincent, Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou would ask of God, God will give it to the givethe Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall raise again in the rise, again in the resurrection of the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life he that believeth in me, though he were dead.
Yet shall he live, And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth sell this she sayeth unto him, Gaylord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which thou which should come into the world. And when she has so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister, secretly saying, The monsters come and call us for these.
And as soon as she heard that, Mary arose quickly and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
The Jews then, which were with her in the house, and comforted her when they saw Mary, because she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goes under the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying, Lord, that thou hast been here, my brother has not died.
The next time we find Mary at Jesus feet, it's weeping.
Let's back up just a little bit and talk about Masa.
You know the Lord has a conversation here with Martha.
And perhaps his mother had been sitting at Jesus feet previously. She might have understood.
00:50:13
It's not clear in our scripture here because in English.
We have one word for ask, but in Greek there's more than one word. And Mary says here, if thou wilt supplicate of God, see, she doesn't really understand who the Lord Jesus is. The Lord Jesus never uses that word. When he asked something of God, He asked for God as an equal. He never supplicates God.
The MASA doesn't quite understand.
The Lord Jesus, and she doesn't understand what he's saying to her now that sometimes when we speak, we don't quite use the right words. And I don't want to discourage you from speaking because you might happen to use the wrong right word or you might use the wrong word. I stumble over my words and I trust you'll give me that liberty too.
So I don't want to discourage you.
But Masa doesn't really understand and she says something.
But I never read, she says.
The Master is come and call us for thee. Where in what I read was the Lord calling for Mary? Martha recognized something in her sister that told her. Mary will understand this. I don't.
I'll go get married and she gets married. We find Mary at Jesus feet weeping. You know, in the first example, where was that? His feet listening to his words. Back in Colorado on Thursday night, there's a reading meeting.
And no doubt the assembly that you go to, there's a reading meeting. I'd encourage you to be there.
There's also a prayer meeting.
At his feet, weeping. If he listened to his word, when the trial comes, you know where to turn and you'll be at his feet, weeping, praying, and trials will come. You know again, you're at an age where I can talk to you that marriage is something that.
Is possibly in your horizon, you know, when you're young.
Get off your sights. Not that far out. So you're at an age where.
These thoughts are going to come through your mind, young men.
It's so important that you pray.
And when you have a family that you pray together, that you pray with your wife.
Prayer has a way of revealing who you are. It's not the only reason why we pray, obviously.
But I've said it before in our own assembly, I find it hard to pray publicly.
I find it hard. I can talk and I can pretend to be something I'm not, but when it comes to prayer, I cannot pretend to be something I'm not. And when you kneel down with your wife, should the Lord leave us here and bless you with a wife? When you open your heart in prayer and she opens her heart in prayer, you have to be honest with each other. You know, there's a verse in first Peter that says likewise your husband's dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto wife under the wife as under the weaker vessels.
And as being heirs together of grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. It's important that the prayers in the marriage relationship are not hindered.
You notice it mentions the wife of being the weaker vessel. It doesn't say the weak vessel, it says the weaker vessel. That means that I am weak. It merely says the wife is the weaker vessel.
God does not want us to be ignorant, he says. Well, according to knowledge.
You know, I, I wondered whether I should mention that.
And I I trust with the Lord's strength I can get through it. But.
I said this another couple months that were contemplating marriage. You know, when trials come, there are a whole lot, and I speak particularly to the young men. When trials come in your life, there are a whole lot easier when you're single.
But I think you understand what it means, the weaker vessel when you have a wife and trials come and it's not probably what you're thinking right now.
When we were married.
My wife and I, we had anticipations of a happy family with children and I have children. I have 3 beautiful children.
00:55:09
But the first child we lost.
Young men, when you enter marriage, don't enter it. Likely don't enter unprepared.
You need to have your life in order.
You need to know what it is to be at Jesus feet listening to his word.
You need to know in your life what it is to be at His feet in prayer.
Because your wife will depend upon you.
To help you. It's not that she won't depend upon the Lord.
She will, but she'll expect you to be there too.
Let's look at the last point in Jesus.
When Mary was at Jesus feet as found in John.
Chapter 12.
And excuse the personal reference to I. I don't want to set myself up to be something I tell you this because I was not prepared.
You know the other thing too, I want to tell you with prayer and trials, you know Mary was at Jesus feet weeping. She was in a trial. You know, you can worry about the trials that might come up in your life. You can worry about all sorts of things. It says casting your care upon him. Care actually, it says having cost your care singular. It doesn't contemplate that we have lots of cares.
Cast your care upon him.
So don't. I don't want you to be imagining all sorts of things that might happen to you in your life. The law doesn't treat us like that. He treats us like a kind father. You know, I read a book recently by someone that you probably all know and have heard of, and maybe you've even read their book. Corrie 10. Boom. She went through a concentration camp. Who in here can imagine what it's like to go through a concentration camp?
Who else in here can prepare ourselves for such a thing like that? But when Carrie was a very little girl, she worried about things and her father said to her, when you catch a train car, when do I give you the ticket and car? He said Just before I get on the train. She was a little girl.
The Father held on to that ticket. Just before she got on the train, he handed her that ticket. We have a heavenly Father like that too.
When we need the strength.
He gives it to us.
But do you know where the term?
John, Chapter 12, the last.
Place we find Mary last time we find Mary at Jesus feet.
John 12 verse one. Then 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, a mass of served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment, a spikenard very costly and anointed the feet of Jesus and to seek with the hair and the house was filled with the order of the ointment. You know, I said to your sisters, your presence in the assembly was very important. You may not speak publicly, but the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. You know we had Mary at Jesus feet listening to His word because think of that as the reading meeting. We have Mary at Jesus feet and weeping. We can think of that as the prayer meeting.
We have Mary at Jesus feet with the ointment, the breaking of bread, worship, worship and this is your presence in the breaking of bread can fill the house with the odor of the ointment.
Now, young man, I haven't forgotten you, and clearly many of the things that I've said are applicable to you. And I said what characterizes a young man is strength.
And I thought that the address we had this afternoon was so applicable.
You know, as young men we want to go out with zeal. We see so much wrong, we want to change things. I had a young man in my house once. He and his wife so recently had not been married too long, and he was all fired up in zeal. He might say, as far as the reading meeting goes, well, there's hardly anyone there. I don't get anything out of it. So he talks on and off. I don't understand them. So let me ask you this. If you ever read the portion before you've gone to the reading meetings, have you prepared before you've gone?
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You know, this young man in my house was full of zeal. He could see all the things that were wrong in the assembly.
He's no longer in the assembly.
You know you need to get things in order in Exodus. You know we had this in Peter.
It talked about.
You don't have to turn to it because we had it in the Reading meeting. It took about the holy priesthood and the brother said that was vertical worship comes first, then we have the royal priesthood that goes out, service comes next.
We have it in Hebrews.
By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Worship comes first that which is vertical.
But to do good and to communicate forget not service comes next.
In the book of Exodus, we have redemption, and that's really the starting point.
You know, if you don't know Christ in your life tonight, then none of the things that I have told you are going to help you.
You know one thing I thought.
About prayer to talk to that prayer, Hezekiah was in trouble. Grab Shaka sent him a nasty ladder and said don't trust in Jehovah. None of the other nations that trusted in their gods would say basically he said just turn over Jerusalem to me. You know the world does not understand your Christianity.
Does not understand it one bit. And so tonight, if you don't have Christ in your heart, you don't understand what we're talking about. You need to start in Exodus with redemption, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. That's where you need to stop.
What book follows Exodus? Well, you all know we've sang it probably since children. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus. Leviticus is upward.
It's worship.
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