Open—John Kemp
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Well, I am glad that our brother William spoke.
The way he did and the time that he took.
Uh, in the meeting, because I think, I'm sure that those truths are very, very important. Umm, I can't add much more, but, uh, I have a, a burden on my heart too. And another, you might say, another direction.
We'll turn uh, with me to, uh, Zachariah chapter.
Two Zechariah chapter 2.
I lifted up mine eyes.
And, uh, look and behold.
A man with a measuring line in his hand.
Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me to measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, What is the length thereof? And behold, the Angel that talked with me went forth, and another Angel went out to meet him, and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man.
Saying Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls.
With a multitude of men and capital therein.
For I saith, the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire.
Round about.
And will be the glory in the midst of her.
Well, I think we pro perhaps know the background here. Umm hagee, ayah and Zachariah.
Were post captivity profits.
And their ministry was for that little remnant that had returned from Babylon.
In much weakness.
And, uh, we're settling down.
In their own uh.
Comfortable, uh, homes and uh, surroundings.
And they were neglecting the House of the law. You see this in the book of of Hagei and Hagei Ayah.
Was a prophet who stirred up the conscience of the people, he said. Consider your ways.
He had a message that spoke to the people and stirred them up to uh.
Uh, commence again the building of the temple.
And Zechariah was also.
Our profit and uh.
He spoke of the glory that was to come for the nation of Israel. But in our chapter here.
We find that Zechariah lifted up his eyes and he looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his half.
And this man was going forth to measure the, uh, dimension of the city of Jerusalem.
And uh.
I know. I think sometimes, brethren, we have the the measuring line in our hands. We look at things and we feel there's so much weakness here. There doesn't seem to be much activity. There doesn't seem to be much interest in the gospel, in this assembly where we are.
We are here, uh, for three days or it's wonderful to be together. Uh, we're encouraged as we meditate upon the word and have fellowship one with the other, but we're going back to our assemblies and it's so small and weak and, uh, we become discouraged. We have that measuring line in our hand and.
We're comparing, uh, the assembly perhaps with other groups of Christians that were.
Familiar with and we say, well, look at the activity, look at the gospel endeavors that they are carrying on and here we are we're not doing much well, this is the tendency, brethren, sometimes in our hearts that we we get our eyes.
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On the weakness and the feebleness.
And the lack of spiritual energy.
And there's the danger of us drifting away.
In our associations, it might be with other believers who love the Lord and are even energetic in the gospel. Why can't we have fellowship with them? They're doing a wonderful work and they're seeing results.
Listen, brethren, God values obedience to His Word and.
Zechariah, he says. Look on to that coming day.
When Jerusalem is going to be filled with the glory of the Lord? The day is coming. When?
Uh, there will be a reward for faithfulness in your life and mine.
So, brethren, don't measure things by what you can see. If you're gonna compare things, compare them with the Word of God. And I just say this, and I don't wanna speak much longer than maybe another brother that has something. Remember that God values obedience to His Word above all to be gathered on the ground of the one body of Christ.
To be gathered.
To the name of the Lord alone is not popular.
If there's going to be a reproach connected with it.
And we don't need to be, uh, inactive in the gospel and we don't need to leave the ground of the truth in order to spread the gospel of the grace of God. We, we can be more energetic in that field. The doors are open, but we do not need to join our hands with those who are in the wrong position.
And who do not give the Lord his rightful place?
Yes, the glory is before us, but what about, you might say, a young person can ask the question, yes, but here we are. We're still in the world and there's there's not much interest in this assembly. And don't look at things with the measuring line. Don't pull it out and try to understand these things.
Remain in the path that the Lord has marked out in his word for you. I'm just noticing, you know when I Dollar Tree came into the.
A nation of Israel, you know the story when they came out of Egypt and, uh, Egypt didn't come out of them, however, and uh, they made the golden calf and they sunk into abominable idolatry. And what did the Lord say to Moses? Take the, uh, Tabernacle. I won't turn to it for want of time. Exodus 33.
Take that Tabernacle and pitch it without the cap. There was the camp. It was filled with people. Take that Tabernacle and pitch it outside the camp. The Lord was no longer owning the camp collectively because idolatry and sin had come into their midst.
And the Tabernacle was taken out, and you remember that, Joshua?
Abode in the Tabernacle outside the camp. He didn't go into the camp. Oh, but you say Moses went into the camp. That's true. He did. And that brings before us the sovereignty of God. Yes, God is sovereign. And the Spirit of God perhaps prefigured in Moses. He's still working.
In the camp, he's working there, there's no doubt.
Sometimes to our shame.
But, uh, Joshua did not leave the Tabernacle and go into the camp. The Lord had placed His name. His honor was in that Tabernacle, and all those that sought him went out to the Tabernacle. You say there must have been a lot of people out there because everyone that sought the Lord went out to the Tabernacle and it was outside the camp. No, I don't think.
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From the passage as you read it there, I don't think there were a lot of people out there at the Tabernacle.
I think there was very few comparatively. And so brethren, just the thought I leave with you, God is working sovereignly, You remember that?
Umm, who was it? Was it Joshua that became envious of Ldad and Medad? They are prophesying in the camp. Moses forbid them. They're not in the right place. But Moses said envious thou for my sake, and he showed a wonderful spirit of meekness. Umm.
And, uh, a very broad, broad spirit, we might say, as our brother Bill mentioned there, but he did not.
Encourage Joshua to join in the camp with the others. Oh no, Joshua remained in that place of separation. Well, I mean, I feel there's always the danger of pulling out the measuring stick and saying, well, how can I continue to hear this? There's such weakness and how am I going to get a companion for life?
And what am I going to do?
You know, 5151 weeks of the year. There is no conference here.
It's wonderful to be together. We're encouraged, we're lifted up.
Uh, we're strengthening the things of the Lord. You have to go back to the assembly. You're gonna find it just the same way as you left it. But the Lord is there and he values.
Your obedience to His Word. One thing more, He's going to reward faithfulness.
We're never going to be sorry when we get into the glory that we remain where the Lord had placed His name in obedience. Not that we're the faithful people and we are the only ones who are doing anything in the gospel. No, but God values obedience to His Word and.
We can look on to that day of the glory like Zechariah brings before them here.
Uh, that wall of fire roundabout, I think that brings before us, brethren, the fact that there must be separation from evil. That's why the assembly testimonies will always be small, because we practice that truth, separation from evil, the wall of fire round about, uh.
And uh.
May the Lord encourage us. It's so easy to become discouraged, and I think, I think my brethren would agree, That's Satan's most successful weapon, discouragement.
Not persecution so much. Usually when believers are persecuted, they're bright, they're happy. But if Satan can get you discouraged?
He's accomplished his purpose.
And uh.
Our brother Gordon Hey Hawaii said that something that rather struck me and UH.
Umm, in a sense, umm, made me uh, think differently about that disverse, he says I believe that Satan as the roaring lion is really in connection with his discouragement of believers. I never heard that before. Umm, he says. I believe that that is really the.
The burden of that passage in First Peter chapter 5.
Satan as the roaring lion, we always connect that with persecution, don't we? But Gordon said to me, he says, I believe that is Satan acting in discouragement to the Saints of God, and I believe he's right. Well, may the Lord keep us. Sorry to have spoken perhaps a little too long, but may the Lord help us to value.
The truth above all, the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ in the midst.
Of thy love.
Shall be the end of glory.
Of all thy things.
About.
All I'm a God still.
Gave us.
All his sights.
Tis only.
There is a.
Peace we can.
Avoid.
In John chapter 21.
John, Chapter 21.
Verse 20.
Then Peter turning about Steve, the disciple of Jesus, loved.
Forward, which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that he created?
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Peter C and best of the Lord and said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
Jesus says unto him, if I will, that he carried till I come. What is that to thee?
Follow thou me.
Our God, our Father, we thank Thee.
We're speaking to us in this meeting again.
That which thou would cover.
Is that?
We desire.
But it might be the desire of each one of them are dogs.
Thy well beloved son opponent.
That we might find.
Direction that we need.
On our knees, seeking thy direction, Harvard, in each one of our lives.
To just follow thee toward Jesus.
And when we're not sure.
Of the way that we would just get down on our knees.
And asked me for that direction.
And we pray to for each.
Local Wisconsin.
That's the same would be true.
That when questions and difficulties arise, our God, which thou is to allow.
That we would get on our needs.
And seek to hear what thou art saying to us.
Speaks either record for Jesus by the leading advice security.
And so we just thank you for the meetings here thus far and we pray that that as we will be have left or we'll be leaving now or later tonight and tomorrow to travel home. We pray for safety on the roads and in the air. If so, we just Committee 22.
We thank you again, our God and Father.
We pray this our garden is worthy of breakfast next. Amen.