Open—Bob Thonney
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That verse, you put it at the end there Joe in First Thessalonians 5 despise not prophesying, so I want to tell you.
Of a instance in my youth, I used to travel quite a bit with.
Clem Buchanan And he was a spiritual father to me.
Anyhow, at one meeting, particular meeting, there was a brother that sometimes didn't have that good of a testimony and it rather bugged me a little bit what that brother said.
Anyhow, I said to Clint Buchanan afterwards. I said.
You know, some brothers speak. I can't hardly hear them.
He looked at me and he said.
Despise, not prophecy, science.
He says maybe it wasn't according to your liking, but listen, God uses instruments sometimes that we least expect. He used the mouth of a donkey to reprove.
A disobedient prophet. So I found that very helpful.
This about prophesying is very good, especially this beginning of chapter 14.
That verse three specifically says what prophecy is to speak unto men to edification.
Exhortation and comfort. So it's discerning what the need might be. Sometimes I meet up with believers who don't have a lot of teaching and they don't need exhortation. What they need is teaching, and so it's discerning the need and speaking accordingly. Maybe sometimes we know the teaching.
But we're not acting on it. What do we need then? Exhortation.
And of course, there's times when we need comfort as well. And so.
It's interesting.
And I just want to say this.
That although from verse 23 notice verse 23 of this chapter 14 says, what if therefore the whole church become together into one place?
This is a meeting of the assembly.
What we say is a meeting of the assembly and Brother Joe mentioned verse.
26 as well.
If how is it then, brethren, when he come together? So here's a meeting of the assembly, and he gives.
Principles for the Meeting of the Assembly.
You know another thing that Brother Clem Buchanan said to me? That was a big help to me.
Was that this is not.
Exclusively what we call an open meeting.
He says. I think it applies very much to what we call a reading meeting.
Because.
Generally speaking, when we take up a portion, a verse or two, two or three brethren may explain it. So there's understanding, maybe there's exhortation given accordingly, and then we go on to another set of verses, and it may be another two or three brethren that speak there. And so he says, you may all prophecy 1 by 1.
It's to be done in order.
And I must say, thinking it through, brethren, I do believe that the principles of the end of this chapter apply in a reading meeting. And in that sense, like you say, Joe, the judging can be done right in public. I remember a brother at a Walla Walla conference years ago.
Who made a rather serious mistake in what he said about the person of the Lord Jesus?
Albert Hay Hole is there.
Immediately, he countered that with another scripture and ministered the truth.
He judged and so the Genji can be done right then. It might be like you say afterwards, but I want to say this too, that this prophecy is not confined to assembly meeting.
It is whenever there may be a time to speak to edification, exhortation and comfort.
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And so it's something that we need to be exercised about to use the gifts that are given for the purpose as we see the need.
And I want to amplify this.
A little bit going back to Chapter 11.
Where we have in the beginning of the chapter of the subject of head coverings.
And let me just read a little bit verse three. I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of every woman is the man and the head of Christ is God in that interesting that the Lord Jesus as a man also has a head. And so as he was down here in this world, he always.
Recognized.
His father's authority, and so there's a order of authority.
Christ, his head, is God.
The head of the man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man. And then he goes on to say, every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered.
Dishonoured his head, lose his head, it's Christ.
So it's a serious thing for a man to leave his hat on or whatever kind of a head covering he might have on because there's places where it's pretty cold outside and people use a scarf or whatever it is on their head. If you're going to speak a word, take it off. That's a testimony not merely to men, but in verse 10 it says.
Because of the angels. You know the angels.
Are watching and they see in this room men with their heads uncovered. They see the women with their heads covered, and they learn there's people who understand the order of God's authority.
I find it increasingly.
What shall I say?
A challenge to to remember that. And I say brethren going into my and out amongst our Latin brethren, they are more careful about this than we are up here in the United States. And it's been kind of an exhortation to me to be careful about it. Every woman that prays or prophesied with her head uncovered.
Woman doesn't prophecy.
In the meeting, where does she prophecy outside the meeting necessarily? She might have a another woman that is her neighbor that she gives the gospel to, or it may be other believers. It tells in Titus that the older women were to teach the younger women.
And so there was teaching involved by.
Women. And in that case they were prophesying. And so she was to have her head covered. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn. And if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head for as much as he is the image.
And glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.
And so it goes on there. And I just say this, brethren, we prophecy not only in assembly meetings, we prophecy at other times too. And one of the ways we prophecy is singing hymns. Let me show you a verse that I was impressed as we read through these verses recently in First Chronicles chapter 25.
And this of course is talking about.
Times that David was giving instruction to Solomon about.
The house that was going to be built to the name of the Lord.
Notice it's mentioning all those sons of Asaph and he, Man and Judathan.
Notice in verse one who should prophecy with harps and sultries and symbols, and the number of the workmen was according to their to their service was.
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Notice at the end of verse 2, which prophesied according to the order of the king, verse three toward the end, Jonathan who prophesied with a heart to give thanks and praise to the Lord. We prophecy in singing. Notice in Colossians chapter 3.
A verse that I find interesting.
And I think it relates to this.
Colossians, chapter 3.
And it says.
In verse 16, here's one of the 316 S of Scripture.
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching that's building up, that's edification and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
So we prophecy in singing.
And I found this very interesting, and I think it's a challenge to us here in the United States. When it speaks in First Corinthians 11 about the woman having her head covered and the man having his head uncovered, it doesn't say anything about being in public meetings. What does it say when they pray or prophecy? Praying is addressing God.
And prophesying is speaking about God. In either case, the head of the man needs to be uncovered. The head of the woman needs to be covered. If they don't, they are dishonouring their head. Now I say this, brethren.
That my wife dishonors me? That's not quite as serious.
As me dishonouring my head, which is Christ? That's far more serious.
And I say that because I've noticed that sometimes when it comes to the matter of a saying.
Then all the sisters take off their head coverings and I've noticed in certain places that men put on head coverings.
Put on their cowboy hat or something, whatever it is.
Let's be exercised, brethren, to go by the principles of the Word of God.
First Corinthians Chapter 11 doesn't say that it is an assembly meeting there. It's when you pray or prophecy. I must say I really appreciate that my wife every time we pray or prophecy she reaches for her head covering.
And I have found that the brethren in Latin America are very careful about putting that into effect. And I think that's important, brethren, because the angels are watching still. Remember Brother Eric Smith saying, say the angels never disobey, not even once. If they disobey once, it's eternal condemnation. There is no.
Redemption for angels.
So what do angels say as they are observing and they see?
Believers that do not follow God's order.
What do they say about a disobedient child of God?
I don't know.
But I think it is a reflection because the angels learn in us the manifold wisdom of God.
I'm going to take the liberty, brother, and I did have something.
Before Joe got up, and I'm glad he got up because I did have on what I mentioned and had out of my heart to say something about it. I didn't know how to do it. But thank you Joe that you spoke up and I could.
Go on a little bit about that, but I want to speak to young people and really applies to all of us if we who are older are not in line in this or their young people.
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Don't see a good example.
But I want to speak about priorities.
I just see in the United States of America, our lives are cluttered with so much stuff. And I'm not saying it's bad stuff, but it's just one thing and another and another and another.
You know, it gets so distracting to me at times when I pray.
In the early morning, I have a little notebook pad beside my where I pray.
And I'm jotting down things because I don't remember very well. I need help that way.
But to have priorities, what is #1 priority in life? And you know, I'm going to speak briefly about three times. Scripture says one thing in the 1St place. Let's go to Psalm 27 because I really am challenged by this.
This is David speaking, and David had a real heart for the Lord. He made some bad mistakes.
Like we all do.
But notice what he says in verse.
For one thing have I desired of the Lord.
That will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life.
To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
And this beautiful What was the thing that was a priority with David?
To dwell in the House of the Lord. He didn't only say he desired it, he sought after it. There was energy. There was a desire to go after it with all his might.
To dwell in the House of the Lord. And then what is the purpose of dwelling in the House of the Lord? There's two things.
To behold the beauty of the Lord.
And to inquire in his temple. So often we go to the Lord when we want to inquire.
And it's good we do, but that's not the first. The first thing was to behold the beauty of the Lord.
Oh brother, what a God we have. What a glorious God we have.
And to get into his presence, and to behold his beauty.
The glories of that man who is our Savior. You know, in our prayer meetings so often I notice we're mentioning this person that's sick and that person that's sick and another person that's having a special trial, and that's fine.
My brethren, do we go there?
To see Him, to give him glory and honor like we ought to, this is important. And according to what we read in First Chronicles 25, it's prophesying.
To praise the Lord.
And to honor him, I don't know if any of you saw the.
Coronation the other day of King Charles.
I was astounded.
When they had the Prime Minister of England who is a Hindu.
Get up and read Colossians chapter one about the glories of Christ, I said. What in the world is going on?
I was astounded.
I don't know if any of you saw it or heard it, but he stopped. Let me just show you where he stopped because.
It's kind of telltale Colossians chapter one. Here's one of the places where it speaks of the glories.
Of the person of the Lord Jesus. I think he began with verse.
12 I'm not totally sure.
But when we get to verse 15, it talks about the Lord Jesus and his glories. Notice what it says verse 15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature. For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and in earth visible and visible invisible, whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers or all things.
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By him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. That's where he stopped.
You know why?
Because the very next verse says he that's Christ, is the head of the body, the church.
And in the.
Church of England. The head of the Church is the King.
So they stopped reading, right?
I don't know if they did that purposely, but I assume that that may have been the reason.
Oh, brother, And do we get into His presence to think about His glory? Is this something we do daily, The glories of that man?
That man in resurrection glory that sits at the highest point of all authority, principality and power and might and dominion, that man is intimately united to us in the body, the Church. Oh, it's such a wonderful thing. And rather, we are priests, and part of the reason of being a priest is to offer to God.
The sacrifice of praise.
To worship Him for the excellencies of his person, to praise Him for the work He has done on that cross for us. Oh brethren, we have so much to be occupied. That's the first reason that David wanted to dwell in the House of the Lord.
And then the next reason was to inquire in this temple.
Yeah, we need to inquire to. That's important. But brethren.
Is that a priority in our lives? I just want to say.
Dear young people especially.
But all of us, really.
Don't neglect the assembly meetings. I know that in many places.
There are a lot of weakness, but I want to encourage you younger brothers to be there at the assembly meetings. When I was 18 years old I went to work at Bible Truth Publishers. That time it was located in Oak Park, IL and there were some men that were very able.
Expositors of the word of God. I thank God so much for the building up that I got through them.
You may say I didn't get that much out of that meeting, but you'll get something if you're listening.
And I found it such a blessing.
I considered that understanding that little understanding that I have of the the scope of scripture.
A treasure in my soul.
Your young people.
Attend the assembly meetings, be exercised about participating. I grieve sometimes when we're sitting in meetings and there's young brethren.
Silent, silent.
Be exercised. There's so much need in the world we have. There's people that are suffering for the name of Christ. There's people that are being slaughtered.
Don't we pray for them? That's the least we could do. There are other things you could do too, but that's the least you can do.
Lord help us to be exercised in that way.
Like to go back to the New Testament and Luke chapter 10?
For the second one thing that is mentioned, and you probably know what I'm referring to verse.
Luke chapter 10 and verse 38 Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into this certain village in 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 cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said, Lord does not now care that my sister had left me to serve alone. Did her therefore that she helped me?
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Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled.
About many things, but one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.
What a beautiful story this is.
Mary and Martha, and we know that their brother was Lazarus.
And.
It evidently was Martha's house.
But Martha was known for serving, but she had a sister who sat at Jesus feet and heard his word.
I guess it's so beautiful.
She listened intently.
This is interesting and you never find Mary defending herself.
She didn't do that. Martha comes up and I can understand exactly what Martha was thinking. Here's the Lord Jesus with 12 disciples, 13 men to cook for. That's quite a task.
Lord, my sister.
She has left me serve alone.
Tell her that she helped me.
I can understand why she felt the way she did.
Thank you.
But the Lord.
Said Martha. Martha, our careful.
And troubled about many things. You know what In the world that is so cluttered with things.
What it has the tendency of doing is troubling us.
Making us full of care. Not that those are wrong things in themselves.
But she was distracted.
That's why we need to establish priorities. But here is Mary sitting at Jesus feet. What's she doing there?
Hearing his word and the challenge that comes across to my own heart, young people and older ones to.
You know how to listen to him when he has his word opened as we have it here. You listen, You know this Mary, I truly believe was the only one that it got through to that the Lord Jesus multiple times said we're going to go up to Jerusalem. I'm going to be delivered into the hands of the.
The scribes and the Pharisees, and they're going to condemn me to death and they're going to be crucified.
And I'll rise again the third day.
Those 12 apostles, none of them got it. I say, wow, we come on, what in the world don't they get it? He said it so many times.
Brethren, that's what happens to us. We get occupied. We have our own thoughts, and our own thoughts often impede our understanding with the Lord's trying to give it across to us.
So Mary sat at his feet.
And heard his word, and the Lord says one thing is needful.
I want to ask you young people, do you have a time set aside in your daily life to listen to His word and to think about it? What I was going to say about Mary of Bethany here, She, I really believe, got the message that the Lord Jesus was going to.
Be raised again, because you don't find her at the tomb. You don't even find her at the cross. She knew that he was going to rise again, and she even came at that Last Supper that we have.
They prepared for him in Bethany and John chapter 12. She even came with a box of ointment to anoint his body for the burial. The Lord Jesus said that.
Hand to me, that is so amazingly precious. All the 12 apostles were complaining about her. She doesn't say anything, but everybody knew what Mary had done because the order of the ointment filled the house.
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One other place that one thing is mentioned that I find a challenge, brethren, is Philippians Chapter 3.
And this is the apostle Paul speaking.
And.
Here he is comparing himself to a runner in a race. Very important that a runner know where he's going and what he's doing, what he's running towards.
He says in verse.
7.
What things were gained to me those I counted loss for Christ. You know, there's some things in our lives that brethren are just downright weights in our life are hindering our running properly.
Verse eight. Yeah, doubtless, and I count all things but lost for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dumb.
That I may win Christ. What do you do with dumb? Do you start around in your house somewhere You get it out of there and sometimes, brother, we don't have the right of valuation of the things of this world. They're positive hindrances to us. It says be found in him not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness.
Which is of God by faith, that I may know him.
The power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I had already attained either were already perfect, but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do.
For getting those things which are behind and reaching forth into those things that are before I press.
Toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Oh brethren, we have such a goal before us. I think if we would get a glimpse of the glory like the Apostle Paul when he was caught up to the 3rd heaven, we would come back and we would be one thing.
One minded as this one thing that would be what would really dominate our thinking brethren. I just say this because.
We live in a life that is cluttered with bunch of stuff.
That, in the end, will not make much difference. If we can use it for God in His glory, great, but they're not the end of our being here. This one thing I do for getting those things which are behind reaching forth to those things are before I press toward the mark.
Let's get a glimpse of the glory.