Address—E. Smith
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#46 in the appendix.
Have I an object nor below, which would divert my divide my heart with thee, which would divert its even flow?
In answer to thy constancy.
All teach me quickly to return.
And 'cause my heart afresh the burn #46 in the back of the book.
Have I an old?
1.
I think we shall sing that last stands again at the higher pitch.
Be the.
Day of.
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The.
I would desire to speak to you, dear young people.
This afternoon.
On devotedness to Christ.
This has been before my soul.
Many years in my.
Simple ministry to souls.
Devotedness to Christ.
And we shall use one or two.
Different characters of the New Testament.
That we might see.
The failure.
In certain cases.
And the triumph in others.
This devotedness to Christ.
May we read first of all.
From the Gospel according to Mark.
Chapter 10.
Mark 10.
And verse 17.
And when he was gone, when Jesus was gone, forth in the way.
There came one running and kneeled to him.
And asked him good master.
What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said unto him.
Why callest thou me good?
There is none good but one.
God.
Thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery. Do not kill, do not steal. Do not bear false witness, defraud not.
Honor thy father and mother.
And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
And Jesus, behold him, loved him.
And said unto him.
One thing thou lackest.
Go thy way.
Sell whatsoever thou hast.
And give to the poor.
And thou shalt have treasure in heaven.
And come.
Take up thy cross.
And follow me.
And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved.
For he had great possessions.
And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches?
Enter into the Kingdom of God.
And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again, and saith unto them, Children.
How hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God.
It is easy for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.
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And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, who then can be saved?
And Jesus, looking upon them, said.
With men it is impossible.
But not with God.
With God all things are possible. Then Peter began to say something. Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you.
There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children.
Or lands for my sake and the Gospel. But he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time.
Houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands with persecution.
And in the world to come, eternal life, but many that are first.
Shall be lost, and the last first.
I suppose, dear young people, that.
There is not another character that calls it in the New Testament that causes so much sorrow to my heart as the reading of the story of this young man, this rich young ruler.
So bright, so promising.
But lacking true devotedness to Christ.
Here was a young man.
I presume had everything.
That this world could give him.
And not only so was he a rich man.
But we notice that.
In verse 17.
He came running.
To Christ.
That showed that he was zealous. He was a zealous.
He was, he was desirous. He was, he had a great desire in his soul.
He ran to the Lord Jesus. He ran. And notice in that verse he kneeled before the Savior.
He was pious.
He was pious.
Devoted in that sense.
And not only so.
He was desirous of knowing something concerning that supreme issue of life, eternal life.
So here we have a case.
That is extremely interesting for you, dear young people.
Is it a replica? A replica this afternoon of some here in this building?
A conception of things because during the years having been brought up in the assembly.
Piety perhaps?
Many virtues too.
Which are quite.
Nice and in themselves remarkable.
But can it be said of us this afternoon that there is true devotion here, because we read that this young man, when the Lord Jesus said to him, go and sell of you and everything you thought.
Sell it.
Give it to the poor.
And thou shalt have treasure in heaven.
He said come.
Where after that precious savior come?
Take up thy colony.
Oh, what a challenge.
This came to my own soul, beloved.
Many years ago.
Before I entered the service of Christ over 52 years ago, this challenge came to my soul from the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you will pardon this afternoon the reference to my own exercise.
As I've mentioned before, I was brought up in.
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None of Father's children ever needed to work.
Which was was was very bad the family we were to study.
We all had to take music, we had to go through the liberal arts and so he was adamant in it. We had to do it.
And when I was at the age of 18, just getting along very nicely.
Fathi was in the city and he I was there too.
He was a shareholder in one of those big.
Between Australia, New Zealand and Liverpool and he said everything. I've had a call from Victor.
Of the company.
And he's asked that you go immediately help me as a cadet to blow to me. Father was unsaved.
Frank has said for you to go and be a cadet.
With the object of climbing in the ship.
And I looked at their father in trembling, and I said, Father.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
In service for him.
In the far earth lands of this earth.
The space look came over Father's page, closed his pushed his seat back, closed his office, walked up.
That was that. That was a test. A test at the very beginning.
For some time, Father didn't speak to me at all.
For I refused him, I said.
Oh, I knew there was some storm coming up.
Now it blew over for a while, dear young people, and then one day he summoned me again into his offer.
He said Eric, you don't want to be a captain at Lion and it's a wonderful opportunity. You'll go on with the study of law and you'll be take charge of the business.
Oh, that was another test.
I said father.
I can't do it. I can't do it.
I want to serve the Lord Jesus.
I want to be a missionary.
Well, it's a long story. I was ordered out of the house.
From 18 years, between 25 and 26 years, I came back home from college.
And Father embraced me. He was then saved. He forgot all about these things.
But by the grace of God.
I went on in the service of the Lord Jesus.
Now, you dear young people.
The Lord Jesus will test you this afternoon as He tests this young man.
As I look upon your dear faces.
I see some who are intensely listening.
Thoughtfully listening.
And I wonder sometimes if as a result of this meeting.
Some dear soul may lay his or her all on the altar for service for Christ.
Now don't misunderstand me, you dear brethren. I am not a recruiting Sergeant.
For missionaries for it takes more than crossing over the ocean to be a missionary.
But the thought is that with the truth that we possess, beloved.
The special truth.
Given to God's dear people, gathered to his the name of Christ.
I marvel sometimes.
That there are not more young men and women who are willing to stand in the gap before the land.
Some of these lands where the need is so great.
Gay to stand even as the ox between the plough and the altar, ready for labor or sacrifice. I marvel that so many dear young people go away from these meetings, apparently unmoved in their souls.
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Unmoved. Concerning.
Service for Christ.
I hope you don't misunderstand me.
When I speak that way. But I'm only unburdening my heart, beloved.
For I do know.
There are perhaps a few in this building this afternoon who are touched in their souls concerning this matter.
And I know you personally, beloved, and I see you where you're sitting.
The Lord Jesus will test you.
As he tests this young man.
This man was rich, he said. Sell it all.
Get rid of it.
That seems a radical thing to do, doesn't it?
Give it to the poor.
And thou shalt have treasure in heaven.
Come, take up thy Crouch.
And follow me.
Take it up.
There's something here that perhaps the Lord Jesus may have for someone in this building this afternoon.
There is something to give up if you would serve Christ.
I remember.
A very beautiful young sister coming to me after one of these meetings of a similar kind.
And she said Mr. Smith.
Have I to give up this?
And give up the other thing.
And I said, Dear sister, why don't you say, what can I give up that Christ be magnified in my life?
What can I give up?
That he might be glorified in my life.
Do you know where that young woman is? Well, she's old now. Old now. Very much older. She's an Indian.
As a missionary.
There was something to give up.
I knew the family well.
A very splendid family.
Had the joy of leaving them.
Not only to the saga.
But teaching them the truth of the one body, and they were happily gathered to the precious name of Christ.
I don't know whether Vera has gone to be with the Lord.
My mother has gone home and she used to write me concerning Vera.
Possibly she's with the Lord. I've lost contact but there was one case it went home. What can I give up?
Oh, you dear young people, what can we give up this afternoon? That Christ might be all.
In our lives.
Pardon another illustration.
My dear brother Hugh I mentioned about Hugh. I've often thought of dear Hugh. It was through him I learned the truth.
Of the one body.
My dear brother Hugh, serve the Lord in Australasia.
For years worked six months of the year at his profession and made sufficient for all his needs, and served the Lord freely for the other six months. It was he who sent me when I was a young clergyman. He sent me Darby and Kelly and Wigram and CHM, and those beautiful books which I still have and enjoy, and I hope you, dear young people read them.
You was called to go to the service of the Lord in India.
Everybody was thrilled at the thought of this man of God going forth with the gospel.
To that power of land.
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He restrained from marriage until the age of 34 because of that desire that was deeply implanted in his heart.
And then he married a beautiful woman, but she was a clinging vine and she had no desire to go anywhere but to stay home.
And care for the whole Hugh lost his vision.
Lost his vision.
They had one little son and when I went back to New Zealand I went to see huge little Sun and his wife, just one year old. That's years ago.
And I said, Hugh, are you going to serve the Lord in India?
And he hung his head.
I got back to Bolivia, got an urgent letter from.
Mother saying, you with the Lord?
He was a construction engineer.
And from the third or fourth story.
Big heavy man. I'm the weed of the family, you know. Well, my brother's a big fellow well.
His men, said Mr. Smith, don't cross that narrow plank.
Because the wind is blowing heavily.
He said I'll be all right. And in the center of that plank, 3 or 4 stories up, a gust of wind took him into the street and he was smashed a *****.
Father went to recognize his son.
And it was his son, all right.
And the news was broken to Dear Mother, and she didn't shed a tear.
And Father was surprised.
And asked her why she said disobedient lack of devotion to Christ.
Lack of devotion to Christ. The Lord took him home.
Yesterday I mentioned the dear brother in Bolivia.
Who has been happily restored after nine years?
Just because he was exalted not to link up with some unequal youth, business youth, and he took offense at his spiritual father. And for years he ceased to write me, and he spoke against me as one who had intervened in his business and ruined his business.
Which was not so.
I got a letter, I told you the other day, yesterday, a letter from that dear man, he said, brother.
You are my spiritual father.
God has put me three years on my put me three years on my back.
Because of the lack of devotion to Christ.
But he said I am repentant. Oh, it was such a lovely letter. I sat and wept over it.
Nine years.
Nine years of silence. Three years on his back.
When he decided to follow as he said in his.
Little letter, I decided to follow Jesus and take rejection with him. Pardon me, dear brother, for all my ridiculous nonsense that I've committed and my sin, which of course I have pardoned him over and over again.
What was wrong with him?
He lacked devotion to Christ.
And so when we come back to this case here.
There are three tests that the Lord Jesus gives this man.
And it touches his possessions, one notice, and the other is as it touches the cross.
Of Christ.
And the others as regards the Savior.
Dear young Christian.
You dear young people this afternoon, let me tell you from the depths of my heart.
That the cross of Christ.
Through faith in the precious blood of Christ will forever separate you from your sins.
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But the cross of Christ will forever separate you from this hell going world.
It sins and its systems too, the cross of Christ. And so the Lord puts the test to this young man.
Concerning his possession.
Concerning the cross.
And concerning the Savior.
Come.
Tell all you've got, take up the cross and follow me.
Follow me.
The Apostle Paul could say, God forbid that I should glory.
Save in the cross.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.
By whom the world is.
Crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
There was a very dear sister, a friend of my late wife Trudy.
She was music, she was musical and she had a great desire to go to India.
And before she went, she said, Trudy, would you come to a little gathering of sisters?
Just to have some prayer together and have a little sing together the hymns before I go.
And Trudy went, and she wrote us a little hymn that they sang together.
Keep me in the shadow of thy cross, dear Lord, keep me in the shadow of my cross.
Mindful of the sin that nailed thee to the tree.
Grateful for the pardon that thy shed blood wrought for me.
Living in the fullness of thy blood bought liberty. Keep me in the shadow of thy cross.
He went to India in six weeks. She was home with the Lord. Was it worth it?
Was it worth it? Of course it was.
Of course it was.
Keep me in the shadow of thy cross.
Now we may look at another case.
In the Gospel of Luke.
I don't think I'll take very much time on this.
But to mention that our dear brother who edits Christian Truth is running a little series on Martha and Mary.
I hope, dear brother.
If you are here this afternoon that that there will be quite a few articles on it. It's written by Mr. Chapter Brown, our love brother.
And I hope you young people will read those articles.
In the Christian truth, Martha and Mary.
I don't want to dwell on that because you'll find in that article things that are very interesting.
Concerning.
This theme that I'm on this afternoon.
I'll just mention a few thoughts, make mention of a few things.
Notice here in.
Verse 38.
Now it came to pass that Luke 1038.
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha.
Received him into her house. I presume she was the owner of the house. I think so.
She was the owner of that house, and she had a sister called Mary.
Which also sat at Jesus feet, and heard his word. And Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid 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.
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And Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.
You will notice here in Mark 10 there was the one thing lacking.
Here is the one thing needful.
And it has to do with Martha and Mary.
One thing is needful.
She chose that good part. Mary did.
At Jesus feet.
And this good part, dear young Christian, must always precede.
Any good work?
I know some Christian Christians who engage with enthusiasm.
Activities.
And as I look around me and see the activities in the different denominations, it's marvelous, the activity of such.
They're active.
I don't know whether there is any true spiritual understanding of their activities, but the Lord alone knows. We shall not judge that.
But here is Martha concerned about.
Many things. Oh you dear young people. Many things that come into your lives.
And the Lord says she's, she's cumbered. That means that she's, she's tied down with so many things, but Mary was sitting at the feet of the Lord Jesus.
And I've often said to young people who have had a great desire to serve the Lord in foreign fields.
This good part must precede the good work.
At the Jesus faith. At Jesus faith.
You get that? It's not what we do, beloved young people. It's what we are in the presence of God.
That counts. I remember years ago in Bolivia.
The 1St 13 years that I spent there without a holiday, without coming out.
I I became so absorbed in the work.
And it seemed to be eating into my life and my health.
Until the Lord one day put his hand on me and said, Is this? Whose work is this?
I said, Lord Jesus, it's thine.
And loses the power. I said, Lord Jesus, it's lying. And who's the glory?
I said, Lord Jesus, forgive me, it's thy.
Thine is the power, the glory, and thine is the work.
And the Lord straightened me up.
To spend more time on my knees. And he gave me the grace to choose the good part.
At Jesus feet what happened? There was no blessing.
I was hundreds of miles on foot, beloved.
Zealous.
But I spent more time by his grace on my knees and Jesus faith and what happened.
Scores of souls began to be brought to the Saviour's feet.
Oh, it was such a lesson for me. Well, I'm not going to dwell on that because I want to Passover, especially this afternoon.
To Philippians 3.
But notice that Mary had chosen that good part and it's even recorded today after so many years. Will you kindly turn for a while? Now the time is going by.
To Philippians 3.
This came to me as we were reading yesterday.
Let us read a few verses.
From this.
The testimony of Paul.
Verse 7 But what things?
Were gained to me.
Those I counted lost for Christ.
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 dross or dung, that I may win Christ.
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He had not gotten a real hold of the saviors he desired, but Christ had a hold on him. And that's the difference, beloved.
And 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, and 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 we're already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend for that which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. And now verse 13, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do.
Forgetting those things which are behind.
The shame of watching the death of Steven would still be upon his soul. He would gladly forget that.
And reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.
In Christ Jesus.
Oh, this is a wonderful case. Here's the apostle.
With the young man, it's the one thing that was lacking.
In the case of Martha, it was the one thing needful. And here's this wonderful apostle, this one thing I do.
You know, after the death of my first wife, I was in deep sorrow.
And I went down.
That was, of course, after 13 years and Bolivia went down to the coast and it's remarkable. I'll tell you this little story.
The enemy said you better give it up. You have served long enough, you might as well give up and go into some other work.
And I was standing there by the seacoast up in the coast of Chile, and I noticed those sea birds. There are supposed to be 5 million of them on the coast of Chile.
And every morning I took out my watch at the same time.
They would go by flocks of them.
In search of fish, every morning and every afternoon at the same time, they would come back again.
And you know, God used that thing for me, that illustration, this one thing I do, one thing I do, I packed up and went back to the field by his grapes, went back to it.
This one thing I do.
Here is the Apostle Paul. Read his conversion.
On the way to Damascus, Tooth cast into prison. Those poor dear believers.
Suddenly there was a a light above the brightness of the sun.
And God and the Lord Jesus spoke to him for out of heaven, saying, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the reply was, I am Jesus, whom thou persecuted.
From the tremendous persecuting Saul he was turned into the great apostle Paul.
That great missionary.
To the Gentiles. And here he's closing his service for Christ in the dungeon, in a wreaking dungeon. And if those dungeons are something like those dungeons in which I have been in, in Bolivia, not as a prisoner of the state of Bolivia, but as a prisoner of Christ.
I can truly sympathize with anybody who would ever get into such rotten, reeking, stinking places as those dungeons of Bolivia.
Here he's in the dungeon.
16 times over, he speaks of the joy that fills his heart.
I must confess, when I heard the clang of those doors behind me, those big steel doors that were made by the Spaniards in the year 15106, double steel doors, when they clanged behind me, I said, Lord Jesus, who will ever Take Me Out of such a wreaking place as this?
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Who will ever come and Take Me Out of this? The Lord did. The Lord took me out. He did praise his name. But here is this great apostle ending his career.
And he still says now this one thing I do, this one thing I do.
What are you going to do about it, you dear young people?
Are you going to say that to the Lord Jesus this afternoon? This one thing I do?
But.
You know very well the answer.
Take up the cross of Christ.
Follow me.
And thou shalt have treasure in heaven.
Take it up.
Let the world go with all its pleasures and its iniquities. This world is already sentenced with the judgment of God.
I have no regrets concerning that decision I made years ago to follow my precious Savior.
No regrets. There is only one regret. I might say that I have not served him as faithful as I should have.
That is a regret.
Take up the cross, that's the one thing. Take it up. Follow him.
And here is this wonderful apostle saying.
The things that are behind.
I'm looking toward the goal before.
I've got my eye on the goal before I push towards the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. All these other things are dropped. They're not worth mentioning. All the fame and everything else that accompanied this man before he was saved, he just calls and dross and dung that he might win Christ and be found in him.
All the wonderful testament receives.
The time is going, I just want to use an illustration here to close this afternoon, and it's from Spanish history, which of course it has been my joy to enjoy to read years during years in the Spanish town.
There was a war between 2 Spanish kings years ago.
One was vanquished and slain.
But this king who was slain, he had one son. And the victorious Spanish king remembered that this young Prince had been cast into the dungeon in chains, and he had been in there for some long time. And the King's memory was refreshed by the fact that this King's son was in that dungeon.
Rotting away.
So he gave an order in this sense.
He ordered his executors to take him out.
And the king ordered that if he would carry a glass of milk full of milk.
On a black tray through the streets of the city and come with it right to the throne of the victorious king. He would be pardoned.
The executors came out after him, right behind him.
And he started off this long journey with the tray and the and the and the glass of milk, and he walked through the streets of that city until he got to the throne of the king.
Without spilling a drop.
And the king said, how is it possible?
That you could have come through that street, the streets, with all the noise and the confusion.
So far from the dungeon to my throne without spilling a drop. And what did he say to the king? He said, Your Majesty.
Death was behind me.
The goal was before me, life was before me and he said all the other confusion around me had no effect on me.
Death was behind me. Life was before me.
Is that it? Here is the apostle.
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Everything is behind this. Not worth a snuff.
The Lord Jesus is before him, the goal is before him. The crown is before him.
And he presses on, and he says, here I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The Prince was pardoned and reinstated in the throne.
Oh, May God bless these stumbling remark to us this afternoon, beloved.
The one thing that was lacking in the rich young ruler. The one thing needful.
In Martha and the one thing I do in the great apostle Paul, now may we.
Plane number.
What is the number please when I survey the wondrous cross?
Thank you, brother, when we survey the wondrous cross.
On which the Lord of glory died.
Our richest gain we count, but loss and poor contempt.
On all our pride #283.
When we.
Survey.
The.
That last stands aware. The whole realm of nature is that for an offering far too small.
Love that transcends our highest power demands our soul.
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Our life are all I wonder if there's a young person here unsaved.
I wonder if there is just one who is out of Christ.
And I wonder how many dear young people.
Are in that valley of decision this afternoon to follow that blessed woman more fully.
I'm reminded you know of Bunyan.
Bunyan's pilgrims progress.
He was attracted to a person there, he could say, thus far did I come laden with all my guilt.
Nor could not ease the grief that I was in till I came hit her.
What a place is this? Must hear the burden fall from off my back. Must hear the cords that bind it to me crack?
Blessed Cross.
Blessed rather be the man who there was put to shame for me.
It was the attraction of the old tinker's heart to Christ.
Blessed rather be the man who there was put to shame for me.
And the current, the current, that ungodly current in England, was changed.
With the faith of the old tinker.
Yes, it's true. Let's sing The Last stand.
Where the?