Dorothy Conference: 1996
Table of Contents
Colossians 3:1-5
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Take Me Home to.
Holy day.
Everyone.
'S burning all of the heart.
We are.
Colossians Chapter 3.
If he then be risen with thrust.
Which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Such a affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 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. Mortify therefore your members, which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil, concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience in the which he also walks sometime when he lived in them. But now he also put off all these anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Why not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the Newman, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him?
Where there is neither Greek nor Jews circumcision, nor uncircumcision, Barbarians, Sethian bond, nor free, but Christ is all and in all put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any.
Even as Christ forgave you, shall also do ye and above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful.
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Let the word of Christ dwell on you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever you do in Word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Why submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord? Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger unless they be discouraged.
Servants, obeying all things, your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever will ye do do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord, you shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done.
And there is no respect of persons.
I was thinking in the prayer meeting when we were singing, how apt we are to turn the eye from the Lord and to listen to the enemy that.
It's the same in India and it's the same in Mexico. And the devil is the same and our hearts are the same as theirs. And whether it's poverty or abundance, he seems to take away and rob us of our.
Joys and other things of the Lord.
Like the Midianites taking away the food in the time of Gideon, but the remedy is God and His word, isn't it? That's what we have in this chapter. Wonderful.
I believe the word if here could be sensed, it has that thought sense. And he then be risen with Christ. That's our home, brethren. This is not our home. Our home is heaven. Sometimes they say where are you from? I say heaven. I'm just so journeying here. I'm sent here for purpose. We're ambassadors of Christ. You know what? Ambassador doesn't belong here. But he's a testimony to home and to the sovereign who sent him.
That's our role, isn't it? So since we be risen with Christ, that's the motive spring for how we act and how we live. That's the thought we're in Christ. Then it says seek those things which are above the good things. That's what we're seeking today. And if we look to the Lord, we're going to have them. We're not going to have anything in this world today, I trust we're going to have things with Christ, the good things, where Christ sitters in the right hand of God, the place of power.
You know, just as I was speaking, I thought of Deuteronomy. I think it's.
Either 6:00 or 8:00, but I don't know. Maybe one of the other. I'll go there. Deuteronomy because I.
This is what was wrong with the What's wrong with us too so often?
Someone might help me 5-6 or six?
7-8 I'm thinking of OK, it is 8 Deuteronomy 8 verse.
9.
A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, You know that's Christ.
In that beautiful Christ, he's our bread. He's the bread from heaven. He's the manna.
I am the bread of life. OK, you have bread without scarceness, and thou shalt not lack anything in it. A land whose stones are iron. Out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. And when thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless Jehovah like God for the good land which he has given thee. That's what we ought to always do.
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Beware there it is. Beware, Colossians, that ye forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping His commandments, His judgments, His statutes, which I command thee this day left when thou has Ethan, and are full of all these good things, and build goodly houses, and dwelt, and when thy herds and etcetera. 14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and I'll forget Jehovah by God.
Which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of this world, and from *******. And I could go on and on and on. You know, that's collections. They they they left off the head they let go.
Brethren, we can't do that. It always has to be Christ. All in all, it has to be Christ who's all to us. That's what we're going to get, isn't. It has been pointed out that when we look at the epistles in Philippians, we have the wilderness. When we look at Colossians, we, as it were, are on the resurrection side of Jordan. We have gone through Jordan. We're just about ready to enter the land. Ephesians shows us entering into our.
Possession and it's wonderful to know that the man I was for the wilderness journey.
And in a certain sense, we are in the wilderness and we can feed on Christ.
The manna, the one who came down into this world, and it's beautiful. It's the bread of God that we can feed on, but then we also have.
The old corn of the land, you know, the manna seized once they crossed their Jordan, and so that is Christ in glory that we can feed on and to lay hold of that which is ours. Now Israel entered into an earthly possession, the promised land, but for us it is heavenly blessings in the heavenlies that we ought to buy faith, lay hold of, and the enemy will try to hinder us from doing that.
You know, and he will do this.
You know what we do have in Matthew? It's the.
Worldly things, you know or the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, Or in market is added the lust of many things you know. That's what the enemy would occupy us with and prevent us from laying hold of that which is our faith in Christ. But the Spirit will always seek to bring those things of Christ before us.
That we come to understand, enjoy them, and then find grace to walk in them. So it takes spiritual energy to turn our back from that which is hindering us in our spiritual progress and then reach out for that which we have in class. Oh, that's the question in the 6th chapter of John, do we not get about the Bread of life in that way that we've been speaking, that our brother referred to us?
And so the Lord Jesus in the 6th chapter of John the 48th verse, he says I am that bread of life.
Then he refers to the man in the wilderness.
But then we come to verse 51. Well, we should read verse 50. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, that a man may eat thereof. You mean, brethren, that you and I can appropriate Christ right now? Is that what it's about? And if I, if I'm feeding on what this would infer, I come into such a wonderful blessing because it fills my heart each day with joy and gladness.
Because I'm well fed. And then what do I do with what is leftover? I give it out. And so it says to us, way back in the Old Testament and Ecclesiastes, it says to cast something in the water. You mean you're going to throw some bread in the water? How are you going to apply that? Look what the disciples had said to the Lord. They said that this is a heart saying, who can hear it? See. So how can you and I understand that it's by the spirit of God made good as our brothers been bringing before us in Colossians.
This wonderful life that we have in Christ, Christ in you, the hope of the glory. But look what it says there. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. And I am the bread I am. And the bread which I give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Well, that's appropriation, isn't it? I remember the Catholic priest a while back. She says to me, But you have to eat of his bread and drink. You have to eat his bread and drink and drink his blood.
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He was referring to this. You know, they get the doctrine of transubstantiation from that chapter. I said, Sir, I disagree with you. That's appropriation. Making it my own. How do I make Christ my own? Well, you know, it says I commend you to God. And the word of his grace, which is able to what? Build you up. Build you up? What about the young people? How are you going to build them up? Give them bread. Right. I found thy words and I did eat them.
And they were to me the joy and rejoicing of the heart. That's all we're talking about, isn't it? Beating on Christ. He is the Word. It's very simple, but without the Spirit of God, it can't be understood.
The Christian has actually seen in three positions, isn't he? He's still here in this Egypt world that's under judgment, and in Egypt they fed upon the royal slam. And it's a wonderful thing to know that we have been redeemed from this present evil world. We're not part of it at all.
And then they entered the wilderness. Those are the experiences that we meet in our pathway here through this world. And so the manna was their food for the wilderness daily came down. And isn't it true in our lives that the Lord daily meets our needs in all the trials and difficulties of the wilderness pathway? But I believe that Colossians brings us to the point where they had crossed the Jordan. And as our brother was saying, you remember that.
The Lord appeared to Joshua as captain of the Lord's host, and that's really what we have in the first chapter. The glory of the person that is in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He's the one who is the captain of the Lorde host. And now they were also warned first to recognize his leadership as captain of the Lord's host. And then they were warned not to touch the accursed thing. And I was thinking, that's really what we have in the chapter.
There they were so blessed, having entered that land that God had given to them to enjoy. But there were going to be snares, and so they had to 1St lift the knife on self before they made any swords for the people of the land. They made sharp knives to lift not upon the people of the land, but upon themselves. And that's what we need, brethren, to begin with self judgment, to bring the knife upon self.
To recognize the Lord as the captain of the Lord's host, that is, the one from whom we take orders, if I can say it in that way.
Who directs our whole pathway? What wilt thou have me to do? And then to the warnings about all the dangers that there are, because a lower have been brought across the Jordan and have entered the land. Nevertheless, we can't enjoy these things if we don't continually practice self judgment, and that every time they won a victory they had to get back to Gilgal. That was where the knife was lifted on self.
And then go forward again. And if they neglected that, then the enemy got the advantage.
Because they hadn't practiced that. And I believe this is really where this chapter places us across. The Jordan having entered the land, but all in the snares and pitfalls. Because we don't recognize, as this chapter tells us, Christ is all and in all He's the captain of the Lord's host. Are we recognizing His authority in our lives and recognizing that he alone can direct us the right?
And self has no place that comes out right away. In 3-4 ye are dead.
And it says in five mortify your members. That's Gilgal. You got to go back. You know, Paul could say, I know that isn't in me. That is my place is no good thing. But he has. We have to say that again and again and again, don't we? Once isn't enough because the enemy works and there's a there's a Trinity of evil working all the time.
You know, it's our flesh. It's still in us. We're not in it. It's in US. But it's the flesh. The devil in this world, the Trinity of evil. And it's never quit working. So we got to tell ourselves that in the morning and night, many times during the day. Practice it now. I know that in me that is myself is no good thing. Reckon it is dead. I don't say I don't say this as though I'm doing it. I've done it. I don't mean that this is what I ought to be doing.
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Now we have the blood on the door.
Delivers from the penalty of sin. And then we have the Red Sea that delivers us from the power of sin and Satan and the world. The Red Sea is really the deliverance from the world. Although as Brother Gordon said, in a certain sense we're in the world but we are delivered spiritually. Speaking from the world in the Red Sea presents that side of the death of Christ. But we need more than the deliverance from the penalty of sin.
As we see it in the blood on the door, we need more than the deliverance from the power of sin and Satan.
We need to be delivered from cell. We our cells have to die, and that's what we see in Jordan.
You know the 12 Stones that were put in the middle of Jordan, representing the twelve types of Israel, and then 12 Stones set on the other side speak of our having died with him, and that we're now a new creation in resurrection. And this truth is so important to lay hold of by faith in order to be fit for the conflict that is before us. But along with that comes.
Circumcision.
Judgment upon the flesh. Nothing can be accomplished in the spiritual warfare in the energy of the flesh. But how important it is that by faithfully hold of that not only has Christ died for me so that I don't have to face judgment, not only has He died for me, that I be delivered from the power of sin, and Satan, he has delivered me from myself. I myself was executed in the death of Christ, and I'm now a new creature.
And that's so important to lay hold of that five faith and that makes us stand fit for the conflict that is before us. When they got across Jordan, you just mentioned, they're in the land.
But you know, they went to Gilgal, but they didn't drive out all the Canaanites nations, did they? They left the enemy, some of the enemy in the land. That was their problem. Brethren, how much are we leaving in our heart? That's the thought is that I shouldn't start mentioning samples. At any rate. There's many of the samples, but they left the enemy in the land. They should have driven them all out. Then they would have had what they should have had, a piece that passed us all understanding.
We leave things in. I don't know what you've left in or what I've left in. I know some of the things, but those are the enemy, and he takes advantage of them. The worldly things, lots of this place and all that. It's the enemy. You can't leave them.
The stones that were taken out of Jordan, They were pitched in Gilgal by Joshua, weren't they? What would be the thoughts there in connection with the the same place where they used the knives or stone sticking out of Jordan were there?
I believe they first took them to their lodging where they lived, and that's a very important thing that we take them personally to ourselves. But it seems that when they were taken there and pitched in Gilgal.
That it's more of a collective thing, those stones that were there.
And that's the character of the assembly, isn't it? Here are the circumcision, which worship God by the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus.
And have no confidence in the flesh much of the system.
About us is build up upon something that recognizes the flesh, but it was they brought them to their lodging but Joshua took them and put them there in Gilgal. And so how important for us that we recognize in the assembly that the flesh profits nothing and that Christ must be all and in all That's really what we get in connection with the Jordan that in Joshua chapter 3 which helps.
Bring out what's been said about this in Joshua chapter 3 and verse 16, perhaps 15.
And as they that bear the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priest that bear the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, or the Jordan overfloweth all his banks at the time of harvest.
That the waters which came down from above stood and rose upon a very upon a heap very far from the city Adam, which that is besides Zaratan, and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea failed and were cut off. And the people passed over right over against Jericho. So that really that's what Jordan represents, is it's the complete judgment of man. I understand the Dead Sea is the lowest spot on earth. It's 1000 feet below sea level.
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But right from the city, Adam right down to the salt sea, that the waters were rolled back, and in the wilderness they were looking for something in man. And in an individual sense where we may be looking for something in ourselves, or in a collective sense, we may be looking to a man in the wilderness. But the great lesson is that Christ might be All in all, and so that they had to learn that lesson. And that was the lesson of Jordan, that there had been the judgment of all in connection with the first man right from Adam right down to the very end.
In the wilderness the flesh was tested and salt, and it says two things, to humbly and to prove thee, and to show thee what was in my heart. They and then to realize the all sufficiency of the Lord, that he met their every need with the manna her clothes didn't wear out. They learned those two things, that the flesh profited nothing, and that Christ was sufficient for all their needs. But we don't see the end of the flash. It was still being tested all through the wilderness.
But as you pointed out when the waters were cut off at Adam, you and I were born with an atom nature and it came to its end there. And that's what we need to recognize our dead. Not you should be dead, but he are dead we tame. The flash came to its end before God.
In that in the death of Christ, figuratively in their crossing of the Jordan. Now they're to reckon it dead.
It had been tested for 40 years and it was proved there was number good in it. But now they put the as it were in the place of death and they crossed the Jordan. They take these they stones. It's interesting it says the stones that were placed in the bottom of Jordan. They're there to this day. They're there to this day because in the death of Christ before God the flesh came to its end. But it doesn't say that the ones they brought out are there to this day because I'm sorry to say that we still give the pleasure place in our lives.
And so we know that before God, it came to an end in the death of Christ. But in a practical sense, we don't always recognize this. And this is what the third chapter of Colossians is about, to reckon ourselves dead. To really put the flesh in the place of death, that it might be, in a practical way, applied to our everyday life. So we might.
Look at this.
I was thinking of what it says.
Risen with Christ.
You know, for instance, Lazarus was risen by Christ.
But this is more than just to be raised in power.
But is risen with Christ.
I was thinking of the verse in Ephesians 1.
Verse 15.
Wherefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love to all the Saints cease not.
To give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father Glory may.
Give you.
These things begin with God.
To give you a spirit of revelation, and he goes on to develop the glories of Christ.
And those glories head over all things revealed to the Church.
The Apostle.
Here in the first chapter he is calling on God for the benefit of the Saints, and in chapter four he begins to call on the Saints.
And justice. To remind ourselves, brethren, the Christian path is not just avoiding evil.
It's enjoying all that's in Christ.
What is it that says that? Some fault that passes in the bottom of my heart?
Is bad.
Does it hinder my enjoyment of Christ?
All that he is because God is not asking me to produce something to merit these blessings, he says.
The apostle says he wants God to give it to you.
So if I don't enjoy, I have no excuse.
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Because it's a gift of God. It's not a purchase.
And so Christ, if he is not all in my life.
I have no excuse, I asked the Lord. Go to the Lord and find out about it. And if I don't, I'm willing to just let it go.
What does that say? I have not set my mind on those things up there. Another verse that comes to mind is an application like the make of a verse in Romans 2.
Verse 14.
Just an expression in this verse.
Do by nature.
When the Christian path becomes a thing for me, that is a burden.
When it becomes a thing that I have to calculate and think about and figure out.
What to do instead of do by nature?
You see, then I need to talk to the Lord because I have a nature. That's what we have before us, a light now.
And the Spirit of God is power, and everything we have is in Christ.
We have no excuses left. When he gives us everything, he takes away one thing that is all excuses.
So what we have is the present enjoyment of Christ. And if that's not true, in my daily path, that's what decides what's right and wrong in the bottom of my heart.
And if the path is difficult?
That's deciding. There's something there that I'm letting pass in my heart. We've talked about cutting off the flesh. Call everything there what it is. How do you cut it off? Practically speaking, what's the knife you use? Call it what it is.
Say Lord Jesus that sin and let him take care of it. Don't try to correct ourselves. It's Him. He's everything to us. And if He is everything, everything that would pass in my heart, that would dampen or weaken the light of his love and glory toward me. That is what I would say is wrong. It's bad not excuse those things that would come in that are gained to me.
But if I see it there and I want to play with it or excuse it to preserve a little pride.
As it passes in the bottom of my heart, it's going to reflect itself in my daily path.
One other thought I've enjoyed.
We speak of passing over into resurrection.
Land, you know, if you want to walk in the value of resurrection.
There's one way one step gets you across the Jordan.
That's obedience. You obey, and you're living in the power of God.
He does not expect us to go to war at our own charges.
When I obey, I have all that he is at my disposal step across.
That the River Jordan tells us of death.
And there I can stand and walk in the good of all that and justice one more.
It was totally Elijah. Elijah, the journey is too long for you.
And that's what it is for you and me. Not too long for him.
If I want to toy with thoughts that preserve self or pride as they pass in my heart, or I want to call them what they are, that's sin and tell the Lord that's sin and that will you see, call him in and my behalf, in a practical way, to give me what I need to undergird the path of faith.
But I asked the question about the Jordan back there again in Joshua or in the in the in the 6th chapter, this man, Aiken, I was going to ask the question, do you and I have a heart like Aiken? Well, I believe that we do, because the very thing that Aiken had a problem about the apostle addresses here in connection with this covetousness. And so Aiken, he crosses the Jordan with the rest of them.
You and I have crossed the Jordan in principle, but then what happens? They have a curse comes in among the people of God.
And finally when Aiken is confronted about it.
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Yeah, it's in the 7th chapter of Joshua. Let me read the verse.
All I got to find it again.
Joshua 7 And it's in verse 19. And Joshua said unto Akon my son, give I have prayed the glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him, and tell me now what thou hast done. I did not for me. An Aiken answered Joshua, and said, Indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done. And then he tells what happened when I saw among the spoiled.
Oh, a goodly babylonish garment and 200 shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of 50 shekels.
I covered them and took them. They are whole. They are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent and this silver under it. So this is the thing that comes to a point. What is the point that comes with us? It's the same principle, isn't it? In that verse, I think it's the fourth verse in the Colossians. It says no, the fifth verse. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.
And here Aiken he had this one that the same. 1 The apostle Paul confessed he had the problem about.
Covetousness, which is idolatry. Covetousness. What is covetousness? We don't know a thing about it, do we, brethren? It's so inherent in our hearts we can't get away from it because it afflicts the same way. So how am I going to overcome it? Well, there's a man of the glory. He wants me to have his eyes fixed on him. And so I love to think of that verse. And we've been having it before us in such lovely ways expressed already. But Hebrews says we see not all things put under him.
All these things are going to come into judgment that you and I can see. Is that right? But what do we see? We see the man in the glory, and it says we see Jesus crowned with glory and honor. Do I see Jesus crowned with glory and honor? And am I identifying myself with him each day that I'm one of his? I'm part of him. That's what it's about. I'm part of Christ. Is that right? Amen. So I should be in the enjoyment of it. And the apostle Johnny says then that and that first, the first epistle of John and the first chapter.
He says, these things. Have I written unto you that believe on the Son of God, on the name of the Son of God, that your joy may be what full? And the Lord wants you and me to be in the enjoyment of it? What about the young people? They say, well, you know, we got to we got to train them up and so forth. No, the joy of the Lord is where we're going to find our strength and the Lord's joy. And seeing you and me being, like the brother mentioned, obedient. And what was it that mark the blessed Lord? Two things.
The first was obedience and then was dependence. Is that right?
Like the real lesson of Akon is the assembly truth, brethren, just don't forget it. We get occupied with details. But he took all these things. They were cursing, and he buried them in his tent. But he buried the silver under them. The silver speaks of redemption. And what happened? Thou God saw it. Nobody else saw it. But God saw it.
And the whole, all children of Israel, all the work, were affected by that.
Act, brethren, what we do fix.
Every assembly. That's the truth of this, I believe. It's so important. Let's watch it. Because this is worldlyism. It affects us all, of course, but there's doctrinal evil too, which permeates faster. Satan will use that faster. And let's remember it. Real good thing of the Akon to me is assembly truth. What affects our assembly, What we've done effects every assembly in the world.
That's a God to me.
Christianity has become a great religion of do to get. I think that's what our brother was saying, is that man is laboring to do something, to get something. But in Christianity we are seated already in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that every exhortation of Christianity flows from what we have. And so we need to be grounded in that. And if we're still looking for something in the first man, we're going to come up short. You know, Philippians, you mentioned that Brother Heinz, that it was the wilderness, but there was concision. They were whittling away at the flesh bit by bit.
Brother that I'm visiting, he said his pastor gave him a list of six things he wasn't to do if he was going to be involved in the church. And he listed six things. And he said, you know, I read it and he said why would a believer want to do any one of those things? But I said the list is too short and that's what will always happen, is to whittle away at it bit by bit. But then when we see the end of the first man and we see it's Christ, then it's a desire to please him and to go on for him. And that puts us on a completely different ground, not looking for something in man.
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But looking to Christ, and so we can't get to the fifth verse without the 4th. When Christ who is our life shall appear, He is our life. We're not trying to get Him as our life. He is our life. We need to see that.
There are three things I believe.
He are dead. Reckon yourselves to be dead.
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus as to our standing, every believer in this room.
Before God, the old man came to its end in the death of Christ. But in a practical sense we need to recognize that and learn that blessed truth and not expect anything good from the old man. In me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, but it isn't a thing we can do once for all. It's a daily thing. So it says always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.
Solelykan had crossed the Jordan.
In the figure, he had really recognized the end of the old man, but he didn't try in a practical way. So he saw those things that he wanted and he went after them. And every one of us, brethren, have within us that old man before God. It doesn't exist. We are dead. It came to its end, but in a practical sense, it's still there and will be as long as we're in this body. And so it's a daily thing for us.
None of us could say in this meeting I'm not going to allow the flesh anymore. There it is. It's there. It's unimproved. We have to do it as a daily thing, and that's the important thing for us. But I'd also like to say that God has given us, as our brother was saying, a new life.
Created in righteousness and true holiness, the same new life we're going to have in heaven. Christ is the believers life, but that new life needs direction, and the direction is the word of God. And so the desire is in our hearts to please the Lord, But we need direction, and that's why it's important that we read the word of God. I'm sure there are thousands of real Christians who are trying to please the Lord, but they're doing things that are not according to the word of God.
Just like David wanted to build a house for the Lord, that was a good desire. In fact, the Prophet told him.
It's good that it was in my heart, But he also needed to listen to the instruction. No, David, it's not for you to do that. It's for your son Solomon. And so we need direction. That's why we need to be encouraged to read the word of God, for there we'll learn the mind of God. They tried to bring up the ark. That was a very good desire, but they brought it up on a new card. Wasn't it a good desire? Wonderful. But David then searched the Scripture.
Said I've learned in the scriptures he didn't ask anybody's advice. He said I've learned in the scriptures that the Ark is to be carried upon the shoulders of priests. So the next time they did it, the same arc, but they did it according to the mind and will of God as revealed in His word, and they carried it on the shoulders of the priests, and it was great blessing when they did. I just mentioned that because it's fine to have a desire. Every true Christian has a desire to please the Lord.
We need to reckon the old man dead. It is dead before God. We need to reckon that dad daily. But we also need the direction of the word of God, so we would know what is pleasing to the Lord. I quote the verse again by the word of thy lips. Have I kept me from the paths of the Destroyer? Where did they get the idea of a new card? In the Philistines? From the Philistines, Brother, Let's don't get any ideas from anyone in this world.
Or any group in this world, Chris is up or not you know, that comes out and Duro Deuteronomy turn to it. Deuteronomy, chapter 12.
After saying.
6 Signs And there will be a 7 unto the place that the Lord thy God has chosen.
Place his name there. That's where you worship. Now notice in verse 30. Take heed now at the end. Now inquire not after their gods. How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so.
00:45:12
Pretty strong, isn't it? We don't have to inquire what they're doing around us. We know it isn't right. That's it.
Don't inquire. Don't wonder.
Rejoice, because the Spirit is God has shown us something. My depression.
Consider it and hold fast. That's what we have to do. But it's wrong to look around. You're going to. Satan will take advantage of the look around. Let me Are you telling me that obedience and happiness go together? Yeah. Harry told me that.
I like it. Let me point out something that I think is important, and that is it doesn't say that we should not set our affections on things in the world.
It will says not to set our affections on things on the earth.
You know, when they were in the wilderness, they lasted after the things of Egypt. That's the world. But here just to bring across.
As a father and husband, I have the responsibility to provide for my own. If I don't, the word of God says I'm worse than an unbeliever. I have denied the faith, but is this the purpose in my life?
To accumulate things for my family. Many have fallen.
Into that snare, you know, justifying going all out to making the buck, you know, because they want to be faithful providers and all the energies are directed in that direction, that earthliness, you know, or anything in that direction. We should love our family, you know, we should have affections within the family, we should love our wives and so on. But is this all we're living for? You know, there is a movement in Christendom.
Focus on the family as if the family is everything. You can idolize your family. You know, certainly we have these responsibilities and oftentimes fall short in them, but our life is Christ.
You know, of course, we have at the end of this chapter our responsibilities within the family and all of this, but it has to go along with our spiritual warfare and entering into that which is ours in Christ. And so I hope.
You understand what I'm trying to say. There is worldliness and there is earthliness, and we can be so occupied with legitimate responsibilities that we lose out spiritually.
God made the Melons and the Leeks in Egypt, and yet their heart lusted after those things. That's really what you're saying is that there are many things that may be right, and sometimes we ask the question what's wrong with it? And in fact, often it's the question that's wrong. We ought to set our things on.
Above that your affection on things above and we wouldn't be asking the question what's wrong with this and what's wrong with that and as you said going looking in other places for things but to just to be occupied with what we have.
Last century there was a flavor in France. Very wealthy man. Nothing wrong with being wealthy. Use it for the Lord. Consider everything you got for the Lord. Well, he built a Manor house or a mansion, I don't know which, but it was beautiful and he did it with the right motive. He wanted to use it for the Saints. He wanted to entertain the Saints and but he knew one more thing. And a poet, a very famous poet. I can't remember his name now, but I could get it. He visited among many others.
And as he went into this beautiful place, he saw a gold letters over the entrance. La Gwenda. I must leave it.
And that struck that forward's heart. And he wrote a poem, and I can't remember how it goes, But he said write the word la gwenda over yourself and over your business and on the forehead of your wife and over your children. And he kept going in that poem. I must leave it. Yeah, that's it. This world and everything here, you know, we're going to leave and we'll be like Christ, we'll think right. And he had the right idea there with that word. I must leave it now. Thank God for good stewards for not saying sell everything.
That isn't the idea. Use it for the Lord.
What the Lord said to Peter in in Mark chapter 10, Bob in connection with that it says in.
00:50:09
In verse 28, where you can just link it up there with. I'll just take the time to read this stuff from verse 23.
And Jesus looked round about and said unto his disciples, how hardly that they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God. And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again, and said unto them, children, how hard is it for them to trust in riches and into the Kingdom of God? It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God. And they were astonished how to measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? Jesus, looking upon them, saith with men it is impossible, but not with God, For with God all things are possible. Then Peters began to say unto him, Loyal, we have left all, and have followed thee.
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, Here it is, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lens, for my sake and the Gospels, that he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time houses and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come life eternal. But many that are first shall be last, and last shall be first. What an instructive, what an instructive Scripture this is.
The Jewish aspiration was when you see it in Deuteronomy that if a man followed the Lord, he was blessed.
But what a, what a thing this was when the Lord told them here in this new relationship, that when you follow the Lord, you've got to leave all this behind and continue on. It's like Bob says nothing wrong with wealth, but it's like the sower, the deceitfulness of riches and the cares of this life. They come in and they just spoil everything. OK.
Again, don't forget, Peter didn't leave his ship. He didn't leave the accrue of it for fishing because that's what he was doing at the end. He didn't leave his wife and his family, but he didn't put them ahead of Christ. That's all we're talking about, and that puts the thing in the right order. Just don't put anyone, not even your wife, ahead of Christ.
One thing to.
Get some of my possessions or my possessions. It's one thing to get them out of my heart.
He may not take them out of my pocketbook right now.
That Acts. In the early chapters of Acts, they had such a sense of grace that no one said that anything they owned was theirs. It was ours, that is, it belonged to the people of God.
Well, that's getting out of the heart. But then they, I think, made one step too much. God never told them to put it out of their pocketbook into a common fund, and that led to problems.
But it's the thought, is it not? Have your mind or your affection set on that man in glory. I think that's the word that's used in Romans and Philippians and.
I believe it's one of the writers. Earlier writers says that the word means that it's a combination of of desire and will.
Desire and will, and I've thought of it as the word we use for priority, desire and will.
And it's have your mind that let this mind be in you, which was in Christ, have the same priorities he had.
But then let's say that we don't. I mean it's true of all of us. We all sit here and say, well, I don't. I mean we have to be honest because the Lord's watching. We might can fool our brother in a little while.
You know, I thought of it this way. He's everything. If I look up and say Lord.
I saw. That's what Aiken did. I saw.
Then later on he covered it and he took. But when I say, Lord, I saw that you know I wanted that.
He would say to me, yeah, I know that. I know you did.
He sees everything. He knows every movement of all the hidden things that go on in your heart and mind, and he's everything. Tell it to him.
Because sometimes our problem comes and we think we have to straighten it out. We think we can correct ourselves.
He's everything. And if I don't have my mind, if I don't have my affections, if I don't have my priorities, they're with him first.
He already knows it.
But he's my escape, he is my freedom. And he is also the measure of all blessings that I have him alone.
Verse 4 emphasizes that when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory, the coming of the Lord. And that isn't this. The coming of the Lord is a endearing, loving thought, isn't it?
00:55:19
The appearing of the Lord is an exercising thought, and that's what we're bringing out, brethren. We're going to appear with him, but you know, all these things that are done in flesh and for self are going to have to be burned off.
You can't say one thing good about them. Get rid of them. You know they'll be lost. That's that's the appearing. We'll bring that out. Well, what's left will be shown to the world will be shown off too, because we're all right. We're in Christ. But there are those things we're doing. That's their period.
How to use the World First Corinthians 7. But it is not abuse, it's the thought of not possessing it as our own. And I believe the Lord does give us the things of this world, our homes, our cars and so on, and we're to use those things, but to realize that really they do belong to him. That's not the thought.
Possessing these things as our own and even our children, I think of how Hannah just noticed in there in the first Samuel chapter one and verse.
27 Hannah She says, For this child that's Samuel. I pray. And the Lord has given me my petition, which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord.
The margin says We turned him.
As long as he liveth, he shall be lent to the Lord.
Well, it's nice to see our children. They have life the Lord has given them to us, and they really belong to Him.
Maybe someone should give us a thought and make good use of the mammon of unrighteousness.
I haven't the right thought perhaps.
That I go to write.
Oh, it's going to abide, isn't it? The way we use it, the maven of unrighteousness is going to fail. You won't need money in heaven, but the way we have used what has been given to us, that's going to abide. And so he says, make to yourselves friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness, that when it failed, he may be received into the everlasting habitation. So as it's been said in these meetings, these things are necessary. You need money to buy a car and a house and clothes.
To rent this place and everything. We need it and we're to use it, but we're to recognize what it is. It's the mammon of unrighteousness. It's part of a world system.
That is going to come to all its end. But when it fails, the way we have used it is going to remain and that's all going to be made manifest, whether we were good stewards in what God had given to us or not. Isn't that So? That's, that's good.
Could somebody give us?
What is conveyed in our life is hit with Christ in God, and it seems to also.
Hate to be explained that when he shall appear, we shall appear with him in glory. You know, we have really had not had any comment on that. Can you help us, Chuck?
Well, I've taken it. Ye are dead.
And your life is hid with Christ in God, in the presence of God.
People don't see our life.
Which is Christ. They don't see that.
Manifested outwardly, there's no glow on us like the often portrayed by some artists. And that.
Christ is only seen when we live Him down here. So our life is really hid in the presence of God. With Christ. He's our life and it's hid there. It's going to be manifested. We're going to be seen with Him in glory.
And the world will then know that the Father sent the Son, and He has loved us even as He's loved the Son. Get that in John 17 When we appear in the same glory, and it will be then known that we have the same life and the same Savior, it will all be manifested in that day.
01:00:06
Well, that's that's coming, isn't it? Day of Glory. I might just read that verse in John 17 that I was referring to.
Some may not be that familiar with it. It's good, and sometimes make comments and take for granted that everyone here understands. In John 17, verse 22 and the glory which thou gave us me, the Lord is speaking to his Father, He says, I have given them that they may be one, even as we are one, I and them and thou in me.
That they may be made perfect in one. That's the oneness in glory.
And that the world may know that thou hast sent me.
They'll then know that and has loved them as thou hast loved me so when they see us in glory with Christ, they will. They will know that that the same love that the Father loved the Son He's loved us, brought us into that same glory. What a day that would be.
But we think there's also a reference to something like Gideons Ban. They were told to take a light and put it in a picture. There it was hidden but waiting a moment that the vessel was broken down and then the light shone out. And so when the light shone out.
They didn't announce their own names. They didn't say I'm this, I'm that. They said the sword of the Lord and of Gideon and God granted a great victory so the world doesn't see, but they ought to see. As we put the sentence of death upon self. Then the life of Jesus is seen in us, and I believe that was exemplified in both men. I don't suppose as I sit around the camp anyone realize that they had those lights there but all of a sudden in the middle of the night.
300 Going torches, and a great shout, the sword of the Lord and the Gideon.
Well, it says.
Your life is hid with Christ and God when Christ, who is our life. And you know, I have the thought that it's what what the Father sees when he sees us And you know that's our standing in the eyes of God. Really, we're in Christ. Our life is Christ.
I have that life of Christ and you can say it 1000 ways and not not be able to explain it, but it's true. And so when we come into the holiest of holies, Lords day, mourning within the veil, we come boldly. Why? Well, because God sees them and he accepts us in all the preciousness of his Son. That's the principle. And I think it's so wonderful now we are exercising when we realize that.
Examine ourselves, but we eat. And there's a real wonderful principle that's practical, but standing is there. We're in Christ. That's where God sees us. We're accepted by the Father in the beloved. I sometimes like to put it this way.
He sees us at that moment in all the preciousness of his son. Now that almost means take off your shoes. You're on holy ground. I can't explain it any farther than that.
When it comes to the thought of exercising as you mentioned.
In John 13 we get where the Lord is.
Glorified.
Expression in God or in himself, I forget.
Verse.
31 and.
32 They go together. Yeah. Thank you.
Therefore when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified. This is the cross.
And God is glorified in him.
As the cross, if God be glorified in him, that's the cross. God shall also glorify him in himself.
And shall straightway or immediately glorify him, glorified in God, tells us that there is nothing that is created that is worthy of Christ. Everything is left far, far far behind, and he must go all the way out beyond everything created in God.
01:05:02
And to the heights there he is glorified now.
It's true. God sees me like that.
But I wonder if it isn't in our chapter that I see me like that.
And it's been said every blessing that God gives.
Has the implied responsibility that I enjoy.
Do I see myself that I have that blessing?
That my life is hid with God, hid with Christ in God.
And when he is a manifested, he's going to manifest my life.
And do I measure my daily path by that? Again, I want to repeat, Christianity is not just the avoidance of evil. It's the enjoyment of good. It's the enjoyment of Christ. And if I'm not enjoying it, just tell the Lord about it. Our biggest problem I don't have. We have a big problem. We want to correct ourselves.
There's nothing to correct it with. We have nothing, nothing in US. Is it that in me that is in my flesh both no good thing and instead of justice telling the Lord, just have it out with the Lord so he will really is everything to us.
That was just one.
Followed our attention to verse 32 of John 13. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself. We get that in John 17. I think it's verse five that the Lord praise Father, glorify thou, Me with thine, own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
So he asks, as man, to be reinstated into the glory that he had with him. As the eternal Son before he became a man, He now asked to be glorified in that same glory. And that's what you have here in John 1332. He shall glorify him in himself, a man glorified in God. Think of that. We know that God was glorified in a man.
When the Lord was down here, and especially at the cross as to sin, but here now we have a man glorified in God.
And that is.
You might say that's the characteristic truth of Christianity, isn't it? That there's a man in that glory and we're going to be there too.
18 in the back.
18 and the offender?
Earthly Things and Heavenly Things
Upper Room Ministry, Hill Country Thoughts, Hidden Manna of the Heart
Comfortable in Heaven
Colossians 3:5-7
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In heaven the things of death and hell with him alone are given our hurt parser. Glad we raise the voice the Lord has made us, who he goes and sweep that blessed hope, Jesus.
Where?
Play all the great.
00:05:08
What's in all?
All. Every time.
A.
Jesus, Far.
Where they fall.
Colossians Chapter 3 and verse 5.
Mortify therefore your members, which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, and ordinate affection, evil, concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry, for which things fake The wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience, in the which he also walked, sometime when he lived in them. But now he also put off all these anger, wrath, malice.
Blasphemy, filthy communication. Out of your mouth lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man, was his deeds, and have put on the Newman, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, von Norfrey, but Christ is all and in all.
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye, and above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your heart to the which also ye are called in one body.
And be thankful, Let the word of Christ dwell on you richly in all wisdom.
Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord, and whatsoever ye do in Word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Servants, obeying all things, your masters according to the flesh.
Not with I service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever ye do do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done. And there is no respect of persons.
I was thinking a little while ago, connection with these things were to put away how they grow. They have contests to grow big pumpkins. I think they get up to 700 lbs or maybe more. How do they do it?
Not sure of all the details, but at least one thing they do is to cut off all the other blossoms. They get one started and they cut off all the other blossoms. And what does that tell us? You know, if there's competition, if there's a lot of blossoms and a lot of little pumpkins on that vine, you're not going to grow a great big one. You cut off the others. What's the secret of our growth?
And and Divine Things is cutting off all those other things. I think we've already had some of our blossoms cut in this conference already.
And it's going to help us to grow.
But these things are.
That were listed here from the fifth verse on are things that need to go as we already had this morning.
00:10:01
Not a question of ourselves picking up the shears and cutting them off. We have to take it to the Lord and He does the work. It's done properly and it's lasting.
He should explain that.
Fortify or put to death Mr. Darby's rendering. There's a footnote in Mr. Darby's Bible.
And explain what is involved or gives us a better understanding. It says be in the state of having done it. In other words, it isn't something that is yet to be done, be in the state of having done it.
And continue in that state. That's the thought, isn't it?
That's the thought is that we can't do it ourselves. If he does it, we're in that state and we go on in that state, don't we? We do have responsibility, but the Lord takes care of it. Remember one time the brother we were visiting someone that had recently been saved and this person had a trouble with giving up smoking. Brother said we'll stop trying.
What's going wrong here? What's he doing telling them to go ahead? No, he said. Stop trying. Just tell the Lord you can't do it yourself. Let him take it away. The Lord delivered me from it. I didn't quit. He delivered me some.
It's the difference here between state and standing, isn't it? In the third and fourth verse, three are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
This has actually taken place. As to our standing before God, we stand before God made the righteousness of God in Christ, we stand before him. That's the force of that expression, justification of life. Every believer. Not only people say justified mean just as if I'd never sinned, but that would only put us in the position of unfallen atom. He hadn't sinned, but he was capable of sinning and he did and he spoiled it all.
But isn't it lovely that you and I stand before God in a life that never sinned, never can sin the life of Christ? Christ is our life. And so he is in the fourth verse, then he's talking about what we have in Second Thessalonians, where it says that, well, perhaps we should turn to it in First Thessalonians. Pardon me, Second Thessalonians, chapter One.
And verse 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day. The same thought is in first John chapter 3, where it tells us when Christ was all turned to the verse, just to say it correctly.
First John Chapter 3.
In the end of the well, I'll read the second verse. Beloved. Now are we the sons 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, or we shall see him as he is. So these second, third, and 4th verses bring before us our standing. It's perfect, It's in Christ. And every believer stands before God.
In all the perfection of Christ. But now he goes on in this fifth verse and brings in the thought of the practical side of it. Our state. We still have that old man within. We won't have when the Lord Jesus appears. When he comes and displays us to the world. He's not going to display a people like we are now With this old man within us that's capable of all these things, but he'll display us not only with bodies of glory like Christ.
But with no old nature within, only the life of Christ. And so if that is God, if that's our hope, we think that's a wonderful thing, and it is a wonderful thing that we're going to be displayed in that way. Then he says, well then in the practical sense of it. Mortify therefore, or as our brother has just commented, counted as being already our position before God, and we record ourselves dead, indeed under sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:15:00
So don't allow that old man, which before God came to its end in the death of Christ. Don't allow him to take control of our bodies. He's liable to as long as we're here, because it's still here and will be all. There's the practical side of it. I say again, I think it's the difference between state and standing. Our state is always perfect because it's bounded upon the work of Christ, our standing. I I should say our standing is perfect, but our state is not always solved.
Because as long as we're here, we need the practical side of it. Mortify, therefore, your members.
Every one of us have that old man within that's capable of all these things that are spoken of in their first.
Is that I'd like to read that verse you just quoted. I was thinking of it in Romans 6.
Well, from verse eight you pick up the context.
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more death, hath no more dominion over him.
When that he died, he died under sin once.
But then he liveth, He liveth unto God likewise.
Reckon he also yourselves to be dead indeed under sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ. Our Lord was thinking of any connection with the comment made this morning, That is, by the word of God our instructions come.
But every instruction that we get comes with everything I need to follow it.
And reckon is the work of the Spirit of God.
To give me to see my bottom of my soul, that what he says about me is true.
And as that is laid weight on my soul, that's true about me, I reckon it to be so I look off unto Jesus.
And I see him and his path, and I reckon that to be true to me, and the Spirit of God does that, but it is.
I'll say a byproduct of being occupied with him who died once. That's what I think for the Darby seeing be in the state of seeing that happen once. Reckon it to yourself, or I reckon it to me. There I find liberty in a negative sense.
In the sense of he died and I died. Now there's a positive he lives unto God, and so do I in the direction of my life. Now the Spirit of God is going to give me to the live unto God.
And with that before us everything, provided Christ is everything. Now what?
You know, in the Old Testament we've had before us, in time that passed, a person could say, I would like to go into the holiest of all, but I can't go. The door is shut. But in the New Testament, the door is open. Now I have to say I don't want to go in there.
That's the way it is with you and me. He weighs what we desire. The Lord Jesus has done everything. He stands before us now. He waves our hearts to see where our hearts.
And I was thinking of an expression in. I believe it's second first Peter, chapter 3.
In verse 21 toward the latter part of the verse.
The answer of a good conscience.
Toward God.
You know, we have what we need.
Walk with the Lord Jesus, but it's all in him.
And as the Spirit of God is going to occupy my thoughts and my affections, is going to set my mind on those things that are there. There I find my liberty and a good conscience. God says, a good conscience will say, Let me out of here. I want more of Christ.
00:20:07
And we have the answer to a good conscience, that is Christ himself.
But again, if we take up this task of mortifying as something for us to do apart from him.
We will end up frustrated in defeat if we see that the Spirit of God is going to us, applying the truth about us as it appears in Jesus.
And give us to reckon that that is true of Maine. And there I find what I need.
But again, I say he's not given us another law.
He's given us a life.
And that life has its desires. It loves the Lord Jesus. And a good conscience will say, let me out here, get rid of everything out of my life that will hold me back for more enjoyment of Christ. That's the life that we have. Well, you and I might weigh our own.
Pathway to see how much of that we enjoy, but it's ours.
I was wondering if we turned to Galatians 2 and 20, we see something along those lines, the 20th verse.
Second chapter of Galatians I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
And you find in the 7th of Romans, he's going through that conflict in connection with the eye. He says, He says I find a law and my members that when I want to do what's right, I do what's wrong. But then he comes to the point and he says it's no more I but sin that dwelleth in me. May I put it very practically here for those who are younger and for all of us posing. Somebody asks me to do something that's very wrong.
And I say, well, I don't want to do that because I'm a Christian. After the person has gone away, the devil says you did want to do it. Why did you tell him you didn't want to do it? I have a right to say it's no more I. There is a tenant in my body that I don't call I any longer. It's sin which dwelleth in me. It's not it's no more I. But what about I? I identify myself in faith with the new man that God has given me.
Did my Newman did the life of Christ in me want to do that thing? I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. It's very blessed when we lay hold of this, because I don't know whether others have had a conflict. I had a real conflict with the 7th of Romans, and proudly there are many others that do, because they confuse us like he did, he said. I delight in the law of God after the Sinner in with them.
But I find another law and my members that I want to do what's wrong? No, it's no more I it's sin that dwelleth in me. The very thing that we have been saying. God has put an end to it in the death of Christ. And in a practical sense, we're to reckon ourselves dead indeed on the sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. I just mentioned this because I believe that the subject or theme of what we have before us in this chapter.
Someone has said, and we're entitled to let the Newman answer the door, right? So when someone comes with a suggestion, we can let the Newman answer and say no, I don't want to do that, even though the flesh would say sure you do.
Well, we have in Romans 7 a different conflict than what we have in Galatians.
And that is in Romans 7 we have the conflict of the new mind, the law of my mind, which is the new nature against the law of sin and is defeat. But in Galatians we have the conflict of the Spirit and the flesh, and they are The simple answer is walk in the Spirit and he will not commit the deeds of the flesh. The new nature gives us desires after God, but it doesn't give us any power.
And the problem of the man in Romans 7, he looks to himself to overcome that which manifests itself because he still has the old nature within him and that's why he is defeated, you know. But the power of the Spirit of God that indwells every believer is that which helps us to get the victory, walk in the Spirit, follow the desires of the divine nature, but empowered by the Spirit.
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Of God. Now for the young people, maybe that we can try to make this simple. You know, you probably have found out if you belong to the Lord Jesus that you still have bad thoughts springing up. Evil desires spring up. That only proves what the scripture says about you is true. That you still have a nature that is as bad as it always was, but you do not have to follow.
The desire of that nature.
You say by faith I have died to sin. You know it's not a question of dying to it, having died to it in the death of Christ, I so reckon myself dead unto sin. Hilarious. A story that has illustrated this of a brother in Brazil before he was saved. He was an astrologer, you know, and he was really well known and a lot of people came to him. He was very clever man.
But.
He got saved. And then he read the Bible quite extensively, you know, read in it for hours and hours and made progress very quickly. And then he started giving out gospel tracts, and it didn't take long. And he knew that their long hair that was down past the shoulder didn't fit for Christians. So he had that hair cut off. But then not long after he was saved, somebody came and wanted to get his.
Astrologers skill to play and to give him answers.
You know what he said? That astrologer died.
That astrologer died. That I think will help you understand when there's anything springing up in us that is part of that old nature or part of our old life, can say I have died to that, why should I any longer live in it? You know I'm no longer.
In the sight of God identified with that life, you know by faith I can disassociate myself.
From that former eye, you know, and I'm connected now with this Newman and I look at myself the way God looks at me. He looks at me as a new creature in Christ. And this is how we have to learn to look at ourselves. And that old nature is as bad as it ever was and it will not be better. And this young person that was saved and baptized.
Not long after he was baptized.
He came to the man that baptized him and he said he I'm a Christian. I accepted the Lord as my Savior. I was baptized.
How come I still have these evil thoughts?
And the man that baptized him, he said, if you want to get rid of those evil thoughts, we should have put you under the water for 10 minutes.
But it is making the point clear. Brethren and young people, as long as we're in this body, we will not be rid of the flesh, and that flesh will always manifest itself in wrong thoughts and desires. But you don't have to follow these desires. You have it given to you by the Lord what it takes.
To live a victorious Christian life for the Heinz, didn't the man in the 7th of Romans come to the end of himself in verse 24 When he said, oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death? He realized he couldn't deliver himself. And the following verse says I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And someone has likened it to the children of Israel on the Bank of the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army behind them and the wilderness around them.
And they were in a panic, O wretched man, that I am, who shall deliver me? And Moses said, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And when they crossed the Red Sea, they looked back, and they saw their enemies dead on the seashore. That's what we have to do, get that viewed hopefully.
Perhaps we could just add one more thing. We need to realize that the old man came to an end, as you were saying, in the death of Christ, we are to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin. So the old nature still has the same desires. But the new nature, the new life we have received, is the very life of Christ.
Always has right desires, but now, as our brother was saying, we need power.
And the power is the Spirit of God, so we receive that new life at new birth.
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But then the Spirit of God came in and stealed us and gave us the power because you say well.
All these things I lay hold of, but I don't seem to have the power. Yes, you do. You have the Spirit of God, and God does not give His Spirit by measure, because the Spirit of God is a person indwelling every believer. But what I wanted to say, the third thing is the new life needs direction, and that is the word of God. So how am I going to find out? I have the desire. When you have a friend and you want to please him, how are you going to find out what pleases him? Listen, and you'll hear him talking and saying things. You'll find out what pleases him.
Or her. And that's what happens. That's why God has given us His Word and the Spirit. And the Word cannot be separated, Mr. Darby said. The Spirit and the Word cannot be separated without falling into fanaticism on the one hand, or rationalism on the other. And that is people who say they have the Spirit but don't go by the Word, They get into fanaticism that those who have the Word without the Spirit fall into all kinds of bad doctrine. So we need those three things. We need the new life. We need the Holy Spirit of God.
But we need this blessed book He's got. He's given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Let's read it. We're going to find it at the revealed will of God. And the new life wants to do it. The Spirit is the power to do it.
That first word in verse 5 mortify put to death, is done by the power of the Spirit of God. You don't do that in our own strength. Therefore your members which are upon the earth, your members, your hands, your feet, your eyes, your ears, and other members that we have are to be put to death. And then he mentions those things which those members do fornication.
Uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience? Those things that are mentioned aren't the members, but they're the things that the members do.
Perhaps elaborate?
Little bit on that because you have these large words in this fifth verse.
Somebody asked.
Or at least mentioned before the meeting that.
The night that somebody could walk through the birds.
And help us to understand.
Go ahead well.
I.
Like to hear it?
Whatever the Darby translation would help, I have it copied in my Bible for inordinate affection. He has vile passions.
And for evil concupiscence, lust.
And we tend to think of lust as corrupt things, but lust as desire for something.
That's a little health maybe inordinate is in the wrong direction. So there may be affections and we see the world is full of that as it's affection, But it's inordinate, it's lost its compass. And so morality is relative because God determines what's right in a relationship. Man refuses that. He says I have affections, but he doesn't acknowledge the fact. Man does not acknowledge the fact today that God is the one who has the right to determine what's right in a relationship.
I have a mother, and I have a wife, and a man may have a daughter and a neighbor and so on. They're all women. And yet the word of God determines what's right in each relationship. And that's morality. And where you have inordinate affection, it's affections, it's feelings towards another. But it's lost its moral compass because, as our brother was saying, it's no longer subject to the word of God. Now. Evil concupiscence is particularly characteristic of our day-to-day.
Because it's lost or unsatisfied affections, and so it's an unsatisfied appetite. And so when a person gets outside, a person knows something, they see something, they want something, but they don't know how to give expression to that in a proper way, in a natural, proper way. And so the world is full of that, a man craving affections and feelings and all kind of confusion. And the kids who go to school know this, that that man's all kind of confused us, even whether he's a man or what he is, because it's he's inordinate. And then it's just.
There's no control over it.
And so the word of God is such a wonderful pathway because we find in the word of God, in the pathway of faith, that we have a way to express all that that man should be, and we have a way to control it too. And so Paul, he wasn't married. He could control those affections for Christ. And so that's a wonderful thing in the connection with the pathway of faith. I'd like to say one other thing, because I think sometimes in connection with this mortify and the old man in the place of death. And yet we speak of the old man as.
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And and we get confused by it. But I think this confusion comes from an idea that death means annihilation and it doesn't. It means separation from God. And so then in Adam man does not really believe today that man and Adam he was he was dead. He doesn't believe that the soul of Senate that shall die. He sees Adam busy about and he says, what do you mean I'm a dead Sinner. I'm going on to my sins. I'm paying my mortgage. I'm raising my kids. I'm going to church.
He doesn't realize that he's dead until he gets saved. It's separation from God. And so we're to real when we get saved and we have a new life. Then we realize that all that was connected with that the good desires and the bad desires is all finished and now it's Christ.
Death is spoken of in three ways in Scripture, but never the end of existence. So an unsaved man, one who has never received Christ, is spoken of as dead in trespasses and sins. That doesn't mean he's not moving about in the world he is, but spiritually he's dead. No movement toward God. Then there is physical death. The body without the spirit is dead, but that doesn't mean the man has no existence.
The 16th of Luke makes it very clear that he still exists. And then.
There is the second death. That is the separation of the whole man from God forever. So death is always used in the way of separation. Separation spiritually from God. He's spiritually dead. Physical death, Physical death. The body without the spirit is dead.
The second death is the separation of the whole man, body, soul, and spirit from God.
For all eternity. I say that because people say when you're dead, you're dead. Death isn't used that way in Scripture, it's it's used just in the sense of separation, whether it's spiritual or physical or eternal separation. The second death, separation of the whole man from God for all eternity. I think as well to see that because we reckon it did hear the old man, but it's not actually dead.
Putting it in that place, isn't it?
It's accounting it by faith, really, seeing it as an accomplished thing. What is the difference between the old man and the flesh of days and he?
I think they're the same.
Well, we talk about a nature, but something has to have a nature. We talk about the nature of water. Water has to have a nature. You can't have a nature without the thing. And so we talk about the old nature. It's the old man that has the old nature. It's it's not a question of semantics. I have a block of steel and it's a thing, and it has a nature, magnetic, it has a certain density and so on. We have an old man, and that old man's got a nature. And so the two are inextricably linked. But.
We shouldn't struggle over it. I don't think we should struggle over that. Because I think what you were saying in connection with death and separation is that we reckon we see that the cross really passed sentence on that man does not really believe. Some say, well, I'm a better man, There's good in all men and so on. I have 10 glasses of water full of poison here, one with one drop and one with 30. They're all poisonous and they all have good water in them. But when we come to the gospel, we realize that they're all.
The cross is past sentence on all of them, so stop drinking out of the glass. But I'd like to suggest that the scripture seems to imply that we have put off the old man with his deeds, but we haven't put off the old nature. We still have that. You know. There seems to be a difference. Isn't that right, Chuck? Yes, the old man is only found three times in scripture. It's found in Romans 6 and it says our old man.
Is crucified with him that the body of sin should be destroyed or annulled, and henceforth we should not serve sin so there that the old man, whatever that represents, is crucified with him. And then in Colossians here and in Ephesians, if you read it in the New Translation, you're having put off the old man with his fees, and you're having put on the Newman, the best definition I've read of the old man.
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Is I like give it in a couple ways. It's all that we are in Adam and in the flesh.
And one of the best is if you take all the sins that have been committed from Adam onwards today and congregate all those sins in one man. That's the old man, and there's no good in that. Man is absolutely abhorrent to God, but he has been judicially dealt with at the cross, and he no longer has existence before God. As such, our old man is crucified with him.
And when we came to Christ, we put off the old man and we put on the Newman.
So we're no longer viewed in the old man as such. That's been dealt with and set aside, and we're viewed now as being in the Newman, which is Christ. The new man is Christ. Isn't is enough.
Romans 6 There I was wondering about the expression the body of sin, knowing that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed.
Now the body of sin has been destroyed. And now, you know, I was thinking of the members in our verse. I was running it. That wouldn't be the members of the body of sin, the expression of sin carried out in our human bodies. That's right. So if I were talking about having receivable thoughts, that's produced by the old nature.
And if we somebody mentioned that, I'm sure we're familiar with the expression we can't keep the birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from making their nests there.
Unless we set aside and judge these thoughts that come from the old man, we might get involved with what's described in the fifth word. These things are in our thoughts. We'll get our affection and then they'll get our body. The kin will be expressed in our life through action. We didn't mention. We tend to shy away from it. It must be defined and mentioned. Many of the new translations instead of fornication, read immorality.
That's unsatisfactory because immorality means, in the modern way of looking at it, on college campuses, and that what is not according to the normal moral standard and the normal moral standard on many of our colleges is sinful. It is not up, it's not righteous. It's not holiness. It's it's sin, so to say immorality.
Doesn't really define what fornication is. Fornication is the union between the male and the female outside of the marriage bond.
And the only sphere where that is holy and approved of God is within the marriage relationship. Outside of that, that sexual union is called fornication and it is sin.
An uncleanness might not go as far as intercourse, but it is still uncleanness, petting and how far many times?
Boyfriends and girlfriends go in their relationship in the petting without going all the way and have sexual intercourse. There is such a thing as uncleanness that has to be so looked at.
By the Christian.
That includes the sin of handling one's body disrespectfully also. That's right, Yeah.
Be thou holy as I am holy. Get a better thought when we get to the higher plane. There is that not right? These are holy. If I am holy, we are in Christ. And Christ is an awesome just for some young people here and others. I refer to three First John 3, verse 9.
Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him.
He cannot sin because he is born of God. That is an absolute.
That life we received when we were saved cannot sin. Let's never forget that. Does that mean we don't sin? No, it doesn't mean that. But it means we don't have to fear. That's what it means, That life can only do one thing. It can only please God. That's what we've got. That's the life I have. Same life I'm going to live forever in glory. Now I don't say I don't see it because first chapter John said I'd make him a liar because I do say it, but I don't have to. I ought not to do it.
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We have that light, and as long as you let that light by the Spirit of God be in control, you won't sin.
Doesn't mean you don't. You won't. But we don't have to. Now, getting along this other thought, I do use the expression the old man once in a while. And you know, I know what they're saying and I agree with that point. The old man's dead, but we reckoned him dead also. You know, there was a native in Africa who was a servant to a Dutch man who had a plantation. And that Dutch man let him come into his readings and he got saved. This native wasn't too good before he got saved of a good worker.
Not as a person. He was a Sinner. He got saved and a visitor was at this Dutch man's house and sat with the family. And it was discovered at that time that this saved native had taken some things. I guess they were edibles for his family. And this, this guest sat there while the master told him you don't have to do those things anymore.
You've got a life that can't stand and explain that, he says. Why do I still do those things?
He said. That's the old man in you yet?
And maybe he was wrong in saying that, but it went across to him. You know the flesh is still in you.
But you don't have to let the flesh cover. Well, there was about six months later your visitor was again back, and there was that servant who was a Christian. And jokingly he said to that servant.
How's the old? How's the old man? Oh, I'm an old man in his bones. So when he came, he said, How's grandfather in thy bones now? He says he don't get around much anymore.
That's rather simple, you know.
Recently, you're letting him get around.
Covetousness is wanting something that God hasn't given me.
And so it's at the end of this list. And so that's the world is. And you know, I just say this to the young people and to all of our hearts. We're living in a world that talks about the economy and reordering the economy and free enterprise being the solution to everything. But really at the at the foundation of it is covetousness. It's wanting something that I don't have that God hasn't given me, and it's idolatry. It's creating a picture of God, a wrong picture of God in my mind and really going after that.
And that's the list of this, and the world is full of that.
Apostle Paul said that the commandment that flew him, Thou shalt not cover that smooth fall that will slave slay any of us. You know, really covet, I think Engulfing engulfs all sin. If you take something that doesn't belong to you, you covered it. That's stealing, but it's coveted. If you commit adultery, you covered another man's wife. You'd be right down the list. And everything seems to come under that. That's lust. That's the thought.
Wanting something you shouldn't have, want to do something you shouldn't do is coveting even their children. Their children are guilty of that many times. And listen, children, isn't it true that sometimes you see somebody have a beautiful doll and you would like to have that doll at the bottom of it? Is covetousness the same with any toys? Or then when boys get to be teenagers, you know some friend comes driving up with a nice motorcycle or with a nice car and you haven't gotten it.
And you desire it, you see? So it is not just that we older ones have that problem.
That is a problem that is part of human nature, and it begins in our childhood, and it is something that we have to guard against for the rest of our lives. But we can be thankful for that which the Lord does give us. Be thankful is one of the statements in this chapter.
But we must not desire something that God in his wisdom has withheld from us.
It's inbred by sin, and the baby doesn't first learn Mama and Dada. The baby first learns no, and the second thing is mine. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think I've had nine of them.
I wonder sometimes, if it isn't that when it speaks of covetousness here, which is idolatry? If it isn't the fact though of the human mind being occupied with that thing.
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All the time. And what the onus here are instead of being occupied with Christ?
The human mind is continually.
Thinking these things, it's almost like that's what the way it was at the end of the Lubians. The thoughts, the intents, their hearts. That was only evil continually, because that's what they were thinking about all the time. And it takes the place of God. Instead of the heart being occupied with God, it's occupied with things.
That at once, that's idolatry. The opposite is our verse 17 in our chapter. Whatsoever you do in Word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him. That will help you, you know, it'll help you. Someone called me the other day, this day before we came and wanted to know what it says. The New Testament against gambling, because the nephew had to write a paper and he was a believer and didn't know what to say.
About gambling, because where he's living is coming in fast and you know, this is the first I started with.
That's the verse I started with. I end up about 50 verses, but that's the one I started with and that's the one that ought to govern everything. If you can go into the casino to the glory of God, that's enough. That's enough whatsoever things you do. But there's many verses, by the way that would come into that, but.
In whatsoever state I am therewith to be content that helps me on gambling and so on. There's many verses, Is this the first one?
Maybe we could say another thing to the children with their dolls, Brother Heinz, a child, once asked Mr. Darby. He said, Mr. Darby, will my pony be in heaven? And Mr. Darby answered the child, If your pony will make heaven a happier place, the Lord will make sure it's there. And we need to satisfy our hearts with the Lord and have confidence, even as children, that the Lord desires us to be happy. And He's given us all things that contribute to life and godliness in him. And that's really what you're speaking about. I think Brother Ed, is we get our eyes on something else.
But the Lord does want us to be happy. He wants us to have a job. He wants us to have the clothes that we need to go about. And He wants us to have cars to go about on the toys, if that's what's needed for us to have. And we can with confidence, ask the Lord for these things. But we need to set our heart first, our affection first on things above, and a desire to please the Lord. And he's going to give us all of those things that we need to carry on in life and we're never going to be able to say at the end of life. Well, you didn't give me what it took to do what?
I needed to do and to get through life in a happy way.
Psalm 37, verse four. It says, delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. I think that that's really giving our priorities straight there, isn't it, that you know when we put our.
Trust in the Lord and we occupy our hearts and minds with himself. Sometimes we find that those things that that we thought we needed, whether it be a house or a car or whatever, whatever Coli you know, I believe that you kind of lose their luster.
It's really putting the Lord first, isn't it? I'm not saying that he wouldn't give us those things, but we need to be careful that they don't become an object.
I just want to mention one verse, and that is at the end of First Corinthians chapter 12. It says that covet earnestly the best gifts and yet joy unto you a more excellent way. Someone might wonder why it says that, but you know it's the God delights to have us have a desire.
For the blessing and good of his people, and if we can be a help to them.
We need to develop that way that we can be a help to them. I think covetousness, mostly in the scriptural sense, is wanting something God has not been pleased to give, but perhaps I could illustrate it this way to make it very simple.
My wife might be sick and I we say that the children are all at home and I say, well, I'm afraid I can't ever provide as nice a meal as your mother provided, but I'll do the best and if I really want to see the children happy.
I'm going to probably develop the ability to give them what they need, but it's love for them and the desire for their good that makes me want it. But covetousness in the wrong sense is wanting it to satisfy itself. I just mentioned that because some might have a difficulty over that verse covet earnestly the best gifts, and I'm sure in many small assemblies. If we had that desire well, I wish I could help my brethren that when they come together.
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They get some spiritual food. It might lead us to more diligence to be able to.
Help to encourage them in the things of God. In that sense, it's commanded of God.
But in the sense of selfishness, it's wrong. And of course in the sense of sin. I just mentioned that.
You wonder, then, why the scripture would use a word like covet. But we put a lot of energy into covetousness, don't we? If there's something we covet, we think about it, we work on it. And maybe that's the reason the spirit of God used the word like that. Because we understand, we put, we focus on it. We it's our thought, waking, thought. It's all on that. So maybe he used that word to indicate how much we should desire.
What you just spoke of the man who betrayed the Lord Jesus. Period.
He was motivated by covetousness. I just want to read a verse or two in John 12. When Mary takes this pound of ointment of Spikenard and pours, it anoints the Lord's feet.
Then saith cutest is scary. Why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor?
This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag and bear what was put therein. The Lord had entrusted the funds to Judas, and he was a covetous man. And he goes to the priests, and he says, What will ye give me? And I will deliver him up to you. So it was covetousness that led him to betray the Lord.
And the first sin in Christianity, Ananias and Sapphira, they lied about how much they sold the land for. They wanted to keep back part of it for themselves. What motivated that covetousness? And they lied to the Holy Spirit. Both of them were struck, struck dead. Weren't they, immediately because of their sin? Well, that should speak to us that the sin of covetousness is very serious.
Remember a story about an assembly where they knew something was wrong, they didn't know what it was and they looked to the Lord in prayer that he would reveal it. And 1 Lords day morning as the bag was being passed, it went by this very, very wealthy man and he missed the bag and a coin fell on the floor and it rolled on the floor and he was the one that was withholding.
What was due to the Lord because of covetousness.
And he was dealt with for that sin and the cloud lifted, and they had a piece again in that assembly. But here was a man that was guilty of covetousness. He was a miser and hoarding it all to himself. So it's a very serious sin.
The Lord was betrayed because of a man that was motivated by that the first sin in the Church.
Was motivated by covetousness a very serious thing. With the seriousness of that, come out in the fact that before going on in the eighth verse with more of these things to put away, verse six comes in there with for which sake things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.
Of course it adds in the which he also sometimes walks sometimes when you lived in them.
As unsaved people, they walk in those things, but it shows the seriousness of these, of these things that brings it before us, before even going on to name some other things that might be milder. But it's for these things sake, that the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. It shows God's thought of it, what he values evaluates it.
Now one other thought. We've been talking about not letting the flesh have its way in all this. We're talking about our life here. Now there is 3 salvations, you know, there's the salvation of the soul. We're looking forward to the salvation of the body, but there's a salvation of our life here.
And in Philippians.
Chapter 2 at the end of verse 12.
We have this thought workout your own salvation with fear and trembling. And I've used to worry about that. Without him we can do nothing. We can do nothing ourselves. How are we going to work out our own salvation, our life here for Christ? We all the next verse, of course.
01:00:05
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, because that's the only way. Look to God, look to the Lord himself, and then you can work out your own salvation, because he'll give you the desire. But if you have your thoughts on yourself trying to do it, you won't be able to. Your state will take over. It's worse to be occupied with what you're doing than just to confess it, and that be restored in your heart to the Lord.
Let him look to him and that's the only solution.
I'd like to read that 12Th verse that you were referring to, Philippians 212, because I think that gives the the the answer to the problem. Wherefore, my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Paul was not going to be with them, to to go to and to help them in their various problems. So he says I'm going to be absent.
Now workout your own salvation with fear and trembling. They'll have to rely entirely on the Lord.
For the working of it out, and not just on the Apostle Paul. Because he wouldn't be there.
That's the thought of Dimas Dimas.
Forsook Paul Really. His teachings. Paul's the truth of Paul the Doctor Having loved this present world, now he doesn't just love the present evil world. He didn't go out to see him, but he left the place where God could work out his salvation. He lost his life. You don't hear a demons again. He lost his life for the Lord. He didn't lose his soul.
We'll see Demas in glory, and there's a very solemn thought here for all of us. And that's the thought. We can lose our life for Christ, and whatever happens after that is nothing for the judgment seat except fire. That's all something to be burned up.
Or you can go on with him and there will be gold and silver and precious stones. Something's lasting, and that's really what we're talking about. What Chuck said is such an encouragement that we do not need somebody like the Apostle Paul to assist us in the path of preserving our life. We have him who will work in us to will and to do. We have that today.
We don't have an Apostle Paul, but we still have the one who is going to workout.
To Will and to do his good pleasure. And that's a comfort, isn't it? You know, we certainly would be happy if Paul would be with us today and could be such a help to us. And we might even to some extent say we're thankful for the help that some of our brethren can give to us. But what this verse teaches is we don't need the help of others. We have the help of the Lord and that we can with him.
Do that which is pleasing to him.
Were saved by his life. He's living in the presence of God for us to help us.
Thinking of what we have here in First Peter chapter 3, our brother, we're there, mentioned this earlier. But I just want to back up in that chapter and I want to read verse 15. You know, in connection with the fact that we, you know where to reckon the old man is dead and another sight. But we can't live in a spiritual vacuum, brother. And we've got to have him there as that special treasure and that object for our hearts. And I was thinking of the 15th verse. I just want to read the first part of it there, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
He's there as that, as that special treasure for where our treasure is, that's where our heart is. If we're occupied with things down here making money, whatever it is, that's where our hearts going to be. If it's with Christ and Lord, that's where our heart is going to be very, you know, it's very important. Then back in Philippians, I just want to take the liberty to read this out of the JND because I think it's so very, very clear. Verse 13 of chapter 2 of Philippians.
If you can get yourself up this verse because it's so beautiful, for it is God who works in you, both the willing and the working, according to his good pleasure.
That's the bar here.
01:05:09
And was created in the image and likeness of God. Image, I believe, brings the thought of representation and likeness rather of the moral side of things. And he was placed as the head of the creation, and so he failed. And so he lost that place. It doesn't mean that He's still not the head of creation, but He's in the head of creation as a in a fallen state.
Just as a beautiful vase might fall on the floor, he might pick up some portions of it that are still quite beautiful.
But it's broken, it's spoiled. And that's really what happened in the fall. There's still something of the original creation that we see and man is still in that position. But not until we have been born again and have a new life can we properly represent God. And that is that the life of Jesus might be manifested in US. And so it's renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. And that's very important. There's likeness, is perhaps the moral side and.
Images being representatives of God. So it's a very Solomon blessed position that replaced him. But as Christians we ought to be those who recognize this and people see in us God's order carried out in a practical way because we have the life of Christ and we have the direction and the word of God and they look on. Here's the people that can walk through this world following directions from God manifesting.
The likeness and immoral sense of Christ.
That is, that the life of Jesus might be seen in US. And two, that the man is in the place that he recognizes where God has placed them, the responsible head of creation. Very serious and solemn thing, isn't it? But I think it's nice to think that they they lost that in the fall, but it's restored in new creation and it's going to be seen in all its blessedness when we're going to be in glory. The old man gone. The results of sin in our body gone.
And we often sing like Jesus in that place of light and love supreme. Well, it's a it's a thought for us to think of. I heard of someone said that a Christian man died in one place and apparently he had been a man that sought to live Christ like in his life. And an unsaved man made the comment A man in the city has died and he's like Jesus. He was. He manifested that life and that even the world.
Noticed it and recognized it.
#2
of the old nature.
The old man, I would think, is like the Lord Jesus saying to Simon Barjona, thou art Peter.
5 minutes later somebody comes up and says I'm looking for Simon, Barjoni says I'm Peter.
Well, you look like Simon, he says. Yeah, I.
Yeah, the new man come. He comes up and he says I'm looking for Simon Bargain and he says, well, I'm Peter.
He says, Well, you look like Simon Says Yeah, I feel like Simon.
But I'm Peter says, well, what do you mean? Peter said he said, I'm Peter.
It's the word of gong it relies on.
Sad to say, there came a time when the Lord said Simon, Simon to Peter you see behind me and he begins His first official with first epistle with Peter, and the second one was Simon. But what you've got is the old nature we've sought to illustrate it.
Like a motor and an automobile.
And when God gave me, took away the old man, he took away the channel of expression of an old nature.
It's like you take an automobile with the motor in it and the motor is running.
Just take it out of gear.
And the motor can run all at once. It's running, it runs and runs runs. It has no channel. It has no way for all that power to get out the movement.
And God took us out of gear, so to speak, from that old nature. You didn't take the nature away, but he took it out of gear.
And when it comes to responsibility side, he puts the gear shift in my hand.
01:10:05
But then again, it's God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure, as it were. The Spirit of God rides with me, sits beside me, and He's got His hand on mine.
For me, you know, to be concerned about putting it back in here again.
So looking at her negative sense.
That's the way God has taken it out of gear though. It runs in me. The motor runs and runs and runs in it. I can see it. It pops up in me. All this kind of thing. I can see these thoughts pass by, but I just don't need to put it in here now.
To disobey.
In this illustration, and I believe it's good for us to remember that.
For me to put it back in here, I've got to tell the Lord, get your hand off mine.
Because it is God who works in you, both the willing and doing. And to disobey, I've got to tell him, get your hand off me.
To disobey.
Now, if you want to go, there's another motor in the car. That's the power of the spirit of God to go in another direction. But we're talking about liberty. We're talking about freedom. We have it. It's out of gear. Let the motor run. Call it what it is. It's sin.
Put it back in gear again and.
Just remember, whenever you have a desire for something, we distinguish between desire and covetousness. If there's a desire that passes your heart for something wrong, just look up and say, Lord, you know I want that.
He'll answer. Yeah, I know you do.
We'll give you what you need to change your desire. Not change what you get, but change your desire. That we can't do. He has to do that.
It says.
Eve saw.
A kind saw David saw. Terrible things happened with his just little look with physical eyesight. And if we're not feeding now, those are written for Saints.
Who have the Holy Spirit following in US?
So if we're not feeling the dayspring from on high.
Falling in us, We're really in trouble, aren't we? Because we're going to go the same way, those three people.
Even with the Holy Spirit in the speaking, dishonor the Lord.
#270.
Gospel
Gospel—Bob Bauman
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We go by this clock when I start the gospel, that one when I finish.
We'll sing #29, and before we sing it, I will read a verse or just two in order to preface it, because these are the verses this hymn is based upon.
Verse one of chapter 3 of John's Gospel, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus the ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus verse 3.
Jesus said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Verse 7 Marvel not that I said unto you, Ye must be born again.
That word must means absolutely essential.
Absolutely essential to be born again is to be born of God, be born of the Spirit, be born from above, entirely new life. Let's pray our gracious, our loving God and Father.
We give thee thanks that we can be born again, and many here are. They have a life that's eternal, a life they're going to enjoy forever in glory. And we would have every Sinner saved. How wonderful the gospel is. It goes out to every Sinner, anywhere, anytime, any place in this world, and it can save them. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And that's what's going to be used tonight, the word of God.
And we give thee thanks. We can look to these that the Spirit will have liberty. So he will take the word of God and convict anyone here still in peril, in their sins of their condition, and bring them to Christ before it's forever too late. So we ask this, and give thee thanks for the privilege of hearing the gospel again in the precious worthy name of the only Savior of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
We're going to look at Mark, Chapter 15, Mark Chapter 15 and that will be the basis tonight. So I may go around a little bit to sort of keep this in mind. We'll come back to 15 time again.
00:05:08
Verse one and straightway in the morning the chief priest held a consultation with the elders and the scribes and the whole council.
That council.
Governing Body of God's People, the Jews.
And this consultation was held by the chief priests, the religious leaders, the scribes and the whole council, the Sanhedrin.
What is a consultation? Well, you know what it says in the dictionary. It's a conference of men to decide something.
That's what it is.
What was the subject of their conference?
It was Jesus that was the subject Jesus. And what was the purpose?
They were going to decide how to put him to death.
That's this big religious body we're talking about here.
You know, we're in a conference here.
We've had a conference for two days. What was the subject? It is Jesus.
That was our subject, Jesus.
We've been exalting him.
We've been growing at him.
But tonight in the Gospel, the purpose isn't so much that.
Is to save a Sinner.
And only Jesus can save. So what his name means to save a Sinner?
You know there's no other name so loved and so hated as Jesus.
There's no name so exalted and so maligned as Jesus.
And there is no name that is so controversial and so debased and so misused and so abused in this world as Jesus. Why is that?
Romans 8 verse seven. Don't turn to it. The carnal mind is enmity against God. Jesus is God. He's the eternal Son of God. That's why this enmity, that's why this hatred against this blessed name.
Mark Mark, 15, won again at the end, and they bound Jesus.
And carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
This is the prelude to the cross.
This is it, the cross, that which marks the center of two eternities, that about which everything God's thoughts and purposes revolve, and this is the prelude to it, the cross of Calvary.
They bound Jesus and they carried him away, and they delivered him to Pilate. There had to be a trial.
But the Juice had no power of the death penalty, and they would not be satisfied with life in prison for Jesus. They want kill him. They wanted to kill him. They were under Roman rule and so they had to take him to the Roman judge. That's what we're talking about. They took him to pilot, but it was a mock trial, if it was a true trial.
Under Roman law, this injustice would have never been done.
But it was a mock trial.
Jesus had to be judged and found guilty under Roman law so he could be put to death. Turn to John's Gospel, chapter 19, John Chapter 19.
And verse 9 And Pilate went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not, that I have power to crucify thee? And I have power to release thee? What was the Lord's answer? What did Jesus say?
To this earthly judge one of his creatures.
00:10:00
He said, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except that were given thee from above.
There is no power except from God in this world.
Pilot, the Lord's puny, worldly judge, had the audacity to say, I have power to crucify you to his Creator.
It's hard to believe, isn't it? What's in the heart of man is hard to believe. What's in your heart if you're still a Sinner is hard to believe. God says your heart is deceitful above all things. Desperately wicked. Who can know it? Don't let it go any further. Get saved, get a new life. They'll all be behind you. But this shows you the heart of man. The heart of man was revealed in his fullness at the cross. That's where it was. Shone out in his fullness. Let's go on here.
Well, Jesus said you have no power. You have no power. How could they crucify you?
Satan's constant purpose against this blessed One.
Even when he was a babe, it started to destroy him. That's Satan's constant purpose when Jesus came into this world as the savior of sinners. Matthew 2, verse 13.
Joseph Joseph, the legal father of Jesus.
Was told in a dream by the Lord. Take the child and flee.
To Egypt.
For Herod the king is seeking to destroy him.
That Satan.
That's Satan.
The desire of Satan has always been that. What was the universal cry?
Of the multitude at the cross.
Away with him, Crucify Him, and your heart is no different, neither is mine apart from Christ.
Carnal minds. Empathy against God. That's the cry. And it's still so today. I ask before we go any farther, whose side are you on Sinner?
I know whose side the Saints are on.
But if you're still in their sins, whose side are you on?
Are you on the side of Jesus or this world?
That's it. Which is it? Your eternity depends on your answer.
It depends on your answer.
Receive Jesus Christ and your eternity is in glory.
Heaven, they call it wherever Jesus is, is heaven but it's glory.
And if you refuse to have him as savior, you're with this world.
It's condemned, and you're condemned, and woe, woe, woe unto you.
Revelations.
You're either.
Saved or you're lost. That's that's why the Gospels being priests.
There's only two groups in this world today. Those that believe they're saved. Those that believe not, they're lost. That's all divides, the whole world.
Turn to Matthew, Matthew chapter 26. We're going to do a little movement here, Matthew 26.
I'll read first of all, verse 47. No, I'll read at the middle of 47 a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Verse 50. At the middle came they and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. Verse 53 the Lord said, Thinketh thou not that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than 12 legions of angels?
But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be so 12 Legions of angels? How many is that?
Well, I believe the closest would be 72,000.
72,000 It only took one Angel to defy the whole Roman army.
When that Angel rolled away the stone, that Jesus tomb to let him see he wasn't there.
And all the soldiers quaked at the sight of that Angel, Jesus said.
I could have 72,000 angels in a minute, but he didn't need the angels, he.
He could have had the thought, and this world would have disappeared in every creature in it.
00:15:06
Let's go on.
You know, over three years, Over three years.
The religious leaders thought to take Jesus and kill him. That was their whole purpose, to take him and kill him. But he always passed through their midst.
Why?
His time was not yet.
That's why his time was not yet.
To John seven I will show you verse John 7. Just a short verse I think verse six of John 7.
Then said Jesus unto them, My time is not yet.
Come, but your time is already.
Sinner, I will tell you this is what Jesus said, and this is what you need to know. Your time is always ready.
To be saved. That's it. To be saved.
I can tell you this too. This is your time every time the Gospels preach.
It's your time. I know you've had many of opportunities. God is faithful. I don't have to even ask about that.
If you're still in your sins, I could tell you this your time is always ready. Are we ready?
First, Timothy, don't turn to a chapter 2 verse three to five.
God our Savior. Isn't that a beautiful phrase? God our Savior.
You ever know him that way, Sinner? If you know him that way, you'll love him. God, our Savior.
Who will have all men to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth? There is only one God.
And one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time.
Due time. This is your due time. This is your due time. It may be your last one. The Lord may come before we reach the end of that clock time of an hour.
You may not get home, you know your next step is known by God, but not by you.
Your next breath is in the hand of the Lord. He will close it when he will.
This is your type. That's the thing I want to get across, you know?
There was a university student over in England, and he had a professor, one professor in that whole university, who was a Christian, I mean a real Christian, not just by name. And those students loved him because he lived Christ and they all knew they should be like him, but they didn't like to take Jesus. Now they were young, like all of young people think a lot of time ahead.
But this one was exercised. This young man met that professor Saturday morning on the street and he stopped him and he said, I've been meaning to ask you a question.
What is it? How long dare I wait before I get saved?
He said, Well, I suggest you don't wait more than one split second before the day you die.
I can't know that.
Well, he said no. Then I suggest you get saved right away.
That's the word to you, center. You better get saved right away.
I mean, why would you wait? Why would you take a chance even of not making it out that door?
That's the thought, all right.
Turn to Matthew.
26 Again back to Matthew 26.
OK.
When the Pharisees sent the soldiers to take Jesus the first time.
Jesus asked them, Whom seek thou?
And they said, Jesus of Nazareth, you know what he said I am.
That is his name. I am. You know what it means over Jehovah is Jesus. Hova means to exist.
The ever existing one. I've never had a beginning and never has an ending. That's Jesus. I am.
And when he said that, the soldiers went backwards and fell to the ground.
They didn't bring him, and the religious leader said, Why didn't you bring him? Never man spake like this man.
Never man spake like this. Man Jesus. Word is power. If you take it to heart, you'll get saved. You'll be judgment free. You will rejoice. You'll be on your way home. That's the thought. All right, I am. But now what we're reading in March 15. I haven't gone back yet. It's his hour. It's his hour. This is it.
00:20:25
It was now the time.
You know, don't turn to a John chapter 12. I think it's verse.
23 or 4 Right in there. Jesus said this.
Is my hour. This is my hour. That's the purpose. He came. This is my hour. Now is my soul troubled? What shall I say, Father? Save me from this hour. But for this cause came I to this hour.
Why did he say save me from this hour? He was going to be made sin, he was going to be forsaken by God, He was going to be punished for sin, and he was going to take on himself stroke after stroke, all of my sins, because I've received him and he abhors sins and he loves the Father. How could he ever desire to be made thin?
But he said, I came not to do my will, but the will of him that sent to me. And God knew there could never be an eternal companion for his Son unless sin was put away.
God cannot have presence in his presence, and only the sinless holy Son of God could do that. And he did it. And I'm going on to heaven. I'm one of the eternal companions of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I'm so happy it's so, and I can't wait till I get started up there.
To be with him forever. In the mean time, I'm rejoicing and I don't want anybody else to go to hell. I've been saved. I've been plucked as a brand from the burning, and I didn't even want to be plucked. That's Grace. He saved me. Grace. All right, turn to mark chapter 15 again. Let's go back. Mark 15.
Verse 2 And Pilate asked Jesus, art thou the king of the Jews?
And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. And the chief priest accused him of many things, but he answered nothing.
Art thou the king of the Jews? Said his judge.
Jesus is King of kings. He's Lord of Lords. He's the Messiah for the Jews. He's the Christ they anointed and appointed of God. He's the Savior. He's the eternal Son of God. This is Jesus.
But he wouldn't answer his judge, he said. Thou sayest it.
You know in Matthew 2 verse two, those three wise men who made that long journey following the star.
The mad guy.
They came to.
Herod the King And they said, Where is he that was born king of the Jews? Jesus is the only one ever born king, or ever. well-being a Prince is born to be made king. They never may never be. But when Jesus was born, he was king of the Jews. Pilate said, Art thou the king of the Jews? Why did these wise men come all that way? One reason.
To worship that babe.
To worship him.
How wonderful it is to know Jesus as Savior. When you worship Jesus, you exalt him. You please God the Father, and it's a wonderful thing. That's true joy, true joy.
Matthew's Gospel.
Opened with the genealogy and that genealogy says Jesus.
The son of David, the son of Abraham.
Now Jesus was king.
David's son was king. Jesus is David's greater son. And Jesus was a sacrifice for sinners.
And Abraham's son was a sacrifice. Oh, how beautiful the word of God lays it out.
How God wants you know right away who his son is.
00:25:03
He's the king son of David, the greater David's son.
He's the sacrifice Isaac in type and I type as Jesus.
I'm going to read the verse Proverbs 30. I want you to read it with me. Proverbs 30. This is very important Proverbs chapter 30.
And verse 4 of 30.
All right.
Who hath ascended up into heaven or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his first? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What's his name? What is his sons name, if thou canst tell?
The answer to that Sinner.
Will be salvation for you.
If you can know that answer in your heart, you can be saved. It is Jesus.
That's who it's Speaking of, Jesus.
The eternal Son of God, the Savior of sinners. How beautiful that is now when his judge.
Was asked.
Or when his judge asked Jesus. Right here.
Jesus could not deny himself.
So he said. Thou sayest it.
He refrained from defending himself against all the accusations of his accusers. He said. Nothing turned to Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53.
And verse 5. But he was wounded. For our transgressions he was bruised. For our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him. With his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep, have gone astray, and we have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, He was afflicted.
Yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers. Is dumb. He opened not his mouth.
In Mark 15 three we read it. The chief priests accused Jesus of many things, but he answered nothing.
Pilate said.
Verse three to five, I'm not turning back.
Answer thou nothing. But Jesus answered him Nothing. He made absolutely no defense for himself.
When he was judged by his creatures.
What does his judge find? What did Pilate find?
I find no fault at all in this man. That's his judge.
I fight three times, he said it. I find no fault at all in this man because there was none. There was none. But you know what his judge did? He turned him over to be crucified.
It happened. It happened. No fault, no guilt. He turned him over to be crucified. But Sinner, I want to warn you, this scenario I'm giving you right now is going to be repeated only in reverse. It's going to be in reverse. That's right.
And he who was judged guilty of death will be the judge.
The next time this is played out.
And every Sinner who will not believe and receive the love of the truth, that they be saved.
Will face that judge.
That's right. They will face him as Judge Jesus.
The books will be opened.
And that marvelous computer in Ukrainian?
Will begin to activate. It's all there. This has to be programmed.
And everything you ever said, every idle word, every idle thought.
Every wicked thing you did. All of that.
Will be in those books.
And they will all come back to you in fullness.
00:30:02
And you will be speechless.
No defense.
Jesus voluntarily made no defense.
But you will have no defense.
It's all true.
This scenario is going to be repeated.
I want to take you to Revelation chapter 6 just for 1-2 verses, Revelation chapter 6 and Sinner. I'm going to warn you if you don't get saved, if you die in your sins, this is going to be how you feel.
Verse 15 And the kings of the earth and the great men.
And the rich men and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondsman and every freeman hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains, and the rocks fall on us, hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne the judge.
From the Wrath of the Lamb.
What an expression?
The wrath of the lake, because the one who was the Lamb of God.
For sinners.
The sacrifice that God provided to be a substitute in judgment for sinners.
That same one will be their judge. They'll see him, but they'll think of him.
As the wrath of God.
How solemn. The wrath of God. Oh my Sinner. This awful scene that I've just given you and it's true, is from God's word, doesn't have to be true as to you. That's why. That's why it's so wonderful we can preach the gospel. It is this fact the Lord is not willing that any perish.
God would have all to be saved.
And you're hearing the word of God right now. And faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Simply accept Jesus Christ as your savior Sinner. You need him. You need him. You're already in the clutches of Satan. He just doesn't want to give you up.
You don't have to do one thing to go to hell. You're going get saved, that's all. That's why Jesus came. That's why Jesus died. That's why the Gospels preached. I can't believe you don't take him, but I fear some will not take him.
He will not take it because Satan is a deceiver. Satan can make you think you're all right.
Turn to Mark 15 again, let's get back to our portion, Mark 15 and verse 6.
And there was one named Barabbas.
Which lay bound with them, that made its erection with him who had committed murder.
In the insurrection, and the multitude crying aloud, began to desire.
Pilate to do as he had ever done unto them, but Pilate answered them, saying.
Will ye that I release unto you, the king of the Jews, He knew the religious leaders the chief priest had delivered Jesus for envy.
But the chief priests moved the people.
That he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then, that I shall do unto him whom ye call the king of the juice?
And they cried out, crucify him. And then Pilate said out of there, Why?
What evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly.
Crucify him.
And Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas.
Unto them and delivered Jesus when he had scourged him.
To be crucified.
You know that's hard to take in, isn't it? His judge who found no fault, who found him guiltless?
Would turn him over to be crucified. That's the heart of man. It's an enmity against God. That's it.
I turn to John Scott. No turn to Genesis, No John's Gospel. Let's go to John's Gospel chapter.
10 John chapter 10 Just a couple of verses will help here. John chapter 10.
00:35:04
Gotta find which I want. AH.
Verse 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me.
And I give unto them eternal life, Jesus speaking. They shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all. No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. That is eternal security. I have it.
I have it. I have No Fear. I have No Fear. I walk through this world judgment free. I have joy, No Fear because I read these verses and they're true.
This is truth.
I and the Father are one, and that's true.
But that's the thing that irritates the carnal mind and the heart of man. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
And Jesus answered them. Many good words have I many good works have I showed you and my Father from my Father. For which of these works do you stone me? And the Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not but for blasphemy, because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
Did you hear that?
They're going to crucify him because he said I am the Son of God. I and the Father are one, the eternal Son. They're going to crucify him for that.
They shouted. Give us Barabbas.
Barabbas, the criminal, the one for whom the center cross was made.
The worst criminal that year. That's where the center cross. That's what it's for. It was for Barabbas. He was a murderer. He led the insurrection. He committed murder in the insurrection. He was a robber by practice and trade. You know what the people said?
Give us Barabbas, not Jesus.
What does Barabbas mean?
The Son of the Father. That's what it means. The son of the father is Satan's counterfeit.
Satan always brings a counterfeit.
He is the master counterfeiter in this world, and he takes upon himself now the form of an Angel of light.
So he can work through religion and really counterfeit everything.
Don't listen to him.
Don't listen to him. He's a deceiver now. This was the great election.
We just had an election, but this was the only election that counts. It's over.
The great election took place this right here at this time.
They chose Barabbas.
Now Barabbas was a robber.
And this world has been governed by a robber ever since, a robber of souls. And Satan, the Prince of the power of the air, the one who controls this world, has your soul in his power, and he'd love to take it into hell. He doesn't want to lose you. And every time this precious gospel is preached, the spirit of God gets active to take the word and to bring you to Christ by it. But Satan's active too.
To keep you, and he'll put thoughts in your mind. He's a counterfeiter.
He'll counterfeit this word. He'll counterfeit thoughts. That's Satan.
The son of the father, Barabbas, he says he's a good one. Take him. They took him.
They've been ruled by robber ever since in this world.
Crucify Him who, Crucify Him who.
The holy, the sinless, the blameless Son of God, that's who.
His earthly judge said. I find no fault in this man at all.
John 18 verse 38 or someplace. And he said it again in John 19.
I find in him no fault at all. And then he said it again, a John 19.
Let's see how he said it.
Take him and crucify him, for I find no fall in him. Did you get that from his judge? Take him and crucify him, for I find no fault in him. That's why I say it was a mock trial. It was mockery.
That would never happen under Roman rule. Roman law was jealous law, almost as bad as today for the criminals.
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They said no man can be put to death on his own testimony alone. And why did they crucify Jesus?
He said he is God.
That's why his own confessions not corroborated.
A mockery.
Jesus had to be found guilty by Roman law.
For the Jews had no power of death penalty. Turned to mark 15 again, Mark 15 again. This time we'll look at verse 16.
Verse 16 And the soldiers LED Jesus away into the hall.
Called Praetorium and they called together the whole band of soldiers.
And they clothed Jesus with purple, and they planted a crown of thorns, and they put that crown of thorns about his head.
I want to turn to Genesis Chapter 3. Go with me Genesis Chapter 3.
The seed plot of the whole word of God. You're going to get it here. Genesis chapter 3. Adam and Eve sinned. Adam and Eve sinned.
As by one man, sin came into the world, and death by sin. So death is passed upon everyone of you because you've all sinned. That's it.
And what was the result of that?
I read the end of verse 17. Thou shalt not eat of it.
Cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow thou shalt eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shall eat of the herb of the field in the sweat of thy face.
There was no thorns in paradise. There was number thorns or thistles in the Garden of Eden. There wasn't even a weed.
Sin caused it. Sin caused the thorns. Sin caused this world to be cursed. It was sin.
You know, the whole band of soldiers took joy in taking thorns. I mean big thorns and making a crown. And in mockery they put it on my savior's head.
And they smote him on the head, so those thorns went in.
What is it? The heart of man. The heart of man. Every Sinner has that heart. Every Sinner has that heart.
I'm going to read Galatians 315. I think you know cursed is the ground. Cursed is the ground. This world. Galatians 315.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Being made occurs for us, for it is written. Cursed is everyone that hangeth from a tree. I'm going to give you a little a little verse from him I love.
Because cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.
All cross of Christ, all glorious tree, What place could be compared with thee, where God's own Son was crucified and for our sins a ransom died?
Can you say that? Are you in that hour? Oh, you are for our sins. A ransom died. He died for my sins.
They're gone, God. Satisfied. Can you say it?
That's the .0 if you can say for my sins.
They crucified him. John 19 They crucified him.
And two thieves, one on either side. 2 Thieves, one on either side.
Jesus in the midst on the cross made for Barabbas.
Solemn story, isn't it? Solemn story. It's true.
Isaiah 53.
No.
Yeah. 12 And we read it. He was numbered for the for our transgressions He bore the sin of many. He made intercession for the transgressors. First Peter, 224, Who his own self.
Bear our sins in his own body on the tree.
Are you in that verse? You could be in that verse. I'm in it. Who? His own self.
Where my sins in his own body on the tree. I'm free.
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I'm free. I'm on the way to heaven. I'm on the way to glory. I'm part of the bride of Christ. It's that easy.
Jesus did it. Oh, I think it's so beautiful. Turn to 1 Corinthians 28, First Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 8. This verse just coming and it's very important. First Corinthians 2 and 1St Corinthians 2 and verse 8. All right, verse seven. I'll read seven first. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory.
Which none of the rulers of this world do. For had they known, they would not.
Have crucified the Lord of glory.
In Hebrews 12, it tells us this was the contradiction of sinners against himself.
What is the contradiction of sinners against himself?
They crucified the Lord of Glory. What does that mean? They gave the worst possible death.
To the most wonderful person that ever walked this world, that's the contradiction of sinners against himself. They crucified the Lord of glory.
The superscription of his accusation written over him.
This is the king of the Jews. That's what we have in Mark. But you know, it's different in Matthew, it's different in Luke and it's different in John.
In Matthew it says this is Jesus the King of the Jews. In John it says.
Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Put them together and you've got really what was written over Jesus.
This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
Pilate.
Wrote it and put it there because God wanted it there.
And the religious leaders came to Pilate.
And they said.
Say not that he is the king of the Jews, but rather say he said I am the king of the Jews. What did Pilate say? Would I have written? I've written because God wasn't going to have that changed. That's the testimony against the whole world. You know, that superscription of his accusation was written in three languages.
It was written in Hebrew. That makes the Jew guilty. It was their Messiah.
It was written in Roman that makes the whole political world guilty.
It was written in Greek that makes every nation, all gentiles, guilty.
You know God makes you guilty by that accusation. This is Jesus the Savior, the King of the Jews.
You're responsible. It's only 10 words. 10 words is a scriptural number.
Of individual responsibility to God. He makes you responsible. Everyone of you.
That's why you have no defense. You have nothing to say. You'll be speechless.
Behold your king, Behold your king, the people cried. We have no king but Caesar.
We will not have this man to reign over us.
And all the political and religious leaders said that.
You know, are they any different today? Are the religious leaders and the political leaders any different today? Only in one way. They're worse. That's the only way they're different today. They're worse than these people.
The world evangelist says evolution is all right. No, I'm sorry, he said. There's life in other planets.
And the head of the Greatest Religious Organization and Christendom says evolution is all right.
But God says what I have written, I have written, he says. Though but I've written, I've written. He ain't going to chase. The truth doesn't change by by man's whims.
You can do nothing against the truth, only for it.
And so if you refuse to be saved tonight.
God is true. You become a liar. That's it.
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God is true, he says. Take my son and have eternal life. And if you won't take it, you make yourself a lie for all eternity. Oh, how awful that thought. Turn to Luke 23, Luke 23. Watch my time here, Luke 23. Just a short portion here, verse 52.
No, Luke 23, verse 39.
And one of the male factors which were hanged railed on Jesus, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other, answering, rebuked him, and said, Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? But we are indeed justly, for we receive the due rewards of our deeds. But this man has done nothing amiss.
And he said to Jesus, Lord, Remember Me when thou comest into thy Kingdom. I'm going to give you a verse. And this thief really had that verse in his heart before it was written.
John 10/9.
I got to start it right, John 10-9, if thou shalt confess.
With thy mouth Jesus as Lord he did it.
And believe in thine heart. God has raised him from the dead. He believed it. Thou shalt be saved. That's pretty easy, isn't it? That's pretty easy.
You've got to repent. There's no salvation without repentance. What is repentance? You got to admit you're a Sinner. And loss. That's all it is. God says it. Believe it. Be on your way.
That's it, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus the Lord, this thief said, Lord. And that one he said it to was about to expire, just like him, except for one thing.
They couldn't take his life.
They couldn't take his life. Now it's that easy. You know, there was a public, and we heard about it I think today or yesterday, who was a tax collector, despised of the juice, but he went into the temple of God.
And he was ashamed of his sins. And that's a good thing to be ashamed of your sins. It's a good thing to get to the end of yourself. And he wouldn't even look up to heaven. He was so ashamed he looked down at the earth.
He beat upon his breast and he only said 7 words, 7 words Sinner.
God be merciful to me, the Sinner and Jesus said justified.
7 words.
Are you going to go out here lost after all this?
You know.
Peter, when he realized the one standing before him, Jesus, was God eternal Son, he fell on his knees.
And he said, Lord, depart from me, I'm a sinful man.
That's repentance. Jesus didn't depart. He took him in his arms, and he made him apostle.
It's wonderful, isn't it? It's just repentance, that's all. It takes repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It saves. This whole room can be saved. Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if the Lord came in, This whole room was saved. And wouldn't it be awful if he came and one was still in the seat?
You'd call for the rocks to fall on you and hide you from the wrath of the Lamb because you know, you know what will happen.
How awful that is. You know, there was a prodigal.
And he went his own way.
But God sent a famine, and he came to the end of himself. You know God may send a famine in your life. I don't know what it'll be, but if he does, it's the brigade of the end of yourself. And when he came to the end of himself, you know what he said? I perished. That's a good way to get. I perish. You're going to perish in hell if you don't get saved. I perish, he said. I'll go back to my father, and I'll say to my father.
I've sinned against heaven, and in thy sight I'm no more worthy. There's a Father with him for sinning. No, that isn't my Lord.
He kissed him. He covered him with kisses and he said, put the best robe on him. Put shoes on his feet, put a ring on his finger, Killed the fatted gaffe. Let's eat and be merry. This my son was lost. He's saved.
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He just said I've sinned, I'm not worthy, that's all, he said. Can't you say it?
God says that's true. Can't you believe it? That's the story.
Turn the Lamentations.
Lamentations. It's Lamentations of Jeremiah. It's after Jeremiah and chapter One.
Side visit I'm Going by this clock Lamentations, Chapter One.
Verse 12 Is it nothing to you? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow, which is done unto me, Wherewith the Lord has afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath. These words are Jesus. Prophetically, it's Jesus. Is it nothing to you that he took your place on the cross? If you'll have him, and if you won't, he'll be your judge. Is it nothing to you?
He says. Is it nothing to you? You know in Ecclesiastes lying that man, that poor man, by his wisdom delivered this world. And it says no man remembered that same poor man, No man remembered that same poor man. How sad that is.
How bad was this rod of his wrath, His fierce anger? How bad was it turned to Ephesians, Turned to Lamentations 3, verse one. I'll read it quick. I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. I'll tell you how bad it was. Isaiah 5214. His visage was marred more than any man and his form than the sons of men.
How do you describe it any better?
His visage when God gave him stroke after stroke of judgment because He was made sin for me.
His visage was marred more than any man ever was, and his form, that the sons of men, that's how bad it is and that's what you're going to get. If you don't get saved, that's what's going to happen to you.
You know there's a little hymn. I'll read it here. I got it here. Stricken, smitten, and afflicted. See him dying on the tree. Tis the Christ by God, God by man rejected. Yes, by soul tis he does. He marked the sacrifice appointed. See who bears the awful load. Tis the word. Tis God's anointed son of man and son of God. And he did it for you, Sinner.
He did it for you.
What's God's testimony at the very beginning when Jesus was born? When not when Jesus was born, when he was baptized. John the Baptist, this is the Son of God. Behold the Lamb of God's providing. That's his testimony. What was God's testimony at the cross at the end of his life? The centurion and those that watched Jesus die. Behold, truly this was the Son of God. What's God's testimony himself?
When Jesus came up out of the water. This is my beloved Son.
And whom I'm well pleased. This is testimony God has for Jesus. This is the testimony you got to take in.
The Lord Jesus said to Peter, Whom say ye that I am?
I'll give you Peter's answer.
Who say he that I am, Thou art the Son of the living God, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
I'll see Peter in glory. I'll see Peter in glory. Isn't that wonderful? Because he knew that. What is his name? If thou canst tell what is his son's name? The answer to that, like Peter will take you right into heaven.
John 2031 That's my clock. I want to tell you why this whole book is written with one verse. John 2031. These things are written that she might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that believing you might have life through his name. Neither is there any other there's no other name under heaven given among men, whereby you must be saved.
You must be saved. Absolutely essential Sinner or you are going to hell. That's it.
Well, I'll tell you something.
The little song here that touched my heart.
The message has gone out again. Proclaim to children of men, Repent. To depart from your sin, you must be born again.
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Oh, your time is running out.
Run, Sinner. Run to the arms of the Savior. He's calling you. Come, O rest not, nor sleep till the matter is done. Flee while you can from the wrath that's to come.
The author of this is here.
He's here. Someday when your story is told as your body lays silent and cold, what then of the riches you hold? And what would you give for your soul? Oh, your times running out runs in a run to the arms of the savior. He's calling you. Come, don't rest and don't sleep till the matter is done. Hopefully while you can from the wrath that's to come.
Don't turn the Savior away, he's calling unto you today.
Oh, cry out to him and pray or weep in that great judgment day.
Oh, your time is running out.
Run, Sinner. Run to the arms of the Savior. He's calling you. Come. Don't rest and don't sleep till the matter is done. Flee while you can from the wrath that's to come.
I asked this brother to say get with me, but he refused, He said if I make a mistake, they'll all know it.
But if you make a mistake, they won't know it, because I'm just one big mistake anyway.
But I'm saved. I'm saved. God loves mistakes. He loves sinners. Take him. Take him. Let's see. Let's sing together. Where is this thing?
Number.
Let's see number something here 36. I only seen the 1St and the last with the chorus.
Sling it as I do.
Oh, do not let the working part and close life.
Colossians 3:7-13
Reading
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Chapter 3 and verse 10 and have put on the Newman which is renewed in knowledge.
After the image of him that created him, Where there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision, nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Sethian bond, nor free, but Christ is all and in all put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any.
Even as Christ forgave you, shall also do ye, and above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell on you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in Word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged servants, obeying all things, your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.
And what will ye do? Do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance. For ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall we see for the wrong which he hath done. And there is no respect of persons.
We really didn't look at verse 9, and I think the one point is very important.
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Lie not one to another.
This is very important. You know, there's truth. And anytime we're not speaking the truth, I mean the truth. You're telling a lie. That's important. You know, lie was the very first thing with Cain, although I should say the second thing. The first thing was the deed, and then the lie. And that's Satan. It's Satan. If you look at John.
Chapter 8, John, Chapter 8. I believe we'll see it and it's important to get this into our heart. John, Chapter 8 and verse 44.
Speaking to the religious leaders, mind you.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you truth, you believe me not. This is very important principle. Now we know what we consider lies, but there's something even stronger than just.
The little white life, which is a lie. There's no such thing as a little white lie. Abraham told. A little white lie. It was a lie.
She's my sister.
Tell Pharaoh and his men you're my sister. But she was his half sister.
You know, Farrell had more decency, I should say, than Abraham at that moment.
In fact, you might be good to read what he said.
Genesis. This is important, brethren. We sometimes think it's all right to get away with the little things, but it becomes a big thing. Let's see in Genesis, if somebody It's probably about Chapter 12. Someplace in there, Chapter 12.
Verse 13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister.
Thou art my sister. I'll say it now. Verse 18 Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this thou hast done unto me? Why did thou not tell me she was thy wife? Thou said, thou, She is my sister, So I might have taken her to me. Dwight, Now therefore behold thy wife, Take her and go thy way.
He was more honorable at that moment than Abraham. You know, this really speaks to me. One last thing, because I'm not going to dwell on this, but it's very important. Revelation. Revelation.
The 21St chapter.
And the 27th verse.
There shall in no wise enter into heaven.
Or glory, anything that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination.
Or maketh a lie. But they, which are written in the Lamb's book of life, have often thought of that expression, make us a lie.
If you do not believe the truth, you make yourself alive. And if you die in that position, you're alive for all eternity. Solemn thought, isn't it? Make it a lie. You know I will read one more verse here.
I think it's. I know it. It brings it out. Also, maybe I won't think of it right away. 15th of 22, verse 15 of 22, I think. For without our dogs, sorcerers.
************ murderers, idolaters, and whoso loveth and maketh a lie.
There's one point I could like to back you off. I wasn't done. But go ahead. Pardon me. That's all right. Well, sometimes.
It's in the 101St Psalm that has to do with the Lord. The psalmist refers to the house there, and it's been something from my own conscience, but in the 101St Psalm.
And then we get We could dip in at the fourth verse. A fraud heart shall depart from me. I will not know a wicked person who so privilegedly privily slander at his neighbor Him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart. Will I not suffer? Now here's the here's the one that comes to focus. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me. Isn't that lovely? The Lord wants you and me to dwell with him.
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But now he's going to set out something that's very much to your the point you raised for us, brother. And so he says He that walketh, in a perfect way he shall serve me. He that worketh to see shall not dwell within my house. He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. What a word to my conscience and to my soul, that I should be honest and upright with the Lord. And sometimes a man will tell us something.
And this is what has happened a while back. And it was a lie. And when I tried to tell him about it, he brushed it off that he didn't want to hear anymore. So these things are real among the gathered Saints, because you and I are in the household of faith. Is that not right? And God is not going to have the seat in the household of faith. And we've seen recently where he got out to broom and he swept the house, Am I right? Amen. That's when the Lord gets the broom out. I have to get on my knees and cry to him and say Lord.
Lord, keep us and that little song says Lord, keep us cleaving to who? Thyself and still believing what? Believing the truth. Is that right? Amen. Well, I just didn't mean to. I'm glad you brought that out, brother. It's nice. One last thought. Romans 33 don't turn to it.
The Jews denied the truth. Romans 33 Paul said. Let God be true and every man a liar.
Let God be true and every man a liar and brethren. If we put our thoughts to this precious word and use it the way we think it is, we're a liar.
Isn't it very serious that this verse in the last chapter of the Bible says loveth alive? You know, it doesn't necessarily mean that that person lies, but he embraces a lie and he loves it, and that's a very serious thing. It's not just a question of not lying, but are we going to embrace a lie? And I just warned 97.
Chrysanthemum is going to be bombarded with lice. They're going against Genesis.
97 is going against Genesis. They've started already. Little preliminaries are coming in, but they've already said that's what they're going to tackle and lies will be bombarding us. But we've got something, and I hope our young people hold firm to the truth. It's coming. Even the Pope now has publicly embraced evolution. He says he believes in creation, but he believes in evolution. Evolution that had developed. And there are those among the gathered Saints that have appraised that to some extent.
It's alarming, you know, I took up the subject of creation in Des Moines, and I was amazed that I got flak from those gathered to the name of the Lord opposing the truth that we have always held about creation. You know, it's really alarming. And people allow themselves to be influenced by these scientists who take the creationist view but have unscriptural ideas about creation.
Well, I didn't mean to get off on the fence. Now we don't want to continue with that. Well, I just like to say one more thing because it said two of these words said make us a lie and worketh a lie. And her brother told me at one of the business schools they have a course called creative prevarication where they teach you how to lie. And to tell the truth is the unvarnished truth is not to construct the facts in a way that's suitable. And so we need to be open about the truth. And if sometimes people ask this questions that are none of our business, their business.
And it's best to say nothing. But when we have the responsibility to account something, we ought to tell it unvarnished facts. And the world will teach you how to construct the facts as Abraham did, in such a way that they're favorable to themselves.
I remember I was working for a company in the office and the boss said in front of me phones and tell them I'm not here.
And I can't do that. That's a lot. You're here.
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You're not taking your calls right now. You're not available for the telephone.
You're not here and I think.
There's no lie. And it's so easy to do. I'm sorry. It's so easy to do. I confess now. And I was in working when I was a working man. I told my secretary tell him I'm not in the office, and I stepped into the hall. Now I did. I didn't want her to lie, but he did. Abraham want his wife to lie. You know. That's sad, isn't it? You all know what I'm talking about. You all do it.
Let's don't do it. But here it is a question of lying not to one another, Christians lying to Christians cerebral. And in Ephesians it says lie not one to another, be our members one of another. What is implied is we wouldn't lie to ourselves, would we? Well, if we lie to our brother it is like lying to ourselves. And this is what is so serious that we expect this kind of a thing in the world, but we should not expect it amongst those Christians.
Who profess to knowledge? Either their savior. Who is the truth? In the first chapter of in first John in the second chapter? Just one verse. It's short and it's to the point and it's in the 20th verse, it says in the end of the verse.
You know that no lie is of the truth. That distills it right down to a very simple statement. And this is where sometimes men try to push something on you.
I remember having to quote this to a brother one time when he wanted to tell me a lie and I just quoted this verse. To him, no lie is of the truth, and that would sum it up in a nutshell, right?
And it's so that um.
It's brought in right here where it says.
Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.
These things don't always come as we've heard from without us.
They come from within us.
That's what belongs to that old man.
And when I see it coming from within me, and sometimes it's more comfortable to tell a lie.
But it's better to be uncomfortable with a good conscience in the presence of God than later on to have to tell the truth and tell the truth that you lied about the truth.
Well, it said with his deeds. And I believe you've got the secret there. The lie isn't first.
The deed is first.
When you get murdered his brother.
Pardon me if I interrupted you. Cain murdered his brother. And then the Lord said, Where is thy brother? I know not. Then the lie. It covers the deed. And and you find the light covers the deed. You've done something and then you lie. You don't just lie for the fun of lying. And that's the key.
What Brother Michelle said was important because I think when we go to work, sometimes our bosses will try to impose their bad conscience on us and get us to do things that we shouldn't do and we need to be clear for the the truth and just refuse to do those things. We have a responsibility, first of all to God.
Having put.
That's what we did the day we were saved.
We put it off, we said.
I want to be rid of all that belong to what I was.
And at one place in the scripture, doesn't it say you crucified the flesh? That's what we did today. We were saved.
Mr. Darby said never trust an Irishman and we come down a little bit and I think he put off the old man. I don't know whether he was Irish, he had a connection to Ireland. I've got a good bit of Irish in me but I think it was putting off the old man was to make a statement like that as I don't trust that nature and we it's not just the bad flesh that we need to mistrust, it's if I may put it, I don't want to create 3 natures but it's the good flesh that causes a great deal of problem. It was Peter's good intentions.
That he wouldn't deny the Lord that led him into trouble. It wasn't his bad intentions, and that's a difficult thing for us to learn as believers is it's our good intentions that often flow from our nature. One people wants to always be accommodating, and they want to always be at peace with people. That's a good natural characteristic. I connect that with the cedar wood in scripture. God made the cedar tree, but it's a humbling thing to have to take a firm stand for the truth and go against a person's natural.
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Characteristic. And to take a firm stand for the truth. Another mate by their natural national characteristic or natural characteristic, want to be firm and clear about everything, and they find it impossible to get along with their brethren. And so Paul, he put off all that was connected with his natural condition, and he was a man in Christ. And that's our position as we need to not just get rid of the bad flesh, but the good flesh too, if I may put it that way. I think you understand what I'm saying.
And that's often We've talked to people about the gospel, and it's not their sins that keep them from Christ. It's their good works. And you talk to a person and they say they'll admit to you that they're a Sinner. They'll say everybody's a Sinner, but then they say, but I'm a good person, but they don't really believe that God is going to cast the fearful and the unbelieving into the lake of fire and that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven. Why? Because they were abominable? No, because they changed the truth of God into a lie.
And man, you tell a man he's a Sinner and he says I'm not a Sinner. He doesn't believe what God has said.
And so I believe that that's what it means in part to put off the old man is it's not just the bad things that I did, the bad flesh, but it's the whole thing. And I believe that that's what Mr. Darby meant. And I think we can say that we all have natural characteristics and I think we can recognize what they are without pointing them out. But Paul comes down to this as Christians, and we can recognize.
Recognize national characteristics in one another, but we're not here.
The world tries to put off national characteristics, but they haven't filled themselves with Christ. And so we can't just sweep the house clean, so to speak, of what we are by nature. We have to be filled with Christ. The world would like to level everything and say there's no difference between the Irishman and the Englishman and the Frenchman. Well, there is a difference.
But when we put on Christ, then we can recognize when we go down in the verse that there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision, nor uncircumcision that we can go on together. But we do need to recognize that all connected with the good and the bad. And sometimes it's the good characteristics in man that are the greatest obstacles, the standing for the truth.
Verse 10. And having put on the new, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him, that's a beautiful thought, being renewed. We need that. Don't we, brethren, be renewed? I was thinking I'd done that. Come out in Ephesians 3. Ephesians 3.
I think it's one of those 316. There's a lot of them, by the way. A Gym Visions 3.
I think it is 16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inter inner man. That's the 4th.
Need that, do we not?
Before we get too far away from verse nine, I want to read in Ephesians 4 and I'm I'm reading from Mr. Darbys translation because he makes it very clear in Ephesians 4. I'll I'll start from verse 19, who having cast off all feeling, have given themselves up to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greedy unsatisfied lusts.
But ye have not thus learned the Christ.
If ye have heard him and then instructed in him, according as the truth is in Jesus, namely.
You're having put off notice. He puts it in the past. You're having put off, according to the former conversation, former manner of life, the old man which corrupts itself according to the deceitful lusts, and being renewed in the spirit of your mind.
And you're having put on the Newman, which according to God is created in truthful righteousness and holiness. Well, he talks about the truth as it is in Jesus.
That's where we see the truth lived out. It was lived out in a man down here who was the truth himself. They asked him, who art thou? And he said altogether that which I say to thee, he was all that he said and all that he did. He was the perfect embodiment and expression of the truth. The truth is tells what is, and he is here as the in the sense of the objective truth that we have. The Spirit of God is spoken of as the truth.
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Subjectively, he is within us. He makes good in our souls what is true of Christ outside of us. But the truth is in Jesus, it's in that blessed man. And then he says, namely, you're having put off the old man with his beats. That is when we come to know the one who is the truth. All the characterized, the old man, all the evils and the lies and the deceit and the corruption has been put away.
And we're no longer have to do with that man. We've put on the Newman which, after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Just want to say this again, brother Chuck, because in connection with Peter, we see this again and again in his life, but it's not just the corruption that we have to put off. When Peter said tried to keep the Lord going to the cross, it was human sympathy and that wasn't a corrupt thing. It was a corrupt thing because it was against the truth. And that's a hard thing for us to judge. We say, well, I'm a kind person, I wouldn't do a thing like that. And man says if God was kind, he wouldn't send the Sinner to hell. And it's not kind to say that, but there's a time.
When that characteristic is connected with the old man, and not in faith and obedience to the word of God.
And that is what it is to put up everything connected with our the old man. Not just the vile things, so-called, but the nice things. Let me read in connection with what you're saying. Let me read a verse from Luke 18.
This is the worst sin.
It's not fornication. It's not adultery. It's not lying. This is the worst sin. There's something worse than that.
Verse 10 of Luke 18 Two men went up into the temple to pray the one of Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisees stood and prayed thus with himself. God, I thank thee, I'm not his other man, our extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. There was a man that was filled with pride, and that's the worst sin that we have. Is pride is the world calls it self esteem that you esteem yourself. Well, that's pride. That's the very thing scripture condemns. That's the very thing that the Lord was so hard on the Pharisees about. They were morally.
An upright class.
But filled with high thoughts of self and low thoughts of others, they looked upon others and despised them, filled with pride. And and what you're talking about, Neil, is that very thing the the upper crust of society.
Those that have nothing but.
High esteem for themselves and low esteem for others. That's abominable to God because we're all sinners and the Pharisee would. Now you know in Luke 15 when the Lord speaks about joy in heaven over 1 Sinner, that repented more than over 99 just persons which need no repentance. Who's that? That's comparison.
That's the one that doesn't think he needs to repent. I thank thee. I'm not like other men. And that's the worst sin that we have is the sin of Christ.
7 Abominations. That's what God keeps. And what is it that heads the list? The number one abomination is a proud look.
#2 is the lying tongue and then a little further on a false witness that speaks lies.
Six things he hates. Six of those things he hates, one is abomination.
Sowing discord among brethren.
Let's put it in the right order, isn't it, that we're talking about the difference between, for instance, in the Old Testament?
And the law given to man.
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And that would exercise his conscience to judge that man.
The log was given, and that to what men ought to be, and man would listen to that will say, and would judge in himself in that man that which was not in accord with it.
But we're not talking about that. We're talking about the total man set aside to have a new man.
And the measure of that, setting aside the measure of the breach between the two, is seen in Christ now.
Dying is passive. Dying is weakness.
Putting to death.
Is power.
And we're going to put to death. That's power.
That is.
You know, we're talking here in this passage about life.
And life is that within us. It's my life, although it's in Christ.
And as we begin to look at these things, lying comes from within.
Now as I begin to see those things.
As they emanate, as they come from an old nature, that which really was connected with the old man.
We want to remember that a brother said it recently in our brother's meeting, as concisely as as as I could have ever had, I ever heard.
Subjective truth.
Is good to discover to me a fault or a defect in me?
When subjective, truth becomes the solution to that problem.
Then it's misused. Christ is the solution of the problem. Looking outside myself to Christ, we see these things as they pass in us. We'll say that these lies, these things come from within. Anger, wrath, malice. Nobody else can be have malice for me.
But I discover these things. They belong to a total man that is set aside, whether he be good or bad. He set aside as a new man, not just a conscience against that which is bad in a man. It's a total new man as seen in Christ, and as mortify requires power to put to death.
So in dealing with these things as they pass and transpire inside of Maine, they are there. It'll never get any better. That old nature is there and it's going to be there until, like the brother said yesterday, I'm held under the water for 10 minutes until I go to be with the Lord now as it passes within me.
That which will give me freedom and joy as we're going to find as we go on, is looking off onto Jesus for the power to put to death those things that are still operating there. But the Word of God is the final guide, isn't it? It says in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12, for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.
And of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. So they accused the Lord Jesus of pride, as they said, Who makest thou thyself? But it was absolutely true what he was saying. He was God Incarnate, say David's brothers accused him of pride. They said, I know thy pride in the naughtiness of thy heart, to see the battle hour to come. But he had come to please God. He had common obedience.
So it's God's approval that counts. And sometimes the world may even accuse us of those things.
And we have to be content, follow the word of God, and we have the truth. Thy word is truth. And it's the, shall I say, the direction for all our conduct. I just say that because sometimes he may be a feared of being proud. I'm sure that some of us who say I know I'm saved, As someone said, oh, you're very presumptuous to talk like that. We're not presumptuous. We stand upon the word of God that tells us.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. So let the word of God be the thing that is a standard.
That decides for us what is right and wrong, and then we're sure that we have the truth.
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The Lord Jesus himself is the truth and His word is truth. Adversity quoted really helps because sometimes you don't really know.
We have a feeling and we feel that the Lord has LED us or directed us in a certain way. But then somebody quotes as this verse of Scripture and it kind of rankles us and it's like that life that divides us under what is of the soul and the Spirit. And so if we take it in that way, then we want to put off all those things connected with the old man. And that's really what I believe is helpful in what you said in connection with faith, is if we act in obedience to the word of God, then we can safely leave it with the Lord and he'll separate the precious from the vile.
But if it's a matter of self, then we have something to defend we don't have. But where it's a question of obedience to the word of God, David could simply turn and say, is there a cause? And so, you know, people say, well, why do people, Why are people so resentful about the fact that you say you're saved, You're gathered to the Lord's name because it rankles their pride. They say, well, everything's busted up, you can't go on in the truth anymore. And then they find out there's a company that is, it's a practical testimony.
To the fact that they're unbelieving as to God, and so it is. It is humility. God gives grace to the humble.
If we humble ourselves under the hand of God, but we're often rankled when somebody takes out the sword, so to speak, with us. And it cuts a little bit, but it's a good thing because it separates what is of the soul and of the spirit. Well, I believe it is also good to mention that it is not just.
Natural love and affection that can be a problem in a believer's life. I believe that there might be situations that we have witnessed in our own lives and in the lives of others.
Where there is genuine love and affection for the Lord and the desire to please the Lord, but not following the word of God and.
One of the examples in the Old Testament that illustrates that very well is Jonathan. You know, his heart was genuinely attached to David, and even after his death, David expresses how much this love meant.
But this love by itself was not enough, you know, Consistent with that, love and affection for David would have made him join David in his rejection. And this is beloved where many times.
We are motivated in our actions by love and affection for the Lord, but we are not looking, as Doctor Gordon has repeatedly at these meetings, tried to point out.
That we look at the word and that these love, that this love and affection is not only strictly governed by love, it's governed by the word of God. And take for instance Peter when Peter said to the Lord this shouldn't happen to you. I don't believe that that was natural kindness towards the Lord. You know he loved the Lord and he didn't like to see the Lord suffer and go to the cross and be rejected. And of course.
His Jewish hope, all of this was wound up in this question. You know, he was looking for the glory.
Of the Kingdom rather than the sufferings first and then the glory to follow. But what the problem was that Satan used genuine love and affection of Peter for the Lord to try to use Peter to interfere in the Lord path of perfect obedience and subjection to the Father's will. And the Lord puts the finger where it belongs. Get thee behind me, Satan. You see, Peter wasn't Satan.
But Satan was trying to use Peter's genuine love and affections to interfere in the Lord's perfect past of service. So people stress rightly that we should love the Lord and that we should be attached to him, and that there should be a motivating force in our lives. But there are other things that have to come in, that which is faithfulness to him in view of the path of rejection that he presently has, and that we would join him in that rejection.
And be content to join him, as it were, in the Cape of Adalam. That's where Jonathan should have been, because he genuinely loved the Lord, but he did not act consistently, You see. He was governed, obviously, by a false sense of loyalty to his father. You know, he shared his father's death, you know, that's a very solemn thing. A man that so genuinely loved David joined his father.
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Dying on the Mount of Gilboa with his father.
Those are very solemn lessons for us, beloved. We should love the Lord with all our hearts, but we must always allow the word of God to direct our affections in the right way. Same with our children, in our family relationships and so on. You know we cannot just be governed by love and affection. You know we many times that would lead us to exercise discipline and to be firm. The ultimate answer is one word in the next, verse 11.
I'll read the verse though, where there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision, nor uncircumcision, barbarian Scythian bond free, but Christ in all. That's the answer, you know. That's why Paul could say First Corinthians 2. I think the last verse we have the mind of Christ. That's a very wonderful statement. We have the mind of Christ. He's in US.
Our life is himself, and that's the thought of if any man be in Christ.
He's a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold all things that become new. There's a solution, and I think it's brought out nice in Galatians chapter 3, I believe Galatians, and this is what we've got to keep in mind. We can say we do this and we do that.
But we can do nothing and in Galatians verse 26.
Three, I already said, I think, 326 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized unto Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor free male.
We are all one in Christ. And if you be Christ.
Then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise?
That's it, brethren. That's it. We have Christ in us. We have the Holy Spirit.
John 220 We have the unction of the Holy One. We know all things. We know all things. Is that strong statement like we have the mind of Christ? Yes, there's strong statements, but they're true. There isn't anything that we need to know for a happy walk and one in obedience that we can't know because the Spirit of God the teachers in US and here in our midst and we have.
The mind of Christ, the Word of God.
He is the word. So there's the chi. I think there are very versed in Colossians 3. There's only three groups in the world. We like to say when we preach the gospel, there's only two groups, those that believe and those that believe not. That's all there is. We know that.
But there's three groups. There's the Jews and there's the Gentiles. There's the Christians. Christ in them. That's so positive to me.
Just like to.
Add a word to what's been said.
Let's not fear loving because of the danger of abusing it.
Hereby know we that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His word, I believe keep His commandments.
That's the soul that wants to know, is he really loving? He wants to love.
And he wants to love as before God.
He needs to know.
That so sometimes we might fear loving because of the danger of it if we're out of the presence of Christ and leading us astray. Like the Apostle Paul, he loved the Jews. He went back at the end of Acts. But it's not pure loving. Let's just fear leaving Christ a spirit not walking in communion with Christ.
Love is the capstone, isn't it? The perfection? Isn't that what it says? Here the bond on cherry put on chariot your love, which is the bond of perfectness.
That should characterize us is love.
Like you said, brother connects with love. In the 2nd Corinthians 12 and 15, the opposite say, I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though you're more abundantly I love you.
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Plus, I be loved. That's the application of divine love, isn't it? It's not always welcome.
That's still very important to see, Earl.
What's happening is.
Possible there is because of the fact that he was stable with the Corinthians. He cuts their conscience, and they responded in the way in which they did, and you and I, If our conscience someone brings something before us that rubs us the wrong way, then we then we lash back.
See that you know. You see that very often. I was thinking of this here, put on there for as the elective God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering.
These are all fruits of the Spirit you know. And then it goes on to say, forbearing one another and forgiving one another and a man of a quarrel against any evenness Christ forgave you. So also be and above all these things put on charity or divine love, which is the bond of perfectness. Now second Peter, chapter one, you have all this, add to this, this, add to this, this, add to this that and then we don't have finishes. Maybe we should turn over there and just look at that. The second Peter chapter one.
Important. Very important.
Verse 5 Second Peter, Chapter one.
Beside this, given all diligence, add to your faith virtue to virtue, knowledge, and knowledge, temperance, godliness, godliness, brotherly kindness to brother, kindness, charity. There it is brotherly kindness carried. 4 If these things begin here and found, they make you, that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. These are things for the heart, aren't they? These aren't things for the head.
You know, an individual can have a lot of knowledge about the word of God. Someone among us is dead. He can be as clear as an icicle and justice as cold. And The thing is, our Christianity is something for the heart, isn't it? And these things are in US. It it, it sees here what it tells us here, what it's but verse nine, he that lack of these things is blind. That's interesting.
Don't all believers have sight that they receive thought here of discernment? Isn't it that true spiritual vision and the charge to the assembly and play to see it was what? Poor and blind and miserable and naked? Is it possible for a believer to be miserable? Yes, it is.
Yes, it is. But how? How instructive, then, for our hearts are these precious things.
God is light and God is love, and the important thing is to keep them in their proper balance.
God is angry with the wicked every day, but He still loves them. And the Lord wept over Jerusalem, even though he had to pronounce judgment upon them. Fast display. I love that in Revelation.
11 I think it is.
Chapter 11.
Verse 17.
To give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and West, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry. And Iraq is come the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that thou should us give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the Saints, and to them that fear thy name small and great, and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.
And there were lightnings and voices and thunderings, and an earthquake and great hail.
The time has come, as we read in this chapter, when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.
And God, who is a God of love, has to act in judgment. But what does he do? He opens heaven and shows the ark there. And on top of the ark the blood was sprinkled as though God were saying, I didn't want to be your judge. You forced me to be your judge. I wanted to be your blesser. I provided my son, and he is the propitiation for the whole world. There's not a single person of Adam's race that can say there was no opportunity for me.
And install the last display as it were, before God acts in judgment, is to say I didn't want to have to act in judgment because I provided for the blessing of sinners. And that's very important, I believe, brethren, for us, none of us are perfect in this. We all fail in one extreme or the other. But in God there's perfect balance. Light and love are in their perfect balance. So the Lord was angry. It says He looked round about upon them with anger, but he wept over Jerusalem.
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Beautiful perfectness that we see in the Lord Jesus. And if you and I are walking, walking in the Newman and by the power of the Spirit, that evenness will be displayed in us. Sad to say, we usually go extreme in one or the other. We fail because we're not perfect, but if we follow the light of God's Word, allow the Spirit to have His way in our lives, there would be that balance that there was in the Lord Jesus, because He is our life and the Spirit is the power.
There's a principle about divine love that we have to keep in mind always. Divine love is never at the expense of truth. Never. And we may say we love that, brother, we overlook this, That is not divine love. And if we say, well, we're doing this, it isn't quite right according to the word of God. But we love our brethren. That is not divine love, and it never is at the expense of truth, if you really want to show love.
It will be according to truth, always.
And I think a good definition of love would be given unconditionally.
Together without any congestion whatsoever and I think I was thinking, how can I love?
We really love to find selfish selfishness to get things from people or from the world.
And you know that God is love because God is not selfish. He gave himself and son and the person of his Son. And Speaking of a verse in first John.
First Dog Doctor 3.
B.
I.
We still have this world judgment and see if the brother at least and shut us off in bottles of compassion from him how as well as the love of God's in him.
How can I present to be loving and caring Christian myself?
Learning things, or even learning things that might be legitimate.
How can I be loving with the love of God?
If I want things for myself.
Think as I said love is giving without any condition whatsoever. But.
Giving from God with the love of God who wanders. And especially to our brothers and sisters. Divine love is selfless. That's number one, and it can love the unlovely thing. That's number two and it loved me. That's wonderful, isn't it? That's divine love. Now they tried to get definitions for it and we're in danger when we do this. But one man who was asked and this I read in one of the old books.
What is divine love? And he says the best way is to go to the cross and you see it and cross. And it's like the fragrance, the sweet fragrance from a rose, a beautiful rose, when it's trampled on their foot. That's divine love. I thought that was pretty close. But we can't give definitions of this. It's selfless. That's good enough for me. It's God. But when our brother was saying.
He was really describing the difference between human love and divine love. Human love is always based on what we can get out of the object that we love. That's even that way in the marriage relationship. But divine love loves unconditionally, you know. And divine love is manifested to us when we were enemies of God, you know. And so this is divine love.
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Now this love is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit and we love.
Because he first loved us, we are able now as those that have a new life.
The new nature, the imitators of God as beloved children, well, we will all be ready to admit that it is very weakly displayed in us, but that is nevertheless what we are capable of doing if we live in communion and fellowship with the Lord, that this love can be radiating from us to others. Are you saying we can love our unlovely brethren?
Thankful. I'm sure thankful they love me. You know, I heard this. I heard this just before the departure in our assembly. Brother, can't you love us even though we don't agree with you? I said we're in kindergarten. I love you all.
But I can't walk with you the way you're thinking, That's all. Yes, I love them. I still love them.
I just love them. I'd love to see them back. That's what we're talking about, you know? You love me in spite of myself. You see Christ. That's it, isn't it? We're one in Christ, you know, This love is so precious.
Might look at that verse and remember that it says shut up his bowels of compassion. It doesn't say shut up his pocketbook.
It may be you see a brother in need.
But you know, you can't set it. It can't settle that need right now.
You don't talk about your pocketbook here, You talk about your bowels of compassion toward it. That's governed love. That's love. That is is coming radiating as a reflection. We'll say from the love of God to us. And you might just read this verse and say whosoever has the Lord's goods.
The truth and see his brother in need.
You see, you shut up your bowels of compassion toward that brother. You see? What is that?
In other words, there is that balance. But I fear sometimes we fear loving.
When really I just see it again. We should fear not walking with Christ. That's where the problem comes in. Not loving. If it's love, it flows from God. If it's my own personal affection and so forth, that's another thing. But I believe in our chapter we we have brought before us life.
And life is that which is within me, though it's in Christ, it's my life. He's given it to me. And it's not so much the Spirit of God before us in our chapter, I don't believe.
But it's the life, and we know that.
In a believer, they are five things, right? Body, soul, spirit. That's that's natural. The new life that's given, life that's in Christ, but he gives it to us. And then the Holy Spirit dwells there when we believe the gospel. So we have those five things there now.
That life living and living in me, I'm alive in Christ.
And we want to acknowledge these things. And I know every day that I'm no different from anyone else. Every day inside of me, their past is a history.
That my brethren don't see.
Now if I don't deal and live with Christ there, they will see.
But I have the privilege and access and full access and total communion with Christ.
To live with Christ there.
And the history of the heart will, if I can use that expression you see, is that which really determines my outward history. And that's what we have here, that Christ is everything and enjoying the word of Christ, dwelling in US and so forth are among us. But we don't want to Passover or ignore the fact of life and that which is within. Again, I say any problem you see there, the solution to that problem is the person of Christ.
Attracting our souls out to glory and.
We use an illustration sometime about love.
Practical thought that.
You know, you see, a young man will say. And he.
He's he really doesn't pay that much attention about whether his hair is combed or his shoes are shined or his shirts pressed and.
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And he goes through life, you know, like we all have done, but all of a sudden he sees a young lady.
And now everything is different.
I mean, he'll comb his hair now and he's concerned about that and his shirt being pressed and he wants his shoes shine. Well, what's made the difference? What's the difference?
Oh, love has made a difference, and that's with you and me, brethren. If if the love of God is perfected in US.
You see, I will love and I will be changed, but it's all connected with an object before us that is altogether lovely, altogether lovely. There's nothing we'll ever find that's not lovely in Christ. And that's what, in drawing my soul out to him, then I can love my brethren, rightfully, I can love as he loves. And that's what gives stability to the heart, as well as to the feet and the hands and so forth.
First, Timothy, chapter three. We have the two things brought together. I think, verse 15 of First Timothy 3. But if I tarry long that thou mightest know how the oddest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth, and without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit scene of angels preached under the Gentiles.
Believed on in the world, received up into or in glory. Here we have in First Timothy the Church of God in order, and in these two verses I believe we have the pattern, we might say, of what the assembly should be in the 15th verse. It's the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. The Church doesn't teach, but the church is responsible to hold the deposit of truth that has been committed to us.
We have the word of God, and the world isn't the custodian, so to speak. The church, the true believers gathered according to the mind of God, stand for not just part of, but for the whole truth of God. But I believe this sixty verse is instructive also without controversy. Great is the mystery not of God, but of godliness. What is the secret of godliness? Where was it perfectly displayed?
In the life of the Lord Jesus we have the pattern of godliness.
And I think that's brought out so beautifully here. God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit. Here were a group of people gathering, confessing their sins. The Lord Jesus comes, and in wondrous grace identifies himself with that company. But God wouldn't allow that, as though his Son were part of that company. And the Spirit of God comes upon him and marks him out. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
And then it says he was seen of angels.
The angels looked down and saw one because we're a spectacle to the world and to angels and to man. The Bible tells us sisters wear a covering because of the angels they're looking down. In the church is displayed the manifold wisdom of God and his purposes. Here was one walking in this world, and there the angels could look down and see one who was in this world walking to please his Father. They'd never seen that because.
Right from the time of Adam's sin it was very opposite. But here was one that did. And now he preached unto the Gentiles. I think that's lovely too. He said, I'm not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. But when he was rejected, that grace in his loving heart couldn't find, shall I say, an outlet to the nation he wanted to bless. And he reaches out to the Sarah Phoenician woman to the Gentiles. What do you and I do when someone rejects us? Do we still go on in love? That's the way the Lord acted. That grace that was in his heart couldn't be held in. And so he reaches out to the Gentile and.
Where was? Where was the fruit for his blessed pathway of love? At the end of his life his disciples forsook him and fled the nation, rejected him and said we won't have him. He's not our Messiah, but but isn't this lovely? It says, believed on in the world. And that's what the spirit of God brings before Timothy through Paul and second Timothy. Timothy, if you're going to go on and labor as you should.
Don't look at the results here in this world you have to count upon what is going to be manifested in resurrection. Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead? According to my gospel, too often we get occupied with results. Here were the results from the work and pathway of the blessed Savior. By grace, we're the testimony to it. Was it seen in His life? At the end of His life it was rejected. Well, it's blessed just to go on.
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And then received up in glory he was, it says he was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.
God raised that Blessed One, seated them at the right hand of the majesty on high.
What is going to be the secret of going on for the Lord? First of all, the assembly is responsible to hold and maintain the whole truth of God. And if I can put it very practically and it condemns me is it should be that if people looked upon us as a company gathered to the Lord's name, they'd say two things about us. There are people who stand for the whole truth of God, and if you get to know them, they're like Christ. That's the point. And that is when the House of God is in order.
Too often it's been disorder. All had to write in the second epistle about it in disorder. But here we have it in order. And rather, you and I possessed the life of Christ. That's the life that we have. We have His word for direction. We have the Spirit for the power. And this is what God would have us to be, individually and collectively here in this world. Christ is not only the example, but he's the only motive spring for anything we're asked to do.
Is the only motive spring and I just mentioned I know our times up, but it says forgiving one another, forgiving one another. How can we have that motive frame? Well, I know we're done. But even as Christ forgave you, so also to ye. That's it, isn't it? Can we think 336 has been given out.
God Was Manifest in the Flesh
Go Back a Different Way
The Form of Godliness without Power
Colossians 3:13-15
Reading
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In chapter 3, verse 12, put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering for bearing one another and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye, and above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body.
And be thankful, Let the word of Christ dwell on you richly in all wisdom.
Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and whatsoever ye do in Word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger unless they be discouraged.
Servants, obeying all things, your masters according to the flesh, not with I service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord, you shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done. And there is no respect of persons.
These verses parallel what we find in Ephesians.
Could we hear the difference in the significance of the the putting off and the putting on?
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Every exhortation that we have flows from that we're given, flows from the position in which we stand before God. So God doesn't ask us something that's not possible. And so it is because we are holy and beloved that he asks us to put on certain things and the general thought and christened them as we put on things to become holy and beloved. But we put these on because we are, and then because we're holy and beloved. I believe there are certain things that are just incompatible with such a nature, and so we're to put them off.
I was thinking more in connection with the difference between what is mentioned in Ephesians putting off and the putting on and in Colossians the putting off and the putting off. There is a difference.
It's good to have to explain.
What is your understanding of it for the very?
My understanding is that.
Using the comparison of the children of Israel.
In Ephesians, that is.
Comparable, or at least the picture of the Israelites.
Is a completed taking of the whole land. It's all.
Completed 13th of Joshua last verses say.
The land they possessed, the whole land, and the land rested from war. I'll take that to be a picture of what we find.
In Ephesians the whole land was taken, the whole all, the revelation of the truth which Paul received.
Is completed from the Lord Jesus in the glory and Ephesians brings out the fact that the whole of the revealed mind of God we have so it's more the having put off it's completed whereas.
Colossians has often been likened to Israel having.
Gone over the Jordan, but resting on the West Bank.
In other words, they were across the Jordan, but they hadn't yet taken the land. And so there is that constant throughout the book of Colossians, a pressing on to the something in comparison with the.
11Th chapter of Joshua The last verse says the land rested from war, but the 13th chapter in the first verse says and the Lord said to Joshua.
And well stricken in years, and there remaineth much land to be possessed, although it seems as if it's a contradiction. But there's no contradiction of the scriptures, And I believe the key is in the possessing the word possessed. So we have we're thankful to have the truth, but in these days that we are together, why we learn the necessity of making it our own.
Of possessing the truth that, I believe, is what Colossians bring before us.
For the meal you mentioned.
Holy and beloved.
But we are also the elect.
I think what you're not agree that speaks of Sovereign Grace?
Be reminded that Sovereign Grace has chosen us.
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In Christ, but then holiness that we have been made.
Wholly Set Apart.
And.
He loves, you know, that's the position we have been brought into, but it's all based on Sovereign Grace. Keep that in mind.
It certainly would help us show these characteristics.
That we are admonished to manifest.
Paul uses the expression.
Putting off and putting on in Romans 13. Let me read the verses.
Romans 13 and verse 11 And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep.
Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, The day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness.
Not in strife and envying.
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof seems to be in that last verse. Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ would be analogous to to putting on the new man, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the luster of putting off the old man. At least it's a different way of expressing it.
But it comes out to the same thing we we seem to be able to grasp, put you on the Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe a little bit better than the new man, which is somewhat of a a difficult expression to get ahold of, but I believe it speaks of Christ.
We see a right thought that.
In Ephesians we are seeing in Christ, and in Colossians it is Christ in US, and it's two of every one of us.
And maybe not the right expression, but twice on us, as our garment would be the practical expression in our life, in our manner of conduct with the one who lives in it by his spirit. So it is detailed, you might say as to.
Put you on the Lord Jesus. But in practical terms, what does it mean? Well, they're already virtues, you might say, that are enumerated in the 12Th verse and so on, which belongs to the Lord Jesus that are produced in us by His Spirit and that should be seen in our life. It's like our garments have seen.
Would that be an acceptable thought?
They did. They did take place in the death of Christ. That is, our old man was crucified with him, as we have in Romans. As a fact that has taken place. But as a practical thing, as you were saying, it isn't always manifested, and I believe the exhortation is that it should be manifested. So he uses the expression in this.
Verse put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, at the practical exhortation.
Just as you might say. Well, you've been given that new garment. Now wear it so everybody can see it.
There wouldn't be an exhortation if there wasn't a need for it. That seems like a rather obvious statement, but we sometimes hear the expression all these things will fall off like feathers. But there is a there is the energy of faith in connection with these things. And I may not always have the bowels of not have the bowels of mercy. Naturally I don't. And so we need to put them on. We need to be in the presence of the Lord and develop the affections of the Lord for His people. It's not something that we should expect.
There's energy of faith in connection with it.
Leprosy is spoken of as in three ways, leprosy in the flesh, and that would be moral evil, like First Corinthians 5 and then leprosy in the head, doctrinal evil, Galatians 5 and leprosy in one's garment. And that seems to speak more of the of the outward character that we display.
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The that which immediately surrounds us.
And our circumstances?
And many of these things have to do with that, don't they?
But there's the expression put off or cast off. That's something that we do.
It doesn't fall off. Hebrews 12 Says lay aside every weight in the sin which doth so easily beset us. So that's that's the energy of of the Christian himself in in laying aside and setting aside those things that once characterized us in the flesh and then putting on putting on just like you. At the end of the day, you take off your coat and set it aside and you.
Exchange it for some.
More comfortable attire at home and you put on your bed clothes before retiring. And so it's it's a figure just like that, isn't it? We put off and we put on. It's something we do.
I don't know the great, but Mr. Darby has a little note in the connection with it, he says. It's the auras and it's in the state of having done it.
Just as you might say to a person, well, you're a Canadian citizen. Well, use the liberties that you have or act like one who is, but it isn't coming into that by some action. It's already true of you, but in the practical side of it, you're acting and displaying the fact that it is so.
And I believe that's the thought. It is so, so in the in our own translation by.
It's in the.
In the eighth verse. But now he also put off all these. Mr. Darby's translation is having put it off and then in the 10th verse and put on. It's something that has already taken place, but it isn't always displayed practically. And the exhortation is that you don't enter into that state by doing it, but you're in that state by the position you've been brought into through the work of Christ. Your sins forgiven, a new creature in Christ. Jesus standing for God in Christ.
And now act like that. That's why the exhortation comes in and the practical sense, I believe.
I'd like to just ask a question and connection with that a little bit louder, brother. We don't hear very well.
First Peter chapter 4. I'd just like to reconcile what you just did with with first Peter chapter 4.
And.
One and two.
Worth much, then, as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. For he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lust, and then buffers the will of God like.
Reconcile what we've been here.
Well, in the sense that the flash is used in the first part of the 4th, the first verse of this 4th chapter.
The Lord Jesus had only holy flesh, but he suffered in body. He had a body of flesh and bones as he walked through this world. As our brother has remarked before, he was truly a man. And so, if we might put it in this way, when he said, does Satan Man shall not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, he quoted scripture to him. He didn't turn the stones into bread.
And in obedience to His Father's will, he was still hungry. He suffered, and so he suffered in the flesh, but with him it was holy flesh. He only wanted to do His Father's will. If I say no, I might say well, I wish I had yielded, because I'm still hungry, but not so with the Blessed Lord. But I need to arm myself, likely with the same mind that that is, I may have to suffer.
Daniel and his friends had to suffer when they didn't partake of the portion of the King's beat and the wine that they drank. The flesh in the might have wanted to do it never saw in the Lord. But we arm ourselves with that mind, because we have the life of Christ. We say no, and so that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh through the lusts of man. The flesh in me is sinful. Flesh in the Lord it was holy.
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And so I don't know whether I can explain it exactly in any other way. But there is a suffering in the path of obedience. But there is an added suffering with us sometimes the flesh still wants to do the thing, never so with the Lord, He never wanted to do anything but His Father's will, but the same mind.
That we have the life of Christ. We want to be obedient, but we also have the fallen nature.
It's been said that in those verses we have the flesh in three different ways. That is, He suffered in the flesh, that is, he was here in a body of flesh and bones and He. But when we say He that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, the flesh in me wants to do what's wrong.
And then it says in the.
End of the second verse, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh.
He doesn't mean in the sinful nature there that he lived the rest of his time in the body.
That's all. We have holy flesh in the Lord Jesus, sinful flesh in us that still wants to do what's wrong. But we also have the physical body, and we are spending our time here in the flesh, that is in these mortal bodies of flesh and bones, flesh and blood.
There is another sense in which flesh is used in Romans when we were in the flesh.
I think that's our position Before we were saved. As sinful creatures we are no longer in that position, but we are in the body and we still have the old nature. And if we deployed the old nature of its desires, the flesh suffers and we do not sin. That's the thought, isn't it? In the second part with us. But the Lord suffered in the flesh.
Never, because he wanted to do anything but his Father's will. But He suffered in the path of obedience. That path of obedience led him to the cross.
Did he suffer, and did he suffered? He felt the crown of thorns. He felt the nails in his hands. He suffered, but with him it was holy flesh. Never any desire but to do his Father's will. But we have the other, shall I say, that sinful flesh within us.
And as long as we live in that this body, it's going to be here. And so the flesh still wants to do what's wrong in me, that is in my flesh. That's the fallen nature to all of no good thing.
In other words, if we are temptation tempted to go and to do something worldly.
If I'm working in the office and somebody they invite us to a party, well, the flesh says in me, go ahead, but the Spirit says don't go. But I don't want to deceive myself into saying, Oh no, the flesh doesn't suffer, the flesh does suffer, but we don't sin.
I think it's, you know, important to bring that out because.
There might be a concept in our mind that we just, so to speak, all into these things.
I'm sorry, my voice is interior. Very rough.
Then we get the proper concept in this that we just don't float into it, you know?
There is this ongoing thing that he that has suffered in the flesh Path ceased from sin. There is suffering in that sense involved, you know. But that's verse two, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lust thereof, but to the will of God. So it's very important. It's very important.
I mean the man of the world, he doesn't suffer natural to him as the air he breathes, you might say. But for the Christian, there's an arresting thing, and all of this there are.
So this 12Th verse is really a practical thing. We have done it as far as the truth of God is concerned. The old man came to its end in the death of Christ. Our old man was crucified with him. It came to attend in the death of Christ. That's a doctrine. It's the difference between our standing and our state.
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Are standing before God is perfect. Not only our sins forgiven, but we stand before God in Christ. The righteousness of God in Him, that's our standing. Now we're told to act consistent with that standing that he has put it on. So to put on, I believe in this eighth verse, or indeed in the 12Th verse, rather, is the practical side of it. Let it be manifested in a practical way.
I could use the illustration again. I've got the new clothes. They belong to me now. Put them on and display them in a practical way. I didn't acquire them at the moment I put them on. I might have had them for quite a while. I put them on and saw they're displayed in a practical way in my life. And that's the exhortation. Elected God, holy and beloved. That's her standing. Put it on in a practical way.
Bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering.
All these beautiful Christian graces, John Oden, perfection in the light, in Christ, in his blessed pathway and at verse in John's epistle says he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked. God doesn't have a lower standard for me as a Christian than to be like his beloved Son, because he's given me the life of Christ. I don't say it's always so, I'm sad to say.
But that is where I've been brought, and that's what he is exhorting me to display, Not to say, well, I I know I make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. But a perfect standard. The Lord Jesus, the capacity. Yes, I have a new life and I'm indwelled by the Spirit of God. I have the power God provides for restoration if I fail, but he has equipped me with all that's necessary for the Christian life, so that I should walk in this world as Christ walked.
When it says put on in that sense, it makes you think there's something we should do. That isn't the thought at all. We have these things in Christ by the Spirit of God in us. We don't have to go out and put them on. In that sense, it lets them have their way in US.
Let them be active in our life that support. We already have those things. It's a little bit like second Peter chapter one and we've already had that, but where it says in.
Verse 5. And beside this, that's the four things that are before us besides this having all diligence. Now it does say, add to your faith in this translation, but the better translation is have in your faith. There are already all these things are ours, then they're by faith. But now let them have their action in US. Let them be active in US. Have them.
Actively, that's the thought. It's not add to, I can't do anything.
I can't add any of these to myself. I have them because I have the life of Christ. And so that's the thought. Otherwise you get the idea we're going to do something, we can't do anything. We already have it in US. And I believe it should be have in your faith these things.
Let them be active. Let them have action in you. We have them. And this passage is not like climbing a ladder. You first step into virtue and then you take the next step. Someone has explained This is like a flower that is opening up, and all these things open up at the same time, just like the flower has many leaves. So these things that we should have in our faith, that should manifest themselves because we have faith.
They all unfold at the same time, and I think this isn't any difference here with this passage that these things should all at the same time manifest themselves in the believer. Now who wouldn't be ready to admit that we fall many times short and that's why we need these admonitions and.
I think especially when it comes to.
The things that have to do more with what we manifest in our relationship with one another. Some of these things speak more of an attitude, of a spirit that should characterize us. But then there are other things that we manifest in our relationship with one another. And when you think of forbearance, for instance.
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You know, I've often expressed it this way. The Lord has not put us in the business of changing personalities.
You know, now maybe I'm robbing you the wrong way sometimes, and maybe you robbed me the wrong way that because of your personality traits, but that is the kind of thing we have to for bear with.
Now there are things that become more offensive. You know, where there is the need for forgiveness. Now people might say I'm not going to forgive him unless he asked me to forgive him. Well, this Christian attitude is that the spirit of forgiveness should characterize the believer. And we see that with the Lord Jesus under cross.
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. That is characteristic of Stephen. You know when he's being stoned.
You know, nobody had asked him to forgive him, you know, but he asked for his enemies. And Paul in Second Timothy, you know, when he could have and rightly expected help from his fellow believers, but he didn't get any comfort from them. He was left alone.
He also is characterized by the spirit of forgiveness towards neglect on the part of believers. Haven't we experienced that sometimes?
In our life, when we went through difficult circumstances, that we have not received the comfort and help that we could rightly expect, and we ourselves have not been the help and the comfort to our fellow believers that we should have been well, that is at that time that the spirit of forgiveness has an opportunity to be manifested in the believers.
Forgiving when we speak of personal trespass. It's very important we all often offend, says James. And we have to remember that you said we rubbed one another wrong. We do. We're German, we're German. I don't want to know all about you, and we all offer the fence. I don't know what the rest of you have, but you got problems.
But you know, we should forgive one another. We shouldn't take offense so quick. There's a lot of thin skinned believers among us. They take offense so quick should do that. We don't judge Moses, you know, take it from the Lord. And you know when the Lord said to Peter and the others, if a man trespass against you and repent, forgive him and if he do it 7 Dimes in the gate and repent 7 Dimes.
Forgive him. And what did the apostles say? Increase our faith, Lord. This is the big order. Increase our faith. I think the Lord said 70 * 7, he says.
You've got a faith as a grain of mustard seed. You can take tell the sick of mine trees up and go into the sea as well. In other words, what seems impossible to us. We've got the faith to do it. And so I believe he got to 70 * 7, didn't he, Lord?
Said seven times. He said no 70 * 7. That's a lot of times to forgive. A brother is the man, you know, if we we can do it, that's the thought, we can do it. We got it. All these attributes are hard. We get these attributes first and then the expectation we have these safety. And you know, I've given this example before, but if you really forgive.
You forget. You forget that's where we all pay. I fail, You know, I say I forgive. That puts a badge on me I haven't forgotten. And it negates everything, doesn't it? We're not talking about things that need to be taken care of in an assembly, not talking about those things. I'm a personal trash bag. And you know, there was in a Sunday school two boys that always were troubled by a third boy who was a Needler, and they beat up on him every now and then. The Sunday school teacher finally stopped it and got the two boys together.
Because I know that he irritates you badly, and he gave him that principle the Lord gave. If he trespassed 70 times, you forgive him 70 times. You know 7 * 7.
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That isn't 74949. Well, the boys agreed. They agreed, but the older boy said. But I'll tell you when we get to 49, you better watch out. Those 490, you better watch out. So that's what we often do, brethren. We get the 490. It's sad, isn't it?
But we, the Lord said Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But that didn't mean that everyone that stood by the cross was forgiven. But there was one person.
That availed himself of that he heard the Lord say that. And he said, We indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of his deed, our deeds.
That man, shall I say he received the forgiveness just like ourselves.
God is offering forgiveness to every Sinner of Adam's race. If he'll just come and own, he's a Sinner. When he acknowledges that, then he can say my sins are forgiven because I have received Christ. I'm under the shelter of the blood.
I say that because there is that practical side. So in the trespass offering, the man was not only to bring the sacrifice, but he was also to acknowledge that he had sinned in that thing. And one of the writers said he said we're all very willing to acknowledge that we fail many times, but it's often hard for us to say I failed in that thing, in that thing. When we acknowledge that, then we enjoy it.
Now we're forgiven judicially all our sins the moment we receive Christ.
But there is the governmental forgiveness, and that is only enjoyed as we acknowledge it. If we confess our sins, these faithful and just to forgive us. Our sins, we might say, weren't he sins already forgiven? Judicially, that is, you'll never have to meet God as a judge, yes.
All it says in Acts 1339, 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 the believer justified from all things.
For which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. That's judicially that happens when we're saved. There's not one sin on my account, because they were all put away in the blood of Christ, but now in His governmental ways, we need to confess it and own it. And the same I believe in our dealings with one another, that we always ought to carry forgiveness in our hearts, never carry a grudge or bad feeling or anything. But sometimes it's necessary to say.
I'm sorry to be restored and to be restored to the Lord and to one another.
So the man in First Corinthians he was restored, he was brought back, and Paul could say, to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also.
The consequence for a believer in God's government and not forgiving.
Oh, it's that delivered to the tormentors till he has paid all those due unto him. In other words, in the governmental waves of God.
You might even lose the enjoyment of what the Lord has done for you, and that's a terrible expression delivered to the tormentors.
And I don't know of anything more tormenting than to carry an unforgiving spirit toward anybody in the world.
To care that unforgiven spirit is going to make you miserable, perhaps more than the other person, because you carried the unforgiving spirit. The Lord only spoke of the church twice, and first of all on the rock in which it was built, and then in Matthew 18 on how to maintain that if there's an offense between brothers and then this passage that you refer to comes in. But often the obstacle to seeing the restoration of a brother is I make it a matter of personal hurt.
And I don't forgive him rather than seeking to win my brother. And so where it's a matter of personal hurt, it's the glory of man to Passover sin is that the harm I have suffered personally I can forgive and leave that with the Lord. Paul said that to Philemon. And we see that with the Lord and Israel. I was struck by this number 490 because for 490 years they didn't let the land rest. And God government he forgave them year after year after year, but eventually it caught up with them.
And our brother. We may forgive our brother and our spirit, but if he doesn't really judge it, or if I don't judge something in my spirit before the Lord, it'll catch up with me. And so our real object with our brother ought to win him so that that sin doesn't overtake him. But if it's a matter of somebody done me something wrong and I've got to settle that, then it's a hindrance to really seeing the brother restored and to really judge that thing that he's fallen into now in Matthew 18.
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At the end of the chapter we have the 10,000.
Talents that are and 100 pence. Debtor I like to suggest that we all are 10,000 talent debtors when it comes to our guilt before God.
And he has forgiven us freely.
Well, 110, we know they work for a penny a day. That wasn't such a tremendous debt. Well, can we not forgive one another when we realize how much we have been forgiven? Now, both of these debtors acknowledged their debt. Now that's an important principle. You know, you cannot really expect forgiveness from God unless you first acknowledge your debt.
But said 100 pence. Debtor also acknowledged hit dead, pleaded for mercy. The 10,000 talent debtor did receive it, but he wouldn't give it and wouldn't grant it to the 100 pence Debtor. Now that is beloved, where we often fall short, we forget what God has done.
For us, and may I say that.
That it's really impossible for us to forget something that has happened.
But we can elect not to remember. Even God doesn't say that he will forget.
Forgetfulness is human weakness, but God has chosen not to remember.
That's beautiful, beloved. He has removed these sins from us as far as the East is from the West. He has cast them into the depths of the sea, and he has chosen not to remember them. And we can ask the Lord for grace to not remember to make a decided effort.
To not remember what anybody has done to us, and an unforgiving spirit destroys the person that is characterized by it.
As if we had been forgiven $600,000 and then we go in exact $1.00 out of this other dollar and it just makes it very ridiculous. But that's really what it is if you have an answer.
And the 600,000 we've been forgotten about?
That same portion where the 490 times.
But I was thinking through Neil was mentioning the government of God and on the phone Lord Jesus said Father forgive them for they know not what they do. They have just finished saying it's bloody enough and on our children. And although you applied it to one man.
Reply to the nation of Israel, so that if we have not forgiven them, then they could never be brought into blessing, and it would have.
Got it All promised because they put because God has promised to bring them back into the land and and he will and they will come there. They will be the head and not the tail and Brian will be the leading place of the world. But in the government of the Jews have suffered over the Senate an awful thing that I said didn't cluster on us and on our children and we suffered without heaven. Could you say the whole nation was forgiven though there's a remnant according to the election of grace.
And so there will be a vast number. In fact, it says in all the land 2/3 will be cut off and die. But a third would remain therein. And that third is, we have it recorded in Zechariah that they they mourn, they say, what are these wounds in my hand? And they mourn and confess their guilt, so that while the Lord had forgiveness, I wouldn't say the whole nation is forgiven, but there is a remnant according to the election of grace. I agree with you. I I judge Francis said as a nation.
Well, you can't say and it has been applied that way.
The city of refuge was opened up to Israel by the Lord making the sin of rejecting and crucifying the Messiah a sin of ignorance. And we find the answer to that prayer when Peter said he did it ignorantly, as also your rulers. And then we find in Hebrews that they have fled for refuge to the Lord Jesus. So it was an opening up of grace to that guilty nation. But the individual had to plead for refuge.
00:45:20
Just like one who had murdered somebody unintentionally, there were these city 6 cities of refuge and they could flee there and be sheltered from the man's Slayer, you know, from the avenger of blood. And so that is the important point. The grace of God opens up to this guilty nation. But they had individually had to flee for refuge. So when the Lord said father forgive them, they know not what they do.
He says count it Father, as a sin of ignorance, for which there was mercy and forgiveness. The Apostle Paul says mercy was showing me because I did it ignorantly in unbelief, but deliberate premeditated sin there was no forgiveness for So the Lord is saying don't count it that way. Count it as a sin of ignorance. That's the grace of his heart.
It's beautiful to see that extended to the Gentile in Corinthians. Now it says there, which none of the Princess of this world knew, For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glories. So Paul is at word opened up that door of mercy to the Gentile, because Pilate and the Gentiles were had pardoned that, and so door to them they could flee to the city of refuge too, and slipped upon as a sin of ignorance. I'd like to tell a story in connection with what's been said.
Two sisters were talking and the one said to the one sister about another person, don't you remember what she did to you 10 years ago and how she talked to you and all she did? And the first sister said I distinctly remember forgetting that.
In other words, she determined not to remember it. And that's the point that you were making. And that's what God has done. Actually, God doesn't forget anything. He has a perfect memory. Forgetfulness is a human infirmity. But he says I will not remember your sins.
That's that just gives me complete peace knowing he won't remember them.
Well, in Proverbs chapter 26 in connection with the.
August 26th.
1St.
What is fire going through?
Weather is no tail bear, The strike ceasefire has told her to burning poles and wood could fire. So are the contentious man and Kindles right? The birds of a tail bear are in rooms when they go down at the innermost parts of the belly.
Well, there is further wood where no wood is a particle.
The great thing is, is that God has placed this in the assembly that we might learn these lessons. That's the sweet thing about it, isn't it? That he's given it, that he's brought us to his table and there we are. You know, you have one that's a certain temperament and one that's another way, and it's one that's another way again. And he doesn't want us mere theorists about these things. What he's striving for in their lives is reality, reality. And that's why we are where we are. And, you know, someone comes along.
Maybe you say, well, that brother is a little bit legal and he sees things this way, and this one here he's a little bit LAX. But in the great that when you consider that they're there and God has placed them there, it helps us to see our brethren in a whole different light.
All of these things we've been looking at.
There, when he says put off or put on, it's in the heiress tents, which means be in the state of having done it. It's not in the present tense, which means do it every day. We're not to have to put these things on every day. Some fresh decision. Someone does me wrong and I don't have to say, well, should I forgive him? No, I have already.
I'm in the state of having forgiven all the offenses that might be done to me, and that's a different thing. I don't have to make a fresh decision every day whether I'm going.
I'm in the state of having done it. That's the difference between the present tense and the heiress.
00:50:05
And it's used here. And Darby's note is helpful to help us get a hold of what that means. But it is something that we have put on, we have put on that attitude.
Of mind once, it doesn't have to be repeated, and we are now.
In the state of having done that, and that's the force of what we have before us. So we are those that have been forgiven. I love the bumper sticker that says not perfect, just forgiven. And you can. We can all relate to that. If we are forgiven and we have been forgiven, we are those that forgive.
We are those that forgive and unforgiving Christian is.
An enigma. Here's a man that's been forgiven 10,000 talents and he won't forgive 100 pence. There's something drastically inconsistent with that. There's no no offense that can be done to me, to you, whatever, by whoever. That we can't, that we that we have, we are able to say I can't forgive, that we we can't be in that position. That's a terrible position to be in, to say I can't forgive that sin.
He's forgiven us infinitely more than will ever be called upon to forgive. In fact, our attitude is we forgive, and as soon as the person admits they've done wrong, that forgiveness is immediately extended to them.
It is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression, I think it was quoted. Forgive me, I just thought I expressed this thought that I felt for a long time.
If we would apply that scripture, it would settle many petty grievances that we have amongst the Saints of God, because we do not have to take everything up with our brother. We do not have to expect the last parting. You know me apply Matthew 18 if a brother sin against thee, and it certainly applies many times and should be practiced. But that scripture in the Old Testament that is the glory of a man to Passover a transgression would settle many grievances.
That means that we would never even bring it up.
I'm sure you would agree that that is a desirable attitude to be manifested on the part of all of us. Would that not be verse 14 and above? All these things put on love that should read, which is the bond of perfectness. I used to wonder when I came to that verse, How can you exceed all of these other virtues that have been mentioned? But love goes even beyond.
Any of these things that have been mentioned, it goes beyond that. It's the attitude of the heart of love towards.
Everyone that we have to do with it was God's heart, wasn't it?
And it's only See here.
A contrast between Israel and ourselves.
I thought once in Romans 6 and here also in other places.
We've come, as it were, to the place like Israel when they got to Mount Sinai.
When they got there and God gave them the law.
To tell them what they were to do in the future.
But with us we come to this point now we are believers.
And now we want to walk as believers. And he doesn't give us a law to tell us what to do in the future. He calls us to look back.
Like in Romans 6, if you get to that point. And he says now look back and as many as were baptized were buried with Christ.
You and I, we come to this point today.
And we look back to see what has been done for us, about us, with us.
And that determines my walk.
And whenever it tells me you put on vowels of mercy, well.
Or am I going to? Am I going to produce that?
But I'm not.
Kindness.
And my walk for today is measured, as we've heard over and over by that which he has done for me.
Now brother in our meeting said one time something I thought was pretty concise, correct, he says.
00:55:03
The exhortations of scripture are checkpoints for the believer.
They are not laws.
God didn't make us better lawkeepers.
But when something bothers me, when something I have trouble forgiving someone, that's God checking up on me for my benefit.
And I need to go to him and say, Lord, I have trouble, I don't forgive him or Lord, I don't love that brother alone. I mean because he's detected something in me that God wants me to see and have it out with the Lord Jesus.
So I can go on in peace.
And that love that overrules is the next step. As our brother said, it's beyond those that is. It's not so much it's uncovered in me, something that's not kind, not merciful. But now there's an outgoing.
And his benefit in his behalf, All those things are left behind. All those things that could cause bitterness or anger or I would hold anything against anybody. But now he's over ruling it and flowing over that. He's overflowing it with that which is good for everyone going out in love to all of them.
So it's the the path of life that we have, and kindness is the is the basis of actions, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, not telling me exactly what to do.
But it's putting under my actions.
The character of Christ.
He's undergirding my actions.
With the character of Christ. Well, if I don't have that in a practical sense, I should have it based on what God has done for me.
I need to go to him about it. Otherwise I take these scriptures as law instead of promise. If I look at them as law, I got to come up with this mercy. I've got to come up with this kindness. And if I do, I'm just faking it. But if I see it as promised, no, that's what he he says I'm to be there for. I'm going to go to him because he'll put that. He'll give that to him. He'll fulfill his own word and putting off to me.
Is when you see it in yourself and I see it in me, and we do every day call it what it is.
Don't toy with it.
And putting on is when you recognize that it's not there, and that's what our brethren do for us. Many times they let us know it's not there. If he does something that upsets me, Vince said. Many times nothing will upset me unless it should.
And when it upsets me, I need to go to the Lord about it. And that then is a good detector. It weighs me spiritually, see practically where I am with the Lord, and that's what I see in these things. And if Christ is all and all, I just look up to him.
For the answer to these things.
That's the motive spring we had in the 13th verse forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, I believe the thought is there's strife resulting and that's the thing that really.
Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye now. That's it, you know. Paul in Philippians brings it out too. And a nicely chapter 2.
Again, verse one. Since there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, follows the mercy, same things we've been reading. Fulfill ye my joy. What would fulfill false joy when he's in prison? Pray that I get out. Of course not. No. Here it is that she be like minded having the same love.
One accord.
Of one mind and let nothing be done through strife or Vainglory. Vainglory is simply self. That's all it is self.
That's what causes strike, then, he says. But in low enough mind, let each I'll read the other translation. Esteem other as more excellent than themselves. Look, not every man on his own qualities, but every man also on the qualities of others. Now that's a big order.
01:00:07
You have to admit, but the next words tell you how. Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. Always the motive, always the faces of all our contacts. Let this mind be in you. Now can I think of the others as more excellent than myself? I ought to be able to. I know all about myself, sad to say, but I don't know about you, and I can think more accidentally of you than me.
And that's the thought. We can't put ourselves higher than our brethren. We have to confess what we are. But I don't know all about my brethren. I'm thankful I don't. I can think for Excellency of you than myself.
The Lord suffered from having done kindness, and so we as was pointed out, and so it's not wrong to be injured. But the Lord came to give, and so he treated others better than himself. He had nothing bad to think in himself. I believe that we see this in Philemon. Paul came to give and so David went. We were mentioning that the other day David went to an obedience to his father to minister his brethren, so he could seek to reach their reach their conscience and say, is there a cause?
And so we shouldn't ever lend something to somebody that we can't afford to lose. And that's often the course of strife is we're trying to re establish a situation. There's harm done in something, but if we go in good and blessing to our brethren, we may get hurt for it. But if we've done it as unto the Lord, then it's the Lord with whom we have to look.
How is divine love the bond of burpiness in the assembly?
You go to meeting brother and sister to show love. You don't go to find it. That is the bond of perfectness. It's like the little ditty. And I always use it for myself. I went into the world to find friends and I found none. But I went again to be a friend and I found friends everywhere. Fly that to love.
You go to a meeting, Don't expect to find it. The ones that left, they said there's no love there. Why? They were looking for it. They weren't giving it. You go to show love, you'll find it everywhere in your assembly.
Listen, he loves begets love.
First Peter, Chapter 4.
Patrick said the connection of charity is.
First Peter Corn, verse 80. And the Father among yourself for Cherokee shall cover the multitude of Spin.
Last part of that verse is that you have to do with having a forgiving spirit.
Better, Yes. We shouldn't find any pleasure in talking about it. If there is something, even in the assembly, that has to be dealt with, it's something that we ought to feel and say. I could have done that. I was just as bad as that person itself. Love covers the multitude. It's very sad when there has been something and everybody's talking about it and publishing it everywhere. The better we the more we can just deal with it according to the mind and will of God and destruction in His word.
And be done with it, the better. But if we go around and start and talk about it.
That is the spirit of love. We don't do that with our own children. If our children have faults, and they do, we don't like to talk about them. It isn't that we don't feel them, but we don't like to talk about them. Why? Because we love them. And so that should be our attitude with our brethren, shouldn't it? And in that way it covers them. But of course, having to do with God and having things settled according to the mind and will of God, that's maintaining the holiness of God's house, perhaps even the holiness of a family, so that there'd be order maintained in the family.
Or God's glory.
When Noah.
Got drunk.
After the flood.
One of his sons looked on his nakedness.
The other two went backward and covered it.
That's a good illustration of love covering a multitude of sins.
Children, you know better.
Young man, young woman, you know better the failures of your parents than anyone else.
01:05:05
Be a Shem and a Japheth that goes backwards and covers those.
Things that are unseemly, we all have them. Don't be like Ham that looked upon his father's nakedness brought a curse on his son Canaan.
It's a wonderful verse. Loud covers a multitude of sins, doesn't mean it weeks it winks at sin, doesn't mean that. But it doesn't expose it needlessly. And some of the most shameful things that have happened are things that have been put into writing, exposing.
Either real or fancied sins. I don't know whether they're real or not.
But even if they were.
That's not for us to do.
Matthew 18.
Teaches one thing very plainly, and that is when evil needs to be dealt with, it should be dealt with in the smallest possible circle.
And so somebody sends against you. You tried to restore him between you and yourself. If he does not accept that, take two others with him, with you. If he doesn't listen to them, tell it to the church. And that's not the church universally. That's what Mr. Grant taught and it smashed the grand fellowship to pieces. But it's the local church. You know what happened in the problems that we have experienced. This is one of the things that were done, you know, people.
Circulated things over the whole world.
Well, things are to be dealt with in the smallest possible circle, and that is what we can learn from Matthew 18. Apart from the fact that only the Lord's presence give authority for action in the assembly disciplinary action which we most of the time stress. And that's a good point. His presence gives authority to the Church to deal in his name with evil that comes up.
But we do not often enough mention that we learned that evil should be taken care of in the smallest possible circle. Otherwise we're doing the enemies work and we burdening every soul, even babes in Christ, with things that shamefully occur amongst the Saints. It's doing the devil's work. And no wonder people are scared that's doing Satan's work. Let's not do it, beloved. We can learn from this deal in a small as possible way. There's a principle monarchs that we ought to adapt always to avoid.
Gospel and malicious rumors, which is a terrible thing. Let everything be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses, and if it isn't that way, it's just a rumor. It's just gossip. And if only one says it, don't pass it on, It should be handled right in the assembly by two witnesses at least, and three better. And I believe it's a it's a way we should do things. But to end up on a nicer note, I just would like to go back to Ephesians.
Three, well Ephesians.
About four and justice. Read this.
Verse 30 grieves not the Holy Spirit of God. That's what happens, President. We don't have a forgiving spirit. That's what happens in assembly.
Whereby we are sealed under the day of redemption, Let all bitterness, wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, And being a kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ, I believe for cave you, or for Christ sake hath forgiven you same motive. And that ought to be the Spirit we have, brethren.
Otherwise.
We grieve the Holy Spirit of God and we can aggrieve him even in the breaking of breath. That's why it says let a man examine himself and so let him eat. You carry that grudge to the table and it does breathe the Spirit of God that can quench. Even if I just mentioned that. Make a short account. That's all that means by examining yourself. Keep a short account with God.
That's it.
01:10:09
1.
That was #1 in the appendix.
Gospel
Gospel—Michel Payette
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Could we open our meeting this evening by singing together #25?
Someone started for me please.
Life, that death, is very brief.
Right now.
You're on your way.
And your pride is just magnetic being in my mind.
I can explain to my.
Mother.
Like president of the clubs, care of faith. How are you being proud of the world? And you're right, the Salt Lake of us.
Look to the Lord in prayer.
Our God and our Father.
We do thank you this evening for.
The privilege of telling forth the good news of thy love, of Thy long-suffering over this guilty world, Thy desire to bless, to bring us into blessing each one. We thank the Father for this opportunity this evening to have this gospel meeting, to open my word together. And we seek Thy blessing. Father, we know that is the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross that has assured many of us.
Of our salvation, when it's the work of thy spirit and our souls. And we pray that thy spirit might be free to work this evening in this room.
00:05:05
We ask it, Father, with Thanksgiving, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for His honor and glory. Amen.
I'd like to read first of all three verses.
In the book of Proverbs.
Book of Proverbs, chapter 5.
And verse 7.
Hear me now therefore, O ye children.
And depart not from the words of my mouth.
Then another verse in Chapter 7.
Proverbs 7, verse 24.
Hearken unto me now, therefore.
All ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
And chapter 8.
Verse 32.
Now therefore, hearken unto me, O ye children.
For blessed, blessed are they that keep my ways.
Similar verses.
I have a common message.
Addressed to children. See the word there means sons.
And I believe it's addressed this evening to those that will be called the sons of men or the children of men.
Everyone of us in this room, we fit.
The description here before God as being children of men, sons of men. And God says, Hear me now therefore, O ye children.
You know that.
Of the senses. God has given us senses.
There is one sense.
That works before you're born, and that's a sense of hearing.
Little child in the mother's womb hears a loud noise and he'll be startled. His hearings already work. He can't smell, can't talk, but he can hear. Can't discern what he hears, but he can respond to a noise.
And you know the last sense.
That stops working. There's a sense of hearing.
Remember seeing a man who was in his 50s dying of cancer slowly going away.
This weakening every day to a point where he was so weak he couldn't move.
He was so weak, he couldn't wink, he could not move his eyelid, he was so weak.
But he could hear. But he could hear.
I remember speaking to that man. He knew the Lord Jesus, the one we want to talk to you about tonight.
And when I told him.
Within a few moments, he'd be in the presence of the Savior. I just saw a little slight movement in the corner of his lip. A smile. He didn't look worried. He looked peaceful, but he couldn't move. But he could still hear.
And you know, God says here.
Listen.
And I would wonder if there's anybody in this room tonight that's unqualified to listen.
Would the last person in the corner there, The last row, The last seat. Can you hear my voice? Raise your hand, please. Thank you. The other corner there, the far end corner. The last person. Would you kindly raise your hand? Thank you, Sir. Everybody can hear.
If you didn't want to fulfill verse seven of chapter 5, hear me now, therefore all your children.
And depart not from the words of my mouth.
You'd have to leave this room.
You're in this room, you can hear. We can go to the second verse, Proverbs Chapter 7. It says, There, hearken unto me now, therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
I remember a brother once in a meeting, he said something. He said during this meeting, if somebody walks up to me and asks me for the silver dollar, I'll give it to him. And somebody was paying attention. And during the meeting or at the end, I mean he walked up and he says, give me that silver dollar. And the brother gave him that silver dollar. He was listening to what was being said. And that's the next criterion in this room this evening is, are you listening and paying attention? Are you going to take in what we're going to say?
00:10:17
We trust with the help of the Spirit of God because if you're not listening, it's not going to be profitable for you.
And if you remember the last verse we read in Proverbs chapter 8.
Verse 32 Now therefore, Arkan unto me, O ye children, for blessed are they that keeps my ways. There's a promise of blessing. God has a blessing in store for you this evening if you listen, pay attention to His word, and respond.
I was reading an article this week. The Bank of Montreal, The bank in Canada.
Record profits $1 billion and 15,000,000.
$1 billion profit.
I've had a sheet of paper here.
And I said, if I was a arch billionaire, and I said, OK, I'm taking names down this evening. You attentive? I'm taking names down this evening of people to whom I would be willing to give a billion dollars. You're paying attention.
But what I have to offer from God this evening is worth way more than a billion dollars, and it's being offered to everyone in this room. We can hear my voice.
And if you don't have that blessing when you leave this room tonight?
Maybe it's because I'm going to have said it clearly enough. I asked God to help me to make it clear and plain. But if you don't have that blessing when you leave this room tonight.
You haven't paid attention.
Ask me again before you leave, I'll try and make it as plain as I can.
Or you won't respond to the message and say, oh, I don't want my name there. I don't want that blessing.
So I want you to be attentive, please. And you know the child in the womb, he can hear. We can't understand, but there are many children here. If you're old enough to hear my voice, you're old enough to understand a lot of the things we're going to be speaking about. So don't give up. Pay attention.
Now you know we sang about time.
We sang about time. You know this book here, the word of God, it tells us about time.
And I was thinking this week about time, you know, and time is something that kind of immaterial, but we'd like to define it this evening for each one of what's time, and we'll call it the period between this verse here we'll read in Genesis chapter one.
First book of the Bible, Genesis chapter one verse one. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said that there be light, and there was light, and God saw the light, that it was good. And God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. There's a beginning of time, the very first day, day one right here in the Bible, the beginning. God created the heavens and the earth. They won.
Now let's go to the Book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible.
Chapter 20 of Revelation. Chapter 20.
And the 11 verse will be coming back to this chapter a little bit later on.
Revelation 20, verse 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.
So there are the heavens and the earth disappear, no place for them. And I'd like to suggest to you tonight we're going to define this as time.
From the first day when the heaven and the earth were created, and the last day when they disappeared.
Now if I read my Bible correctly.
The space of time between this creation and the fact that they disappear.
In the Bible is approximately 7000 years.
7000 years.
You know, if you take a person.
That lives 70 years, 70 years.
Person lived 70 years, he died. And the day she died, somebody is born and they live 70 years and they die after 70 years. And when this one dies, somebody else is born. Well, they'd only take 100 people for the whole span of time. That includes the Millennium, only 100 people. Now, if you take the first section of this room there, the people sitting in that first section there, there's more than 100 seats just in that section.
00:15:11
That's all that's needed for that span of time. It's not very long. It seems like a big number, but 100 people isn't very much living 70 years. And that's the whole span of time from creation till the heavens and the earth disappear.
You might say, what's that got to do with me? Well, we live in time and we have days too.
You listen to Psalm 90 turned up Psalm 90.
Because we're not going to live 7000 years.
We don't have that much time.
Our span of time is much shorter.
We don't know how much time we have.
Psalm 90.
Verse 10.
Psalm 90, verse 10, The days of our years.
Our three score years and 10.
That's an old English way of saying 70.
Is that like that number we used before? 100 men living 70 years each. That's three score in 10 years.
And if by reason of strength they be 4 score years, that's 80.
80 years and you know the average age, woman's average age in Canada.
Is 77 years.
Right in between those two numbers 70 and 80. So some die before, some die after.
But that's the span of time. None of them live 150 years.
So there's a verse here and a twenty 90th Psalm, verse 12.
So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts.
And the wisdom.
Need to number our days?
Now, how would you feel if?
Somebody is 6 foot four and big fellow walked up to you and said your days are numbered.
I'd be worried.
But I can tell you God is telling us tonight our days are numbered.
Our days are numbered. We don't know how much time we have left, but he knows.
And he wants us to number our days.
2,500,000 days.
Two and a half million days, roughly 7000 years.
70 years 25,000 and some days that's all.
So pay a dollar a day, $25,000 not that much gone.
Finished.
Little time looks like a long time when you start it and say look forward. I'm young, many years before me. Well, all things being equal, maybe 70 years, maybe 80. All things being equal, if nothing happens before some die a lot younger than 70.
I saw a woman once who was 55.
Average age in Canada 77. She was 55. She died lung cancer from smoking.
Cigarette robbed or her of over 20 years of life. Had she not smoked, she might have gotten to 80 or 85.
Didn't know when she was going. It's gone now.
Remember seeing her in the hospital? Her minutes were numbered.
She was going to go, hardly anything left in her lung.
Trying to get some air because she was choking.
Told her about the love of the Lord Jesus wants to have her with him and my glory. I don't know when she crossed the eternity, whether she was saved or not.
If time goes on, everyone in this room here, we're going to pass into eternity.
Some of us are older, getting older. The Lord doesn't come. The days are fleeting. Why? We're going quickly by.
Because I pointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.
Is that all? No.
There's good news from God. There's a now in those verses and proverbs, it says there, listen to me now.
There's now there's blessing purpose from God to you this evening in this room.
00:20:00
Eternal blessing worth more than a billion dollars can be yours tonight.
You know it says in Jeremiah chapter 5.
The last verse.
Just like to use the end of the verse, thinking about our life and what will ye do.
In the end thereof.
How long is it going to last? We don't know. Maybe tomorrow some of us won't be here. I see roads coming down, I see roads going back.
Some of us get sick, we don't know what are you going to do in the end thereof?
You know, one day in my life.
I thought I was dying. I didn't know the Lord Jesus my Savior was working for the telephone company.
Leaving a little bit of stress when a nervous fellow.
I went for supper. I was working overtime. I had some soup and crackers there. I never have crackers, but.
How is eating the soup? And in the soup there was a wrapper, a piece of wrapper from the crackers.
And I didn't see it, picked it up in my spoon and I swallowed it. When I got it in my throat, it stuck there.
And I felt I was choking and a fellow always missed it.
Something in my soup.
And then I could get my voice back. Something arrived, I think it was a piece of wrapper in my soup. I showed up again. So I was getting weak and worried. And so let's go to the the bathroom and maybe you could throw up. And so I tried in the bathroom. And as time went by, I started feeling weaker and weaker and getting concerned about this choking up and.
Finally, she decided to get one of the security persons and by that time I was turning white.
And then they got me on a stretcher and they called the ambulance and I was going down all the time. And I remember in the ambulance, I was in the ambulance and then I and I could hear them say it's a heart attack.
Look at his face, it's got to be a heart attack. It's very comforting when you hear that.
Anyway, I was in the ambulance there and I was going. This is the impression I had. I couldn't move anymore. I could just barely talk and I can tell you I had no thought whatsoever towards God as to where I was going. My mind was set on things down here.
And all I could think I was I supposed to meet my wife at 9:00? I said to this fellow, tell my wife I won't be there.
I thought I was dying. What was I going to do in the end? Thereof? Nothing. I was going to crossover in eternity as a lost Sinner.
What are you going to do in the end thereof?
Don't wait, don't wait.
Remember seeing a man?
Was a story being acted out Anyway, he was dying. You know what the last thing he asked for when he was dying.
The same thing that killed that woman at 55, he asked for a cigarette.
Yeah, that puff and you die.
What are you going to do in the emirate? Death and judgment are before me.
That's what we had in the end. Is that what good news we have for you tonight, or the blessing God has for you tonight? No, He has a blessing to remove from you the judgment that you're heading towards.
There's only one way he can do that.
Read with me.
In Revelation chapter 20 where we read before.
We read verse 11. We'll read it over again.
And I saw the dead, small and great stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened.
Which is the Book of life?
And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.
I said at the beginning, if I was writing names down here for a billion dollars, maybe give me your name.
God is writing names tonight for eternal blessing.
00:25:00
But he wants you to know the consequence.
Of refusing, neglecting what he has for you tonight.
It says here before that great white throne, there's one sitting there. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
And before the face of this one sitting on that white throne, heaven and earth disappeared.
The one sitting on the throne is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
And says there were books opened.
And if I had died those years ago when I was still unsaved, didn't know the Lord Jesus.
I would stand at this judgment, seat of Christ, and I don't know how the books were made-up here.
But I was thinking of a book, you know, long shelf of books and there it says on the book.
The life and works of Michel Bayet.
The life and works of Michel, they recorded everything I've done and thought things I've forgotten about, all recorded there. And God would judge me according to the works that I've done, not what you've done, what I've done.
And you know what the outcome would be.
The Lake of Fire.
I'm so glad, I'm so thankful my name is in the book of Life and tonight God is taking names and writing them now in the Book of Life. Would you like to have your name tonight written in the Book of Life?
Or would you rather have him look at that book on the shelf, the life and works of not Michel Payette, but put your name there? Every thought, everything you've done, ever, ever, ever. Everything there. Nothing missing.
Well, tonight.
Through God's grace, we'd like to show you from God's Word.
Ah, you can have your name written there. Turn with me now to the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17.
Verse 30.
Speaks of people there that were ignorant of the true God but says here and the times of this ignorance God winked at but now.
Commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
That's all children of men, if you like boys and girls, moms and dads, young girls, young men.
All, and not just in Canada, in every place. And when that he does, he say that it says God commands it.
Now, right now, 1996, I think it's November 29th. Is it Seven o'clock 730? God commands everywhere now meant to repent.
You say?
Repent from what?
I can't say for you. I can say for me.
And my sins.
You know when Cain slew his brother Abel? God asked Cain.
A question, he said. What hast thou done?
What hast thou done? Didn't God know what Cain had done?
Course he did was written in the book.
If Cain would have thought of the questions, what have I done?
Last Repentance.
Seeing your sin as God sees it, what have you done?
I don't know, but God knows and God says that you sin.
God says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
And if it wasn't for the good news, the promised blessing of God that you can get tonight, we'd all be standing before that great white throne and all those books.
Being open, we'd all end up in the lake of fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. But God wants you with him in heaven.
And happiness. But you have to repent.
You have to realize that you're lost and you're guilty before God, that you've done what's wrong.
You've disobeyed God. You've done your own will, you've told a lie, you've cheated. Perhaps you've stolen. Perhaps you've been mad at somebody and you've hit them. I don't know. God knows. But God says that you've sinned.
I want you to read with me in Matthew's Gospel chapter 27.
Because there's another seat of judgment there, like that one in Revelation chapter 20. The Lord Jesus is sitting on a throne and heaven and earth have disappeared and everybody's there. Not everybody, I should say, but a lot of people are there, raised from the dead, just standing there in mid air or no air either, just in space before the Lord Jesus, held there by his power. And he's going to look their life over and he's going to have to cast them away forever.
00:30:10
But in Matthew 27, there's another man here judging and from the 19th verse.
This is Pilot.
When he was set down on the judgment seat.
His wife sent unto him, saying, Hath done nothing to do with that just man.
Verse 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
And the governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said the Rabbis.
Here are two questions. Actually there's three, Pilate said unto them. What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ?
They all let him be crucified.
And the governor said why?
Why?
What evil hath he done?
The Lord Jesus.
Never sinned. He could not sin. There was number sin in him, even a thief right beside him. He said this man that does nothing amiss never did anything wrong. What evil had he done?
None.
What evil have you done?
You can't say none.
Why?
Why the Son of God?
He was in the ship with the disciples and it was a storm and he said peace be still, storm stopped.
Lazarus was there in the grave. Four days dead stank already. Lazarus come forth. Rosen from the dead.
They came to get the Lord Jesus in the garden with swords in heaven. He said, Whom seek ye. And they said, Jesus Nazareth, I am ye, I'm he.
And when he said that they all fell backwards, could have just left, he stayed there. Why?
Do you want to know why?
For you.
Because he loves you, that's why. The Son of God who loved you.
And gave himself for you. You know him.
For this evening, my friend.
You're lost and guilty. You're going to stand before God unless you receive the free gift of God.
Through faith in the Lord Jesus.
You need to know you're a Sinner because Christ died for sinners didn't come to die for justice. People, people always done right. No, the Pharisees thought that way. They were all good. Everybody else is bad.
Bible says there's no righteous one. No, just one, not one.
Robert.
And that's why the Son of God, he let wicked men take him and heard him and nail his hands and his feet on the cross, and he was lifted up between heaven and earth. And then when he was on the cross, earth wouldn't have him, and the heavens were close to him. He was forsaken on the cross.
Why?
For me.
That's why I'm here tonight.
Because the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me and for many here in this room. And we would pray that you would know tonight that He did it for you and that you'll have Him as your own personal Savior tonight.
You know, they asked the question, Pilot asked the question.
What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? And they said crucified?
Away with Him, crucify him.
What will you do tonight with Jesus, which is called a Christ?
Dial 1.
Tomorrow I'm too young. I've got many, many days before me. You don't.
None of us might be here very long, the Lord Jesus coming back.
And when the books are going to be opened.
Maybe God will ask you why.
Why didn't you?
Were you listening? Were you being attentive?
Did you accept the fact that you were a Sinner?
Just believe it. God says it. It's true.
Say, Lord Jesus, I want you as my savior. Save me tonight. I want my name in her book. I don't want to be judged. I don't want a lake of fire.
00:35:08
No, God says he doesn't watch in the lake of fire. He wants you in heaven. He wants to bring many sons to glory. He loves you.
But he hates sin. The problem isn't God, it's not you. It's sin. He loves you, but he hates sin, and he cannot take you into heaven.
Without having your sins washed away. And that's why the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross is so precious. Look at verse in First Corinthians.
First Corinthians.
Wow, wow.
Verse 18, Chapter one.
First Corinthians, chapter one, verse 18.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.
But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.
If the Lord Jesus hadn't gone to that cross, what he done? None.
But he didn't go to that cross. God couldn't bring you or me in heaven.
And we would all stand before that white throne and be judged for our sins.
And be castaway from God.
God so loved the world, so loved you, that he gave his only begotten Son. He didn't send angels, His only begotten Son.
And how did we treat his son? Could we have treated him worse?
Spit in his face, hit him with our fists, hit him with sticks.
Nailed him to the cross and then when he was there hanging on the cross.
And he sympathy from our hearts.
We mocked him. If thou be the Son of God, come down, save thyself.
And us.
It's all going to be reckoned by God. It's all going to be brought to light. It's all going to be judged.
What shall you do in the end thereof?
It tells us in the book of Romans.
That all the world is going to be guilty before God.
And every mouth stopped.
Perhaps you do something wrong. You're a child and you've been bad. You say, Oh my little brother, he did this. It's not my fault. Looks like Adam and Eve said no, it's not me, it's a serpent.
Passing the responsibility around, trying to explain ourselves rather than saying what have I done? I've done it wrong, I've said.
But when we stand before the Great White Throne, no explanations.
No advocate nobody to plead your cause before God. It's all written in the book.
Nothing to be debated, no facts to say. Well, is that fact exact? God knows everything, everything about you in all the details. Nothing escapes Him. And when you read the account?
You won't have anything to say.
And in all your mouth is going to be used for is weeping, wailing the national king.
My friends, it's serious.
We go back to our verse in Proverbs.
Get the last.
Proverbs chapter 8, the last one we read.
Verse 32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, for blessed are they that keep my ways.
How can I be blessed? How can I receive more than a billion dollars tonight By receiving the free gift of God.
Through faith in the Lord Jesus.
Romans, chapter 6.
Verse 23.
For the wages of sin is death.
But the gift of God.
Is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord?
Tonight.
What will you do then with Jesus, which is called a Christ? Are you going to leave this room tonight? Say I'm going to think about it?
00:40:09
And if you never think about it again, you never hear the gospel again.
What are you going to say before the Great White Throne?
Why?
Don't put it off.
Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf. You'll watch a leaf fall.
The book of James, it says our life is but a vapor that appears for a little time.
Or perhaps you've seen these boys and girls that maybe a bowl of soup, a hot bowl of soup and you see so hot you can see the vapors. There have been try and lay hold of the vapors.
You watch it in there, it doesn't last very long. It's gone.
And pretty soon, everyone of us, we're going to be looking at our life and say that didn't last very long, did it? It's gone, it's over.
So, my friend, tonight you can take the most important decision in your life that's going to affect your life down here. How long it's going to be, I don't know, but it's going to affect your life down here. You're going to be happy down here and you're going to be happy forever with the Lord Jesus in heaven, the promise of God's blessing, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Perhaps you say, I know all that. I've heard that many times from maybe mom and dad and others around. And I really want, I really want to be sure. I really want to be sure. Well, you know, perhaps you've already, I'm sure you've all received one day. You've received a gift.
Receive a gift.
That's enjoyable, receiving a gift, a nice gift, maybe a doll or a truck, something nice.
You know a gift. How does it become yours?
How do you have a gift if I if I brought a truck to one of the young boys here and I said, here's a truck, where's a gift for you? And, and I walked back and be 20 minutes, they say, hey, who's this truck? It's yours, Sir.
Well, I thought I gave it to you. Well, I'm not sure it's mine. Is it really mine had that experience one in once in Benin. They liked these little wallet calendars. I gave a man a wallet calendar and another man at wallet calendar and gave wallet calendars around and we got talking about the Lord Jesus and the free gift of God, free salvation of our souls, our sins washed in the precious blood of Christ. And he said, oh.
But you've got to do this and you've got to do that and.
And I said, well, when you receive a gift, what does a gift belong to?
I said, yeah, well, but you know, objections and maybe so I told the first fellow. I said that calendar you just put in your pocket.
Who it belonged to? He said me, pointing to me. He says it belongs to you. You give it back. He gave me back to calendar. I put it back in my pocket. So I went to the other fellow. I said that pop that calendar in your pocket. Who does it belong to? He said me.
Simple, it's mine. The Lord Jesus came in the world to save sinners. He saved me because I received the gift of God.
And believing on the Lord Jesus, God offers to all the boys and girls tonight and adults to to be his sons and daughters through faith in the Lord Jesus. If you believe in your heart and the Lord Jesus, God will forgive your sins and make your sons and daughters. You want that to be yours. You just say it's mine. Lord Jesus, I want you as my Savior. Talk to adults sometimes. I want you to read one more verse before I close John's Gospel chapter 6.
He is the Lord Jesus speaking, the Son of God, God manifest in flesh.
He says in John chapter 6.
Verily Verily. Verse 47. Verily, Verily.
Truly, truly, I say unto you, he that believeth on me.
Hath everlasting life.
I was talking about trucks and dolls to kids but spoken to many adults. They believed the Lord Jesus died on the cross for them.
And he really believed that he was raised from the dead. He's at the right hand of God.
And I have them read this verse. The Lord says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, declares that those that believe on Him have.
Everlasting life and you, I asked them. But many times, I'm sure many here have done that. Do you have everlasting life? These are mature adults, they say. I hope.
I hope.
00:45:01
I hope I have it. I hope I'm going to have it. I hope God will.
There's no hope here.
He has.
I can tell you tonight, by God's authority, His word, I have everlasting life. Why? Because I have put my trust in the Lord Jesus. I was a guilty and lost Sinner on my way to hell. And the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, who never did anything wrong, He went to the cross. Why for me? Because He loves me. Why for you? Because He loves you. Do you have everlasting life tonight? But receive him as your Savior. Believe the word of God.
And you can say with many of us tonight, I have everlasting life. Thank you Lord Jesus.
I'd like to have another hymn here.
#36.
So we've spoken about the Lord Jesus.
And the reason why he was delivered up for our offenses, the reason why he went to the cross.
For everyone in this room, that's why. Because he loves you.
And I trust with the word of God that you've heard tonight that you can have your name written.
00:50:06
In the book of life.
Can God write your name in tonight?
My name's there. Is your name there? Would you have your name there tonight?
And if not, may I ask you why not tonight?
Why not tonight?
Because I've been tell you if it's not tonight.
It might be never.
Let's pray.
Our God and our Father, we thank thee for thy love again, for the gift of thy Son the Lord Jesus, for that work on the cross, that perfect work to save sinners.
To save hell, deserving sinners like me.
Like us, we thank Thee, Father, for loving us so much, and we thank Thee, Lord Jesus, for coming down.
And for letting wicked men hurt thee and spit upon thee.
And mark thee in thy time of agony and to thank our God and our Father that thou didst punish him for the evils that we have done, for the things that we have done because he hadn't done anything wrong. We thank you for this Father. We thank you for the peace, the joy that we have in knowing him as our Savior, having thee as our Father. And we would pray to thee, Father, tonight for any in this room, boy or a girl or older one, who still.
As in said, Lord Jesus save me, we pray tonight they would come to thee Lord Jesus and enjoy.
Thy work for them receive Thee as their own personal Savior, having their sins washed and Thy most precious blood. We thank Thee for Thy patience. Our God, we thank Thee for the opportunity this evening to preach the gospel. We know we do it in weakness. We count on the working of Thy spirit and souls. We thank Thee for Thy word, for the good news, and for Thy beloved Son. And we ask Thy blessing what's been said, what was from Thee. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Father, Amen.
Nothing but Christ
Address—Bill Warr
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.
Some brother would start that please.
There is the sport, that's why it's all until God's name.
Every day.
It was blood.
Oh, there it is.
Lord.
Hello.
I've been lucky.
I love you and me. I can't believe.
Lord, we believe thou hast prepared.
Unworthy though we be.
For us the blood bought free reward and harps of minstrel see.
Strong and tuned for endless years and formed by power divine.
The sound in God, the Father's ears.
No other name but thine. Let's pray.
Our God and Father, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Before thee.
We are here together.
We individually are.
Here together.
Before thee and thou dost know each one of us to the bottom of our being.
And thou dost love each one of us.
We just would present ourselves before thee according to Thy thoughts of us in Christ Jesus.
And expect a blessing.
We do desire to sound.
God the Father is here none other name but the Lord Jesus Christ, so may it be true.
May that be true of us and this time together.
The name of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Amen.
Like to read in.
Ephesians chapter 3.
For this 'cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.
If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which has given me to you word, how that by revelation he has.
He made known unto me the mystery as I wrote a four and few words, whereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the midst of Christ.
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
Whereabouts made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God-given unto me.
00:10:03
By the effectual working of his power, and to me, whom less than the least of All Saints is this grace given.
That I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath 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 known by the Church. The manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this 'cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. That ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with All Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask, or think according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
I want to.
Use a few expressions in this chapter.
The one I want to bring before us is.
For each individual believer.
And I was struck this morning by our brother who.
Spoke of how God individualized a man named Aiken.
And I would seek that he would individualize.
Each one of us.
And not as Aiken for judgment, but for blessing.
And I know we are gathered on the ground of the truth of the one body my brother mentioned this morning, that in the loaf.
We see all believers, the one body and that loaf but is also true and I think we've had before us in the readings.
The individual believer, because we've had before us life.
And each believer has life from God.
And each believer lives in that life that God has given him.
And additionally, the Spirit of God comes to those who believe the gospel of our salvation.
And dwells there to make good.
All that that life desires.
Now I want to speak just a moment about life, because I'd like to distinguish it from the Spirit of God. It is a gift of the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God is God himself.
I'd like to just refer to umm 1 John chapter one for a verse well known.
Verse 21 John 1/2.
The life was manifested.
We've seen it bear witness and show unto you that eternal life.
Which was with the Father, was manifested to us. Now that's the life.
That we as believers have that eternal life which was with the Father.
And was shown to us.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, of course.
Now I like to distinguish life.
With a little illustration.
I think of Adam who was created.
And five minutes later, Adam.
Had a whole base of knowledge, never learned it.
It was given to him. It was created in the life he had. He knew what death was. God said you'll die if you eat. Of that, he knew that was not a moot statement. He knew what death was. He knew what love was. He could love his wife. He could name all animals. He could walk. He could move. He never learned to walk.
00:15:08
He knew how to walk.
He had life apart from experience.
And that's how I envisioned the gift of life, the day God gave us life. We have a life that's apart from experience.
Each believer has it.
And if you want to know what it is and what it looks like, you have to look off unto Jesus.
To know what it's like.
It's that life that was with the Father.
It's the Son of God who has come down. It's that life that has all its desires.
Back there.
Where it came from?
Now.
I want to use another illustration. I won't turn to the verse, it's well known passage.
The way I we have sought to use illustrations to understand and to explain some of the statements of scripture.
Think of the time when the Lord Jesus stood outside the tomb of Lazarus.
And he didn't go in the tomb. His word went in there.
And he stood outside so everybody could see that it was the power of his word. He could have gone and touched him.
But he wanted all to see that it was his word that did it.
And so he stood outside the tomb, and his word went in the tomb.
And he said, Lazarus come forth.
Now let's suppose that he had said Lazarus.
Wake up.
What would he have done?
He would have awakened.
But suppose he had said Lazarus stand up.
He would have stood up, but he wouldn't have come out.
I'm only one to illustrate this.
That what we have is totally what the Word of God brings us.
Now I use that illustration with Lazarus in my own understanding to distinguish the Old Testament Saints.
From us.
It is as it were. He had not told at all. He had not said the whole thing. The Son of God had not come, that life which was with the Father, had not come down yet, and not had gone by way of the cross back up there to give us.
Access to the father.
And So what they had, it was totally according to this word of God that came to them.
Just like in the illustration thinking of Lazarus.
Now I want to I don't want to use that to #1 individualize us.
And to.
Protect us from the thought that we can walk as patriarchs.
Abraham was called out to walk alone as a patriarch, and you and I are not. We are called to walk as members of one body.
But God singles us out. He loves each one of us individually.
And it's like he would bring a can out in front of the whole thing. God has each one of us individually in his thoughts and in his heart.
But he has us there for blessing.
And with blessing responsibility.
Now, as we read in Ephesians 3, I preface the chapter with these thoughts because I want to individualize us and have us look at this chapter as individuals before the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first thing is, the apostle says.
If.
If.
If you have heard.
We here as individuals.
And he says up front if.
You have heard there is something new on Earth.
As the grace.
The disposition, the dispensation of the grace of God.
This day in which we live down in verse.
10 To the intent that now there is a now.
And each of us individually have been brought.
To a revelation of God.
00:20:01
That has no less measure than the person of his Son, and all the glory in which he sits upon high.
Now Abraham couldn't say that.
David couldn't say that. Moses couldn't say that.
You and I can.
Another thing I'd like to say because I.
I catch myself with a bad habit of saying you.
When I should say us?
But I wish you'd take it like this. The Bible says speak as the oracles of God, and at least would assume that position of speaking by the articles of God. How feebly I do it, you will see. But when I say you, I mean you meaning me as oh God, we're talking to each one of us because every one of us are just alike. Seated or standing, we're all alike.
Now I want to talk about.
Glory. Just a moment about glory.
In the end of this chapter, we are brought to.
The Lord Jesus in glory.
And I want to assure you and me.
That this day.
Has its echo, its reflection and glory.
And our life down here.
We don't just walk away from it.
Now this day in which we are sitting today, will have its.
Completion is fulfillment at the feet of Jesus.
And he individualizes us for this.
I want to read two or three verses. The 1St is to add to our thinking that.
Rewards.
Rewards, we generally say and properly so I guess rewards are millennial in character. I want to read you of one that is not.
It's Hebrews chapter 12.
And verse 2.
We see the Lord Jesus himself.
Looking unto Jesus.
The author Finish your faith.
Who for the joy that was set before him?
Endured the cross, despising the shame, has set down the right hand of the throne of God.
Oh, there's a reward that will go far, far, far, far beyond anything that's millennial.
So we want to individualize each of us and see that each one of us will stand in His presence.
And that our path here will have its echo, its reflection there.
Let's look at another verse that tells the same thing, Two Corinthians chapter 4.
Verse 17.
4 hour light affliction.
Which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal.
Way to Glory. Not limited to the millennial scene, it has a reflection. Eternal weight of glory.
And just one more in John's Gospel.
Chapter 12.
And verse 25.
Linking this life.
Maybe that it seems routine at times, and maybe even boring and maybe even burdensome.
But for a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It ends in glory, glory, glory with the Lord Jesus.
He that loveth his life.
She'll lose it.
He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it.
Unto life eternal.
You know, this verse has searched me a little time to time.
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Hated his life in this world.
Have I seen the Lord Jesus Christ?
To be so much to my poor soul.
That I hate anything that would come in to dampen my joy in him and his joy in me. That's what the verse is saying.
He that hateth his life, self, judgment, repentance.
Let me away from this. Get Me Out of here. Let me I want to be free of this.
You keep it.
And to life eternal.
Now the Lord Jesus, when he came here, let me go back to.
Our Ephesians 3, but I want to use another illustration, if I might.
I think of Mary.
The mother of the Lord.
You know, I was struck by a comment of one of the early writers in.
The end of John's Gospel when the Lord looks and says.
Behold thy mother.
And there, the writer commented, that was love he had for his mother.
He had natural love.
Love for his mother, he was concerned for her welfare.
You know, in glory today, she's not his mother.
But she's still Mary.
She's merry. You think he's forgotten those times when she took care of him? He was here. He grew up in that home and the care she showed for him and taking care of him and watching, you think he's forgotten that?
Oh no.
What a joy it must be to him to have Mary there with him.
You see individually.
Individually, he wants to take you in his arms and show you how much he appreciates every little thing or every little thought that you and I ever had for him.
And he'll do that individually.
Sometimes we may think of ourselves as kind of absorbed in a in a mass, or in a meeting, or in a group.
He doesn't absorb us.
He loves us each and everyone.
And he's going to have us each and everyone and love us individually.
In glory forever and ever.
Well here in this.
Ephesians chapter 3.
I was just thinking of a few thoughts that find a basis here in this chapter and the first one was to say if you have heard.
Because it isn't the fact that you're sitting in this place to hear.
And I say you again, that's my it's, He would say to all of us, the Lord would say, I believe. It isn't the fact that you're sitting here in this place that means you've heard.
Ephesians, the Ephesian assembly was a very blessed assembly.
On a high level of walk and he could unfold many things to them that he couldn't say to other assemblies. But then he has to add this.
If you've heard.
And you know, I I don't want to lay a burden on anybody, or I would, but I would just like to give you the the solution to the burden. Tell the Lord about it.
Tell the Lord about and say you know Lord Jesus.
I don't know if I've heard What is it I should hear tell him about it, because not only was he our savior.
As we heard this morning, the burnt offering. But He is everything. Christ is everything.
And he is walking with us. He would not leave us for a moment. And he wants to be that Good Shepherd.
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So that you and I could say with David the Psalmist, I shall not lack or want.
You know as we go along down in some of the places and.
Kind of a habit that we'll do, we'll say to somebody sitting there, I want to quote half a verse and you quote the rest of it. And of course they're a little scared. They don't know what we're going to do and.
And say, OK, OK, say I'll say The Lord is my shepherd. Of course everybody knows the rest of that, but do we believe it?
I shall not want.
What a joy it is to hear those words I shall not want.
Well, that's what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so he would say here I Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Nothing could bring his heart down from that high and exalted position of belonging to Jesus Christ. You let the whole Roman army and all the Jewish nation, everybody against him for him one bit, he says, prisoner of Jesus Christ.
What a joy it is.
Free your prisoner.
Rich or poor, problems or joys or whatever life may bring to just stand before Jesus Christ and say I am prisoner of Jesus Christ.
I want to look at a.
Verse. I believe it's in Matthew 20.
Verse 32 and 33.
These are two blind men as you know, and.
They are there by the wayside and.
Their calling?
The Lord Jesus.
Verse 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
And they said to him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
You know, I read this verse and I said what a joy it would be for them.
Had they just continued a little more and said?
That I may see thee.
That our eyes may be open, that we may see thee.
Just to bring before our souls.
The thought.
That is he what I wanted to see. If he were to ask me today, what would you that I shall do for you? Oh, just I want to see.
Or will I say, Lord, I want to see thee?
Again, I would say.
Christ is everything.
We are learning that.
But he is everything, whether I learn it or not.
But I can commend him as everything.
Now in our chapter in Ephesians.
We read of things there I think three times. We Ephesians 3, we exceed.
Our knowledge. It's the love of Christ that passes knowledge, the unsearchable riches of Christ.
And he that does in US far more abundantly than we can ask or think.
And So what?
I see in those expressions.
I see a man in glory.
Who has unsearchable riches?
And I see a man in glory who has unsearchable riches, who loves me.
With the love that passes my understanding.
But not just that.
I know God who does things in me, in me.
Far more abundantly.
Exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think.
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Singled out for blessing.
Individualized, singled out.
Ephesians 3.
Verse 8.
Unto me, one person.
Who am less than the least?
Of All Saints.
You know, as I read this, I think of a portion in the word of God where the Lord Jesus.
Was seated.
And his disciples were in his presence.
And he said something to them and they never they didn't doubt what he said.
He said. One of you.
Is going to betray me.
And you know.
How do our hearts? How would our hearts respond right this moment?
If he said one of you has sinned.
Well, in his presence.
They, each one said. Is it I?
They weren't looking across the room saying, oh, I bet I know who it is.
Hear the apostle, he says. I am less.
Than the least of All Saints.
All beloved.
I've never said that to myself.
And I don't know who has.
Other than this man, by the Spirit of God.
But I want to tell you and me us.
That's what I ought to say.
And if I don't truly say that from the bottom of my heart?
Is it I?
Less than the least of All Saints. It's because I haven't had a clear enough view of that man in glory who loves me so.
That I have said, Lord, I want to see, but I didn't say I want to see thee.
And here's a man who had been caught up to the 3rd heaven.
Here's a man who suffered many years, for Christ's sake.
With mistakes. We all know how he got in chains.
He is a man who could stand before his Lord Jesus Christ.
And could begin to tell, but he gets up to where you talk about the riches of the man in glory that he earned on Calvary's tree, and he has to stop.
And say unsearchable.
Because it's like 2 Corinthians chapter 12 when he says when he was caught up to the 3rd heaven, he says well.
There's no way that I can express it down here.
It belongs to another world. It belongs to another creation.
The glories and beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So we use an expression unsearchable riches of Christ.
You know, I was curious about.
These statements in the Word of God that take the glories of Christ out beyond us.
I think of Indiana Acts chapter one when the disciples were there and the Lord who loved them and whom they loved.
Was ascending, He was just taken away and they watched him up so far.
And they saw him go beyond sight.
That's the way it is, I think, with our practical, everyday experience.
That we can judge we enjoy the Lord Jesus.
And yet, we know there's far, far more that's unsearchable.
And I was concerned. I was interested. I said well.
Far as man searched.
To find out what's unsearchable.
And I looked in the encyclopedia and I found that I was trying to say well space would be the largest measure. I would assume that they measured anything.
And so I found out that the farthest object and this is two or three years ago and so I'm not sure if they what they found by now they found an object.
That was 12 billion light years.
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Away.
And I say, well, what's a light year? I looked up and it's something like 5 trillion miles, 6 trillion miles. And they found these things they call quasars and 12 billion light years away. And as far as they could tell, it's moving in the other direction.
But you see anything you can measure?
Is not eternal. If it has a measure, it's not eternal.
What's the life that you have?
Eternal life.
Eternal life, You have it.
You have it. You want to know what it looks like? I repeat, Look off unto Jesus. That's where you'll see it. That life which was with the Father has been manifested to us.
And He gave us that eternal life.
So unsearchable.
Is that which we would see in a person.
And we could see the person and know the person.
Knowing that there are unsearchable things in that person.
Then what is?
What is my relationship with this person?
Who is far, far more than I could ever grasp. He loves me.
And to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.
I know that person loves me.
And he's given me a life.
That loves him.
Now I would think of that in verse.
Of our chapter and verse.
17 and 1819 To share what I enjoyed, one of the writers wrote about these verses.
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.
I mean, he doesn't. Doesn't he live there? Well, Romans tells us that if Christ be in you and that's.
True of those of us who understand what the gospel is, I would assume.
That he may dwell.
That he'd find his home there. That he would be at home.
In our hearts by faith, being rooted and ground in love may be able to comprehend.
With All Saints.
The life I have from him loves All Saints.
It goes to life. It's his life. So he could say love one another as I have loved you.
And gave us the life.
That has that love with All Saints, with the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.
One of the writers.
Said this about these few words.
The Lord Jesus.
Seen here and he has his own with him.
He has us all there with him.
And he puts his arms out and embraces all of us together with All Saints.
And in the joy of the one who paid the price.
He says.
Look what's yours. Look what's yours. I want to give you this.
In fact, standing on the edge of a Cliff and looking out across and as far as we can see.
They are the wonders of his glory.
With All Saints to be able to comprehend breadth, length, depth and height.
But no measure.
Again, I say, whatever can be measured has not yet reached into eternity.
The unsearchable riches.
Of Christ.
I'd like to look along that line with John 17. I think a verse was referred to earlier.
O verse three will pick it up.
This is life eternal.
That they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
I have glorified thee on the earth.
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I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, and now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self.
With the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
First of all I would like to say that.
The father gave him the work to do.
Here in his love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son.
The Father gave him the work as a man. He came down and glorified God. This this expression takes in the cross John's Gospel is setting before us God the Son who is here on earth, and he's not limited by time and sequence.
He speaks well. It's been brought out in before. We've been taught that in chapter seven he says. Come unto me and I'll give you a drink of water that will become a well of water.
He couldn't have given it that day.
He was speaking about the day of Pentecost.
He was taking in the whole. He was taking all he was going to do when he spoke. He's God, He's above dispensation, He's above sequence of time in this book.
And so when he says here.
I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, he includes.
Those last three hours of his life.
In which?
Darkness had just to enclose it.
God had to enclose it in darkness because no creature could. Ever.
Understand what went on there.
And we've sought to.
Illustrate.
That'll in some way.
Looked like 3 hours on the clock.
You shut it all in in darkness.
And in the darkness.
An eternal work was done, I repeat, if it can be measured.
It's not eternal.
But eternity, as it were, opened out the door, and all eternity.
Poured in in those three hours of darkness.
And judgment fell on his head.
That met all the requirements of eternity.
Unsearchable.
And we've said time and time again, and it's been repeated. I'm sure I'm repeating someone else when I say it. If God had thrown everybody in the lake of fire, they'd have been there forever and never put the fire out.
But the fire was put out for you and me in 3 hours.
What suffering? We have no idea. All we know is we stand in the darkness.
And we hear that's what he did.
Conversely.
Well, I might say if he had created another million creations, a million times larger than thrown all of us in the lake apart never would have exhausted that part.
Lake of fire as God's thought of sin.
Never diminishes.
On the other side, just to balance it off, it says in the Book of Ephesians that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his kindness.
Have eaten rich of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ, if He had blessed everybody.
Fullness of blessing in Christ. He never would have emptied his own heart.
The only opportunity God had.
To reveal himself wasn't 3 hours of darkness he gave his son. That's all he could give.
He never could tell how much he hates sin apart from that three hours.
He had the opportunity to pour it all out.
And he told all all to know thee, the only true God.
Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent.
And that's where you and I are brought.
To stand in the presence of this one.
Who was there on Calvary's cross?
Because see, I finished the work.
Then, based on that finished work, that man says I want eternal glory.
Father sent him.
He did the work.
And now he's asking a request, making a request with claim.
That none other would ever dream of making.
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Glory which I had with thee before the world was eternal glory.
That's the one that's the unsearchable riches of Christ and as you and I are in His presence.
Just a little glimpse of a thought passing through our hearts as to who he is and what he's done.
Would bring us down just at his feet.
You know he wouldn't have us there. We see in the word, don't we, where he picks up John.
Stand up.
That's how much he loves us. He wouldn't have us to feel uncomfortable in his presence. He wants to love us.
And he wants our love for him.
And that's what we see in this.
Gospel of John. It's God who is present here.
And it's so easy that we forget.
By the routine of life.
And that we try to go through our days just fulfilling a day as though it really just a day.
Without seeing.
That that day is going to be an eternity.
The days we've walked down here, you haven't left them behind.
They will be with him when you get there.
I have think of it this way. On the street you give out a gospel tract.
You know, you don't really know what happened. That kind of gave it out and was gone. He'll tell you what happened to it.
To tell you what happened to it.
You'll finish that gift of a gospel tract in his presence.
Last night you prayed. I don't know what you prayed about. I prayed. You don't know what I prayed about. He does.
You get home the glory. I look at it this way, he's going to say, well, now let me tell you what I did. You were praying for so and so. And let me tell you what I did.
ETC.
Is the illustration enough to make us see that every hour of every day we live on this scene is a gift of God that has the eternal?
Echoes results.
We should appreciate every day and I know there's some going through, some terrible problems, some problems that, you know, just shock us to silence as we hear of the sufferings of some.
Yet I don't claim to understand what I say. There is one in control who loves them with a love that is eternal, and he's going to take those particular ones into his arms.
Those light afflictions work for them an eternal weight of glory, and I'm not going through that particular affliction so that eternal weight of glory won't be mine, it'll be theirs. They're going through that.
Communion.
Our chapter in Colossians 3.
Speaks of life.
And speaks of what I think would be communion with Christ.
For the development of that life.
And as it is communion and developed.
In that communion, that life finds its development.
It issues Forth in a proper Christian walk.
Well, first of all let me look at Revelation chapter one. I want to come back to John but to to illustrate.
See if I can bring out my Thought Revelation chapter one.
In verse one.
Revelation. I ought to believe the word thee is not in the new translation, Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.
And I look at this.
Knowing that the arrangement of the books in the New Testament are all divinely ordered.
It's coming right after Jude.
And in Jude we have a survey of gods from God's point of view of Christendom.
A great house.
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And right following that.
We find that God gave to Jesus Christ.
Something and I connect that with.
Isaiah 49.
When he says.
I have spent my strength for naughty the Jews. He came down to save them and they rejected him. And he says I have labored, I have spent my strength for naughty. And he says, well, I'll give you the Gentiles. You'll have the Gentiles be a light to the Gentiles.
Now that the church is set up and the gospel is preached to the Gentiles believed on in the world, Now the church is in in ruin is falling Jude. Now what does he get? A revelation. He gets a revelation to give to his own, to encourage him and instruct them in the interim until he comes for him.
Things which must shortly come to pass.
Now I look at this.
As something the Lord Jesus gets as a gift, he's seen here that man revelation of Jesus which God gave him. It's not the revelation of of him, but it's a revelation that God gave him to pass along to you and me, to encourage us and to show us, to throw our thoughts forward to that time when he is coming back, he's going to take over down here. He's going to impose his will out here on the street the day of the Lord.
Now with that in mind, I want to go back to John 17.
Verse there where he gets another. I won't say Revelation seek revelations plural.
Verse 8.
Well, verse 6-7 and eight of John 17.
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world.
Thine they were.
Now gave us them to me, gave us them me, and they have kept thy word.
Now what? Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me, are of thee, for I have given unto them the words.
Which thou gavest me. And they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee. And they have believed that thou didst send me in verse six. They knew and kept thy word.
That would be more.
Total reveal Word of God that came from God. It was God's thoughts.
And they saw it, and they kept it.
Then he says, I have given unto them the words.
Which thou gavest me.
And I'd like to connect that with Isaiah chapter 50.
Verse 4.
The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned.
That I should know how to speak a word in season.
To him that is weary.
He wakened his morning, by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear.
As the learned.
You know, I pause as I read this verse.
The one from glory.
The Author of Scripture, the Creator.
Down here in this world, he came down and he.
Brought nothing for his journey.
He came down and walked here and he said I will put my trust in him.
And he came all the way from the heights, the one who was trusted in.
To trust.
And on a daily basis.
He learned.
Words.
He wants to share with you.
And with me I've given him thy words.
That thou hast given me, and he came from the heights of glory to walk down here in this poor, miserable world, trusting his God. He was a man here, perfect, as we've heard, Didn't sin, couldn't sin.
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Was down here and looking up.
And drawing morning by morning.
That for the day.
That's what he has for your soul, and for mine, that's communion.
That's Communion.
And he has that for us.
I've given them the words.
That thou hast given me.
And you know, I would just say for you and me.
Do I really want that? Do I want that?
Do I want to go and see him kneeling in the dirt of this world, kneel down beside him?
And hear those words he heard.
Oh, they'll take my heart off to where he is.
Until I'll know him, I'll know the only one true God in Jesus Christ whom he is sent.
And I will truly then hate anything.
In my life.
That would be a hindrance between him and me.
When you get home to glory, all you'll have is Christ. Now you'll have your brethren, but you'll only see Christ in them.
It's all you have, for a total. All eternity will be enough and more than enough. And he's more than enough for every single hour of every day in this scene.
And he singles you out individually and me out individually to love us.
And fill us with the blessings that will put a smile on our face, joy in our heart, a song. Because that's where we're getting to in the reading, teaching, and admonishing one other, isn't it? With psalms and hymns and so forth.
It's an overflowing heart that teaches.
There in that portion in Colossians, while our time is up, let's pray.
Colossians 3:15-25
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Last night that I saw the rain all our hearts made.
You say that all of heaven helps me.
Out of the world.
So I want to give you.
We use the duration of the weather. I don't know what I have to do.
Today I'm busy.
Oh, I can have a place here for you. I have lived in my life. I have to play.
To you and I have you out for us.
Classes 3 verse 14.
And above all, these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell on you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in Word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents and all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged servants, obeying all things, your masters according to the flesh.
Not with eye service as men pleasers.
But in singleness of heart, fearing God, and whatsoever ye do do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.
Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ, but he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done, And there is no respect of persons.
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Masters, give on to your servants that which is just an equal, knowing that you also have a master in heaven.
I.
Reference was made to second Peter chapter one and verse seven. It says into godliness, brotherly kindness and brotherly kindness charity.
Brotherly kindness. I think we've enjoyed a lot of that here at these meetings. And brotherly love or brotherly kindness as my brother, is its object. Charity has God as its object.
So the greatest, I don't know who it was, he said. If I've heard it often, the greatest.
Display of love in a day of weakness is faithfulness to the truth of God.
It is the bond that.
Perfectness.
I've copied something out in my Bible at the beginning of Nehemiah and got it from the synopsis.
Might just repeat it in times of difficulty. Faith does not show itself in the magnificence of the result.
But in love for God's work, however little, and in perseverance through all the difficulty of the state of weakness.
So it's not looking for great things, but going on in love for God's work, which is love for God himself.
I was wondering if we connected with first John chapter 5 and verse two also.
I'll read the first verse also. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God, and everyone that loveth him, that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments.
This is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous.
However, every believer born into the family of God, we have the nature of that family. Our heart goes out to every child of God. But there may be those that we cannot display that love. So it says By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. If one of my children is in rebellion against me and my will.
You're not really showing love to the child to go and embrace them and say, well, I love you, even if you're walking that way. I do love him, but I may not be able to display it the way I show love to show the way I show love to God is encouraging the people of God to walk in obedience to His word. If I encourage a believer in a path of disobedience, I'm neither showing love to him or to the Lord.
And so by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments.
And so love displays itself in our own personal lives. If he loved me, keep my commandments. Love to the children of God displays itself by encouraging them to walk in the path of obedience to God, never encouraging them in the path of disobedience to the word of God. So there are times when we have to be faithful, aren't there? That leads us to the next verse about the peace of God, because what is it that causes stress in the individual or strife between individuals?
You try to reconcile 2 unreconcilable things. You have two thoughts, 2 scriptures in your mind like what you were Speaking of with.
You're trying to reconcile 2 Things, my love for my brother and faithfulness to the truth, and it just doesn't seem that you can reconcile them. The only thing to do is to submit and have faith in God and be faithful to God. And so there are many things in Scripture that you cannot reconcile except simply by faith, believing what God has said.
You have man's responsibility and election, whether to unreconcilable things, and so you simply leave it with faith. If you try to reconcile it, there's going to be confusion in your mind and trouble. You try to reconcile the fact that you have the assembly's authority and yet he is the Lord of the harvest, and the Lord's servant is the Lord's servant. So the Lord gets into the servant, gets into conflict with the assembly. There is no conflict. It's simply a matter of faith.
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And so if we go on in this way, then there's not going to be this internal confusion.
And trouble in the Mind. And between brethren, there's not going to be strife because God knows how to keep the two things together. And there are many, many things like this that cause us strife in the mind. That our confusion in the mind are stoiced between brethren because we're trying to reconcile 2 seemingly unreconcilable things. There's one other thing that Mister Darby said that I thought was helpful in connection with this. I apply it to this first both the peace of God.
Is we often ask what the will of God is in a situation when the only will of God is that we not be in this situation at all. And sometimes we get in trouble by being in situations we shouldn't be in. And that has to do with our position. Maybe we take a job or enter into a relationship or something that unequal yoke, but it's also true as to things that we get taken up with and so there is peace and just occupying the sphere that God has given us and so.
That so it says let the peace of God.
Rule in your hearts.
To which ye are called in one body, and so therefore it doesn't mean that just because something has to be done.
That I'm the one who has to do it.
Is we own the head in heaven and there's peace there. It's just because often there's strife even among brethren, because we see, well, there's a job to do and I want to do it and I say, well, I've got to do that job, but maybe there's a job to be done. But I ought to look to the head as to who's to do it. And then there won't be jostling between brethren as to who's going to do it. There's going to be submission to the head. And this is what brings peace in the assembly, is when we see that and simply because I recognize that something needs to be done or taken care of or we can leave that to the Lord and when we start.
I believe to have faith and to see this, it will have peace.
The peace of God in these situations.
In James we have a verse.
That might be helpful, and that is at the end of chapter 3.
The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace the problem that oftentimes happens when there are differences of judgment and difficulties amongst our people, that we allow these difficulties to rile us up.
And to stir up the flesh.
And I'm sure we all have experienced that to some extent in our own lives, and have witnessed that in difficulties among the Saints of God. But the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace. In other words, it is possible to go through difficulties without allowing the enemy to rile up the flesh with ears.
And I've used this as an example at different times. You know, we bought some land out in the country and we were going to build a house on the North End of their property. And here my boys and I were working there and we found that the neighbor had taken, he had land next to us and thrown the rocks from his field and our property.
And I got so upset with him, I said to my boys, total shock back on his field.
You see, that's the opposite of what I should have done.
You know, I allow this to rise me up. I could have talked to the neighbor and I was not a good extensive to my boys, you know. Well, that is just an example of what can happen, you know, And that is not when we allow that kind of a thing to happen in the assembly, the peace of God does not control me any longer. And instead of being a help, we are going to be a hindrance. We are only adding to the confusion, adding to the term turmoil, adding to the fuel.
You know, and the peace of God is so important that that is controlling our hearts. And in that way we can live in peace and can remember that we're functioning as a body now, you know, and how important it is that we're in that state of soul.
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Question to ask, but it's difficulty. Is this Heaven's Peace upset by it?
He's having trouble by it. And that's I believe is the peace of God, is that he sees the end of it. And by faith we need to see the end of it and act for God in it. But it's just to have the peace of God in connection with a thing. God knows the end from the beginning and he knows why he's allowed a thing. And so if we're in communion with him about it and there will be peace about the situation and so that lets us rule, rules our hearts.
Instead of setting where we speaking for myself, we like to fix things. We like to be fixers of things.
Rather than really just being faithful to God and acting for God and things and leaving them with the Lord.
Darby's translation renders it the peace of Christ, the peace of Christ, and then the 61St the love of the word of Christ. It's really Speaking of things, particularly among the people of God. It is true in our relationships with others. We need to act in love and faithfulness too.
But here it's talking particularly about things among the people of God. So we have.
In the 31St for bearing one another and forgiving one another.
Even as Christ forgave you, and so on and.
Put on charity or love, which is the bond of perfectness and the peace of Christ. It's really maintaining peace among the people of God. And if we act in that spirit, what I say again, it is not love to encourage a true child of God in the path of disobedience. Love would seek their good and their blessing and be faithful to them. And so we put on love.
The motivation is love and Jeremiah was warning the people about the judgment that was going to come.
He said, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee.
That was right in the midst of all his firm warnings about what was going to happen to them, how they were rebelling against the word of the Lord.
But love for the people of God was the motivation for his conduct, even though he's very faithful and had to speak the word faithful.
And so I believe it goes on that the peace of Christ, the peace of Christ that is seeing is the head of the body, the church. He seeks the good of the body. And we're not upset, we just seek to act for him. We leave all the results with him. I think it's a beautiful thing, the two brought together here.
In Ephesians chapter 6, there's the part of the armor. Is the feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace if we don't hear that, brother?
In Ephesians Six, part of the armor is.
Is the feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace? I was wondering if that is similar to what we have in verse 15, or really what it means to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Yeah, someone has said the Christian is not in the war cry, he's in the peace cry. Paul that says in the early part of the Acts preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. And really the message that we carry to the world is a message of peace. Peace has been made through the blood of his cross. And so instead of being troublemakers in this world and going about trying to set everything right, the message is really peace.
Has been made not peace on the terms where evil is allowed, but peace is the character of the Christian.
Ellen, John 14. I believe we have a thought there that brings in the world. In 27 the Lord said, Peace, I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth. Peace I give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, and need to let it be afraid. So we I put it this way for myself. You know truth is precious, but it separates.
And we have what those of this world need, and we can be at peace with ourselves and with the Lord, but we can go through this world knowing that we have what they need. And you know, if we're rejected or our words rejected or hatred comes, we still have what they need. And they're the ones in trouble, not us. That's the kind of feast I think Christ has us in relation to the world. There's one other. I think it's 17.
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And 17 of John.
The last verse, these things I have written unto you, that in me you might have peace in the world you shall have tribulation. You have good cheer. I've overcome the world. So our peace is in Christ. That's it.
We're in the world without of it, and there's tribulation, there's problems, there's reproach and all that, but we have a sense in our soul that all is well. It's like the great woman in Second King's 4th. All is well. Why it wasn't well, as far as circumstances, what she was getting to the man of God. And that's it All is. Yet that peace is very precious, even.
When things are set against us which are not true, you know, that's a wonderful opportunity to manifest the spirit of Christ. We fail in that many times, but the story is told that somebody attacked Mr. Dari publicly, you know, and somebody turned to him.
And asked him whether he had anything to say.
He said if he would know me, knew me the way the Lord knows me and I know myself, he would have a lot more to say.
And that was the spirit of meekness, you know. And the Lord Jesus booked a very firm stand when it was a question of the glory of God. You know, the zeal of that house has eaten me up. But when it came to himself, you know he in meekness for many abusive things that men heaped upon him. I was thinking of that brother Heinz and the 8th of John, where they they said in verse 48.
Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast the devil?
And he answered, I have not a devil, but I honor my father, and you do dishonor me. He said nothing about the charge of being a Samaritan.
And it seems to me whenever people have to resort to either.
Raising their voice or name calling lost the argument.
And they were losing the battle, and so they called them names. But he didn't rise to that. Never said a word about their charge of his being a Samaritan. Indeed, he takes that place in the tents of Luke, doesn't he? As the Samaritan, he didn't mind taking the lowly place, and that was in peace. But he did answer the charge. That has to double. He would not allow them to attribute the work of God and of the Spirit to a demon. So he did answer that.
The Lord is a perfect example. Always when he was reviled he reviled not again pretty good thing to remember. And all the accusations he answered nothing. Against him personally he answered nothing. But of course when he said I felt King of the Jews thou faith he couldn't deny himself. We can't deny the truth there we must stand but as the personal offense we don't have to get upset.
A lot of people think they've got to sort of make a war on wrong things, but there's a lot of Christians attack the wrong things that they see abortion and things like this, and they join together. That isn't the character of the Christian. The character of the Christian is his speech shot with the preparation of the gospel of peace. What will set man right? He's got to be born again. And then as the next verse says that the word of Christ dwell in you richly. How are we going to know what's right?
Well, we first of all have to be in the family of God to have a desire to do what's right.
And now we have the instruction and direction, so we don't go about fighting against these evils.
Our feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and even in difficulties that arise amongst us.
You don't war on certain things, but we present the word of God, and we bring that that the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, bring the Word of God in all its blessedness and in all its power, and only God can work those things out. And that gives us peace in the circumstances. And we don't have to make a campaign about things. You see this with Paul before Agrippa, don't we? That he was there really unjustly, and fellow told me this week that his pastor had tried to go on behalf of some of his people to the mayor.
00:25:09
They were put in jail for something in connection with the school and this pastor's unconverted son was a lawyer, went to his father and counseled him to speak peaceably to him. But the pastor went and told the mayor that he was a hell deserving Sinner and that God was going to judge him for what he was doing. Just mentioned to the brother. It was so lovely the way that Paul entreated A grippy said I would devour it all together as I was except these chains. Paul was in a far better position than Agrippa was and we sometimes are in a more miserable state of soul in a certain sense than the ungodly with whom we deal. It's a wonderful thing to just to tell them that you know, I've not happy with these chains but.
I'm in a far better place than you are and an opportunity. That was how he had an opportunity to speak to that man.
But we have to stress too beloved brethren, and that is that if I have contributed to turmoil in the assembly or amongst the God of the Saints.
If I have stated things that are not the truth or even attacks an assembly, that ought to be straightened out.
You know, otherwise no wonder if there is not peace amongst the Goddess things you know. We cannot undermine confidence in an assembly and then expect. Forget about it, you know it's going to go away, I believe.
There ought to be made things made right. We have made statements and circulated even things attacking assembly. You know that doesn't make for peace.
There ought to be an exercise that things are made right because otherwise the enemy continues to use these things.
It denies the truth of the one body and it denies the fact that what one brother does or one assembly does affects us all. And it's solid, so it should be taken care of.
Just wonder if we couldn't look at Ephesians 2 for the.
Thought about having your feet shod with the preparation of gospel feast?
I was struck by the thought that.
2 feet.
And then Ephesians chapter 2.
1St.
13 But for now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off, were made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace.
These are this is peace between man and man. We're going to see.
1St And it's the blood of Christ.
Made nigh by the blood of Christ. We sometimes you know, we know that our sins are gone by the blood of Christ.
Once for all, forever. But this is part of the effect, the value of the blood of Christ. For he is our peace who hath made both one that's Jew and Gentile.
Broken down the middle wall, or partition between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, when the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to making himself, obtained you and Gentile, man and man, one new man's soul, making peace, and that he might reconcile both.
Unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nice, peace between man and God comes second here.
So there is both feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. There's peace between man and man, the truth of the one body. And then there is the gospel, of course, as we've heard peacefully, man and God.
And it was struck by the thought in the Old Testament of the man who deceived. He was the House of the IT was the House of the man who had his shoe removed.
And that's what we see as characteristic of a great house.
They have one hue removed. They don't even, they don't preach. They preach the gospel of salvation, peace between man and God. And that's great.
But where's the other one? Where's the other piece that is the other foot shot? That is peace between man and man, one body.
Well, for you and me, the preparation of the gospel of peace is walking in the assembly. There's no school you can go to. There's nowhere else you can go to learn how to walk in the assembly. Except walking in the assembly. There's nothing like it in the world. And the preparation of the gospel of peace is walking with our brethren, walking with one another. And as we've heard about peace between us, and that's what it says here, Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. That's the only way we can ever have that preparation.
00:30:28
Is walking in the assembly.
Thank you. I was thinking 2 of another scripture that we have in the Old Testament, First Samuel chapter 25. We have 20 feet that were shod with the golf ball, the preparation of peace. We see that David sent 10 men out to greet naval and if you read the margin there it says freedom. In my name of peace or in my name but in the margin it says freedom.
In my name of peace. And what message were they to bring? It says, Peace, people to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
And we see that that message was rejected, wasn't it? It says. And they they turned their way and went again. But these men had a testimony as they went out because some of Nabel's servants brought a message back to Abigail.
Reflecting upon the way that these ten men.
Conducted themselves as they were representing David there in the wilderness, and it was certainly a commendable testimony that was brought, but the message was connected there with that name of peace, wasn't it?
It be ye thankful you know most of us, if not all of us, have known this song. Count your blessings. Name them one by one. I believe generally people think of material things and good health and so on. But I think.
We as Christians should really think of what we should be thankful for in a spiritual way. And can't we even be thankful not only for what Christ has won for us, but also the fellowship of Saints you know, and the fact that we don't have to go through this world alone?
What a comfort we derive from the fact that we have those of light, precious faith.
With whom we can walk.
We do not often enough thank the Lord for these blessings that we have. Be thankful, you know, and.
That certainly would include the mercies that we experienced from day-to-day. But I'm, I feel I should stress, especially to be thankful for the spiritual things.
And then to think of those things and give him thanks for.
It seems to work right into singing, doesn't it? In the next verse, The Peace and the Being Thankful.
And let the word of Christ dwell on you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in songs and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And I thought of that admonishing in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, admonishing.
You know there's a lot of error.
Remembered by Faulty Songs and we have a very excellent hymn book. We should be thankful for it. A Little Flock hymn book and the Echoes of Grace. But we have a nice collection there, don't we, of scriptural hymns. My wife and I have gone through it a couple of times trying to sing each one, and lately we've tried to compare scriptures with the thoughts of the hymn.
And there's some beautiful ones. You can find a scripture for every line in the hymn.
And others, it's kind of generalized. You have a scripture that like the 23rd song, you know and.
00:35:00
And it's just beautiful to see the connection of scriptures in those hymns.
And as we sing them, we are singing the truth, and we are admonishing one another.
By singing these hymns, because the truth is coming out and those hymns.
And it speaks of three categories in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs are somewhere I read.
A difference between those three. And I can I haven't found that writing. If somebody knows where it is, I'd like to see it. But I think it's something like this that a spiritual song has to do with our pathway where pilgrims in the wilderness.
A hymn is addressed to the Lord Jesus thine Jesus thine. We were singing and a Psalm might have to do with some portion of truth like the Psalms do. Now somebody has more to add. I'd love to hear it. I heard a display, Brother Tom, that the Psalms speak more of our experiences and the difficulties in the pathway, while a spiritual song expresses scriptural truth.
And a hymn is addressed. God word you know And how much truth have we learned from Him?
You know, when we came from Germany, we knew quite a few hymns in German.
But they never impressed us as much as some of those hymns that we learned here in America because we had grown up with them, you know, and some little arms. But here, for the first time, we heard some of those beautiful hymns like 88 or Blessed Savior is Thy love. That made a profound impression on us because we were now adults and really for the first time we heard some of those hymns 150.
And so on. What a treasure we have. And then we see the tendency of turning to some of those popular songs that have certain words repeated over and over again. And it doesn't really give us much of a message. But this is what is beautiful in the hymns that we cherish, that there is a lot of scriptural truth expressed, and it erases worship to the Lord Jesus.
Speaks of him and what he has done, you know, and what a difference it makes even nearer my God to thee. I read recently a comment by a brother that comments on that song. He says that song says nothing about the Lord Jesus or the work and it can be sung by a liberal, you know. But certainly I have enjoyed singing that song. But when you analyze it.
There isn't that much depth to it. It doesn't speak of him and what he has done. That's what makes the hymn so valuable. #27 on the appendix tells us we could not neither be.
Well, the little flock is worship. A little flock hymn book is worship because it's scripture and it brings Christ to our hearts. That's the whole thought. And you know, those that believe, I find out they Can't Sing the little flock. It's true. Those in Christendom admire the little flock. I've shown it to some, but they don't use that. They can't use it. And you know, it's like those.
Left. Left to go to Egypt. They were part of the Rep that the Lord had kept. And he left to go to Egypt, into the world. And they ended up in Babylon. They hung their hearts on the Willow trees in Babylon. By the waters, the wrong waters. And they said, how can we sing the songs of Lie of Zion in a land of strangers. They couldn't sing the songs anymore. And brethren, you get away. You'll find that I, at least I find it when I visit those that are gone. They Can't Sing those songs.
We had a brother that was with us so long. I loved him so much. And without naming anything, he left his children because they went to something and their parents followed. He still was a believer. He still worked. In fact, he worked more. I mean, you know, work that makes noise.
Fruit doesn't make noise. I don't mean you're not working for it, but it doesn't make noise. True proof, but anyway.
Make it Long story short, my mother was in a nursing home and I took her one Lord's Day in a wheelchair to a gospel scene. Lo and behold, it was this brother who had left about 5-6 years ago. I love that brother. And he saw me and my mother and he knew my mother. He came over and he kissed my mother and he hugged me and he held up a book.
00:40:10
He said. I'm still using it. Probably echoes of great What about the Little Flock? He wasn't using The Little Flock. You Can't Sing that. Let's sing that song among strangers that don't really know the truth and let's cherish it. I just got a little track from Jacobs and Dallas, Florida, and I guess it's gone around many times, but it's musings on the little clock. You've probably seen it.
Precious 8 pages. Family. It is precious. I'd like to read some. Are you sure? Brother Bob? I'm done. I'd like to read. Tom said he'd like to hear something. I have. I carry this with me. It's taken from a calendar leaf. I thought it was quite good. Let the word of the Christ dwell in you richly and all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, Singing with grace in your hearts to God. Colossians 316.
Which is what we're looking at. That the instruction to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs occurs in two epistles. That's Colossians and Ephesians suggest an importance warranting consideration. Most serious Bible expositors agree that the Psalms of these verses are not the Old Testament Psalms, while selected portions of Psalms can add luster to our worship.
As such, they cannot be vehicles of true worship for three reasons.
In them, worship is directed to Jehovah rather than the Father. A finished redemption was not known. The imprecatory Psalms which are calling for judgment on your enemies are not in keeping with the Spirit of the New Testament. The Psalms referred to by Paul are compositions of Christians of a stately character and solemn tone which addressed the Lord in the good of his finished work on the cross.
And our standing in the heavenlies.
The hymns referred to in these verses emphasized direct address of praise and glory to God. An example might be Father, how precious unto thee is thy beloved Son.
We don't have that hymn in our book, I don't think. Fortunately, both the song and him involve direct address to God. While the sound may have in view the believers portion, the hymn will not.
The spiritual songs are generally considered to be songs primarily concerned with the Christian experience, focusing more on our blessings and our feelings. Examples of spiritual songs are those commonly sung during gospel meetings or in Sunday School about psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, William Kelly wrote. I understand them all to be the sacred metrical compositions of Christians.
Outpourings of worship, praise, or holy feelings, the word spiritual being added to the lowest class of them to make clear even their consecration to the Lord.
Well, that's the that's the extract that I have. I thought it was quite helpful.
For instance, in him 238 as the Psalm, our Shepherd is the Lord. The living Lord who dies with all his fullness, can afford the art supply. He richly see our souls with blessings from about, and makes us great roles of endless love.
Example of a spiritual sound we have to came through 25. Made sense of confusion and creative complaints. How sweet to the soul is community. With Saints to find an embankment of mercy. There's room to filling communion, a foreteast of home.
And this morning we signed up in together praise and worship. 150 We have been there and never worship. Thou art the everlasting word, the Father's only Son, God manifest God seen and heard that haven't belonged.
00:45:00
It says, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. That's a wonderful fortune, oh brethren, but I think that be thankful is the basis of that.
Thankful St. for grace and mercy is bound to be singing in those hearts. You know, I was thinking of being thankful in 1901, Captain Dunlop out in that fierce country.
Of.
Regina area.
Gravel that's got you one and then there's no place to be in the winter but lovely in the summer. I don't mean that but his wife kept a day by day diary and sister aren't here. Is doing a tremendous job, but without making a long story out of it.
I haven't read it in a long time, but the thing that impressed me was at least once a week. I believe I'm right. She named her. I think it was 10 Blessings, 77 Blessings. And if you read those blessings, you saw these plastics. But they were blessing. She was thankful for them. And one of them was. There was two brothers at prayer meeting tonight.
She was that's a blessing you see. And the other another was someone lined up their pony so we could get to meetings today to go to walk that day and that was a blessing and I guess maybe her stove worked and things like that. But these are blessed. Everything she called a blessing and I wish I could remember the things. But if you want to be printed, I think, and it's a very one between Victoria died and it's the same year.
Our brother McKinley was assassinated. It's quite a year, 1901, but you follow that diary. It is something. The last part of that verse, it says singing with grace in your hearts to God. And I'm quoting Mr. Darby's translation, but brethren is not appropriate to get up in the morning, and we should ask the Lord for a song of praise in response to his love and his goodness that we've been meditating on, maybe in the night.
Or when we wake up in the morning, what's the first thought that we should have?
A dying Savior's love, A risen Savior's power, a coming Savior's glory. These things thrill my soul brethren, and I have to sing when I'm in the shower. Even I can't hold it back. And shouldn't that be the attitude of my heart as I go through this world, that he's coming for me? The man that's in the glory that died for me in the cross. We've been hearing about him this afternoon. And you know, as the brother was speaking, I thought the remark that I make to people sometimes, every time you think of that name of Jesus, God writes it down in his book.
He says when you get to heaven, I'm going to open the book and it's going to take all eternity to reflect on that precious name that you are meditating on down there in that world. When I'm working in the shop, sometimes I'm singing God writes it down because what am I saying about making melody in my heart to God and the brother mentioned about nearer my God to me, to Thee? Maybe I'm in a low state of soul and it's all Lord.
Nearer my God, to thee. It's a cry from the heart, from the soul that I might be drawn. Nearer Is anybody here doesn't want to be drawn. Nearer to the heart of God. Well, you know, that's what should be our delight. I just mentioned that one brother. He was accused me making a noise, you know, when I was singing on the job. And I said to him, someday I won't be around to saying, that's all right, but I'm going to be singing up there a lot better. All right. Thinking in the shower. I love it too. But not if you're in a motel at 4:30 in the morning.
I apologize whoever it was.
I should have been singing in my heart. Well, isn't it true, brethren, that we do not sing as much as Breton used to sing? I'm speaking now in the families. I believe this probably here in this portion has to collective side more in view, but I do believe.
That in the past, Christians used to sing more in the home.
What we're facing today is we have to set, you know, we have discs and so on, and we listen to others singing instead of singing. And then we might be hesitant sometimes to sing because we might feel that we don't have a very good voice to say.
00:50:03
But what counts far more is where the heart is, and that what we express in song is really felt in our souls. And we have that beautiful hymn that matters not how sweet the song, you know, because.
The Spirit of God wants to make melody in our hearts, and this is what is so important. And you know, have you not experienced? I certainly have is that there are times when you're saddened and when you're troubled.
And when you have that grace of singing a song and lifts your soul, you know, and that is one way how we can use a song. And the children do well to learn to sing. And as families, we ought to set time aside to think, You know, there were some people interested in the truth of gathering, and they had not known the hymn book that we so value.
So we had.
What we call cottage meetings for over six years and we would think for half an hour or longer because these people wanted to get to know these hymns, you know, and valued those hymns. Brother Hunt is now with the Lord. He was in Virginia, you know, he was too sick to really come regularly to Washington, DC to the meetings. He has been there several times, I understand, but one thing that he valued so much.
Was that little flock him booked? He realized the depth of the hymns in that hymn book. And I think, Brother Bob, you met somebody on the plane, right, that valued you were at the hinge to him. And he was impressed with the quality and depth of those hymns. I agree the sermon on it, brother. I agree we should get together and sing more often. We used to do it more often. And I mean as I go around, it's not as often as we used to do it in assembly.
Just getting together, that's all. And you know, some of the high points when I travel is that when they get together and have a thing, you know, a little flock or sometimes echoes are great, but whatever, you are singing together, so it's a beautiful thing. At the neighbor Bay at the conference just last month, I guess it was.
After the last meeting we went got together, we had us say. It was a high point for me. I love the conference, but that was wonderful way to end it. And it was just individuals I know I was in.
Ottawa. I don't know. It wasn't Ottawa, but that's Ottawa assembly. But the sister, I was staying there, she called all the older ones in the area and said get together, we'll have a sing. Oh that was beautiful. Just to be with them. They're gone. Most of them are gone now, but.
And they were singing off key and badly. But that is the point. We made a joyful noise under the Lord. That's all he wants. Yeah, it was beautiful. We could hardly stay on key for one brother. And I love that brother. He's going to be with the Lord. Gordon Gray. He was so far, but he was so happy. This is what we need. We really need it. Obama didn't we just sing that song about harps, strong and tuned.
When is that supposed to happen? It'll happen for your glory. We'll be tuned when we get there, but we're getting tuned up now. Oh yes, it's being too long to check up to see. But I think myself, I better not say it. I think Paul and Silas were singing in the way that you were Speaking of Brother Heinz. And I believe that that's what touched the Philippian jailers conscience. They weren't singing for his benefit, but for their own. And with grace in their hearts. It's clear that they were thrown into jail wrongly.
And they needed Grace to accept that. They were later vindicated. But it was that, I believe, that really touched that man's conscience. I worked in a shop and there was a lot of machines running, and I would sing to myself, and I was singing. Death and judgment are behind me. Grace and Glory are before a married man with five children came. He said I need to see in the office. So he walked into the office. He sat down and he said, is there really going to be a judgment?
Then a little while later, the brother who had taken the gospel the night before spoke on the end of Revelation about the Great White Throne. And I opened it to him, but it was a way of entrance. I didn't know he was even listening. And then another young man came in a little while later and he said, I've got a question for you. I thought it had something to do with the work, and he asked me the same question. Is there really going to be a judgment so we don't need to go around looking? It's not, Moses whisked, Not that his face shine. Paul and Silas weren't trying to sing through the bars to the jailer.
00:55:13
But he heard maybe the maybe it wasn't a brother on the other side of the wall, Brother Bauman. But perhaps something would touch his conscience.
Scripture speaks of singing in three different ways, doesn't it? It says he had lifted me up out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet up on a rock to put a new song into my mouth. Even praise unto our God when it's talked about in Ephesians, it says, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs so we can sing for the good of our own souls. And as you were singing, death and judgment are behind us. I'm sure that was for the good of your own soul. You were enjoying the place that grace had brought you into.
And here it's interesting. In the chapter that we have, it says.
Teaching and admonishing one another. So songs have those three different uses, don't they? Praise to the Lord.
Speaking to ourselves and also teaching and admonishing one another.
And we should always remember that, and that's the importance of them being scriptural. We want to certainly, as we sing praise to the Lord, to sing intelligently. That's the force of Romans 12, which is your intelligent. It's really your it says in Romans chapter 12 and verse one, you're reasonable. Mr. Darby translates that your intelligence service. So we should saying intelligently entering into these things. We praise the Lord, we teach others, and we sing for the blessing of our own souls. I'm sure many of us have done that.
You're just speaking to yourself. The Lord may use it to others.
And I think that's what Paul and Silas were doing. They were just enjoying the Lord, if those chains and everything and was speaking to themselves. But God used it also as a testimony to others.
But I also say that it seems here to show that it speaks of the word of Christ dwelling in them richly. But then it says teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. And the songs are not Scripture, but they should be scriptural. But they're not Scripture. And so we have the word of God, And the songs should be written in harmony with the word of God, so that they bring out and express in song the truth that is contained in this blessed book, the word of God.
It's interesting how they're brought together. The word of Christ, that's the truth of God is revealed in his word. But then the songs that bring that truth to us in a very precious way and so that we can sing. And I've often said it's the most marvelous thing, brethren, when we think of it.
There are not. There are no two birds that can sing together. There isn't any possibility. They have songs, but they Can't Sing together. But isn't it marvelous that as men and women, God has given us the capacity to sing and 1000 voices can unite and sing in harmony and so that we praise the Lord together? It's a great privilege that has been given to us and we ought to value it and seek this thing together in harmony as we tell what the Lord has done for us.
I was thinking of how Jehoshaphat ordered the battle and Second Chronicles 20. They were afraid because the enemies had ganged up on them and they said, Lord, we don't know what to do but our eyes upon thee. And when they went out to battle and here the front of the army, there were singers. Can you believe it? Going to meet the enemy with songs And the Lord gave them the victory. And I see the same thing here. Verse 16. First of all, in 15 we had the peace and the thankfulness and then we had the singing.
And verse 17 What's so ever you do in Word or deed?
Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. But it follows the singing, doesn't it?
We have the first time singing in the word of God after they had crossed the Rat Sea. That speaks of redemption and I think this shows very clearly that they're redeemed.
Have the privilege of singing. Redemption and singing goes together and we'll do it in heaven.
Would you agree that we sing because we're happy and the world seems to try to make themselves happy? We should express what is inside in song. But like I said earlier, sometimes I'm saddened and I can my spirit can be lifted by a song. But when it comes to worship, you know and I think it could be something that is within and then flows out.
01:00:04
Talk to.
Young brothers in our medium Montreal.
Few years ago.
And I said to them they were concerned about the hymns and the hymn books because they killed them. Some of their own speak English.
And I when the first shot I came along. Elizabeth Ann when she got to be three years of age.
I said after the reading.
We're going to sing the first payment envelope. She's young yet, but we did that by starting from the first time and went through the little block and then when she got older she was enjoying it and she after we'd gone through the book, she said tonight.
My other daughter came along. Judy Bell, we did the same. So this brother said I'm going to try that.
One of them has five children, and.
It delighted my heart when I sat where they were sitting and I heard the little French fellow singing the hymns in English. But this other brother, he was quite concerned, so he spoke to the others and now they waited quite a few of the hymns in the France and they made photostats and the folks that can speak English.
You see them at the back of the big book there, and they're reading the French translation as we sing the tune. But I think it's wonderful for to bring the family up to get their children to know that the hymns, because I guess we all do, but I know I do.
Very frequently during the month, each month.
I thank the Lord.
But I have that Christian parents.
But we're yeah, there's there's a precious name of the Lord Jesus.
And also that I'm there where his name is placed, where he's placed his name gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
I thank him that we have this in book, which I believe.
Man, God and fear.
The guidance of the Holy Spirit and many of them entered into the trials.
They passed through those temptations and trials, and I think that we should be very thankful that we have the little flock in book. And I think there's a married couple. You would rejoice if you get your children to get to know them well.
As I said of hearing these French children quite frequently going around the basement singing the hymns.
Well, talking about the Saviors, work on Calgary's crossing that, but we certainly have got them. A lot of the defensively we're talking about plastics.
I'm not contradicting you, but.
During the depression, I thought, if you haven't passed through the depression, you don't know what I'm talking about. During depression, it was pretty tough.
We went under the Wakefield and I and some other others in the meeting, visiting the people in the neighborhood who have sent their children, and we took some groceries. My member, right, there's quite a bit of peanut butter in it, and bread and I because that was cheap and no butter. But we did the best we could. We were getting $12.00. I was getting $12.00 a week. Things were tough.
But we went in there and rather than when we passed the bag there and we showed anything to the parents.
Which wasn't me there and cheese or that.
The women used to say alloy.
We sing our count our many blessings with each other.
That they're bringing us these things, but gradually we get on speaking them more and say bring in what Christ has done, but it does your hard cooking save.
About God blessing them the way he does.
Maybe the rest of the time would be good if we would sing #38 in the appendix and could we stand when we sing it?
#38 in the back of the book.
You hear me back there in the corner.
Good. Good. I guess this thing's working.
OK.
Well, I guess we're wound down to the last meeting. I'm always.
Solemnize when I think of it because.
There's no question, Brethren, that one of these conferences is going to be our last.
The Lord Jesus is coming.
You know it's now December that writes December 1St.
Just a little over a month and we're into a brand new year if he tarries.
How much time do we have left?
We don't know. No man knows the day or the hour.
One thing is certain.
Every time that clock up there in the wall ticks, it's bringing us nearer and nearer and still nearer.
In proper English to say more still near.
But you know, you get the sense of what I'm speaking about.
Time is ticking away, isn't it?
Sticking away.
And my heart goes out to the children. My heart goes out to the young people.
Because we're living in an ever changing world, and I'll tell you this, I don't believe the changes that are coming in are for the better.
Not only is the world getting worse, but it's getting worse faster.
I want to tell you some of the things that have happened in Canada in recent days.
In our legislative bodies up there. But I'll tell you this.
That it hasn't been for the better.
Do these things make me afraid?
They make me feel bad for those who haven't received the Lord Jesus as their savior.
I know this that as the day continues to darken here for.
This world.
It continues to get brighter for those of us that know the Lord Jesus, because now we know that now is our salvation nearer.
Than when we believed.
And there's one thing for sure.
Our deliverance out of this world is about an hourly probability. I'm not even using the word possibility.
I'm using the word probability because that's what I believe.
Somebody said that you and I couldn't have picked a better day to be alive than in the present dispensation.
How good is the God we adore?
Yes, we have problems. We have problems in our families, problems in the assemblies, all of these different things. But as we've been hearing, is our eye on the man and the glory.
01:10:07
It says in the book of Galatians that Peter and James and Cephas who seemed to be pillars.
Let's be occupied with the one.
Jesus, the goal before our soul. All right, I'm not going to speak on anything ground shattering. I'm just going to speak on two beautiful verses that I learned as a child.
These verses were instrumental in bringing me to the feet of the Savior.
Not all encompassed in verse in John chapter 3, verse 16. Let's read it.
For God so loved the world that he gave.
His only begotten son.
Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting.
Life, you can have it.
You can have it. God offers salvation. That precious love gave the very best gift that heaven could give. God couldn't give anything any better than his beloved Son.
And that precious savior came down into this world, and he's really saying to us, I'm going to show you what the heart of God is all about. It's really like think if he had never come into this world, we would never have known what the love of God was all about.
And he came not only down into this world, but in the truth of the Samaritan there that we have in the Gospels.
Right to where we were.
That puts a different spin on it all together, doesn't it?
Right to where we were. Because I was a bankrupt Sinner. I merely A Sinner, but a bankrupt one. You know what that means?
That means that God, according to Ephesians 28 and nine, had to give me the very faith to believe.
I would never have believed it. You present the gospel to people today. It's too fantastic, they say. I can't believe that. You mean to tell me that God would love me that much.
That he take the time out of 6 billion people to pay attention to me? Absolutely. That's the heart of God. Man can't fathom that. He can't grasp that.
But God so loved this world that he gave his only.
Begotten son.
What does Isaiah 9 and six say? He was a child born, but he was a son.
Given.
Son given.
I want to ask you this afternoon. Have you received?
This wonderful gift I wish I had the language to describe.
This blessed one in all his beauty. I wish that I did not have the limitations of the English language. I wish I could tell you exactly who this person is and what he's done. I can't do it.
But I trust that the Spirit of God has taken these few feeble things that I'm saying and seeking to bring Jesus before you.
He gave his only begotten son that whosoever doesn't matter who you are.
You may be black or white.
Rich or poor? A pauper or a Prince? A president or a ditch digger?
That's the great thing about the gospel. It's to whosoever will.
Whosoever.
When I was a boy of eight years old, although I was raised in a Christian home, my my parents were brought up in the church in England. When I was a kid of five. I can still remember that priest up there with his black robes on cross around his neck. I never heard the gospel till I was eight years of age. I want to say this to you kids in this room this afternoon. What an unspeakable privilege to be brought up in the assembly to hear the gospel at a young age. I never heard it until I was eight years of age.
Baptist minister came to my parents house. He read those beautiful verses in Ephesians 28 and nine. For by grace are ye saved through faith that not of yourselves see in the Anglican church all they ever hammered into you was works, works, works. Do the best you can. Don't hurt anybody when you get beyond the grave. Someday God will put the good deeds in the in the one side of the scale and the bad and the other. And if one balances out the other depending on which way the scale falls, that's where you go.
01:15:06
That's what I heard as a child.
That's what I heard.
Baptist ministers brought that little verse, for by grace are ye saved through earth faith? I remember distinctly my oldest sister turning to my mother and saying, well, Mom, what have you got to say?
What have you got to say, mom to that? I remember my mother saying years later. If I could have rung her neck right there, I would have.
She said.
What could I say?
The verse totally handcuffed me. I couldn't say a word. I couldn't say a word. There it is. Or by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourselves, that is a gift of God. Not all works, lest any man should boast.
That's it.
So God saved my mother.
My father was saved years before that, but Dad was a quiet man.
And he, although he did seek to bring these things before my mother, he wasn't the type to push these things.
But God in his grace reached down.
Plucked her into all of the family, thirteen of us, as branches from the burning.
No credit demand. I'm not standing here this afternoon. It's no credit to me. None. The pure grace of God. The pure grace of God. I'll tell you this, the longer I go on in the path of faith, the more I realize that it's nothing but the pure grace of God.
For God still loved the world that He gave. His only begotten Son was all grace, wasn't it, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
But have everlasting life to pass, eternally ruined into sinners. Hell, that is going to be the portion of all that reject Jesus.
And I'll tell you, this world does not have much time left.
Doesn't have much time left.
He came tonight. I think the four horses of the apocalypse would start almost immediately. I believe that things are in place in the world at the present time, right now.
That things are going to be launched. Ready. Look how Look how fast the Berlin Wall came down.
Look at the Soviet Union. Years ago, the gospel wasn't allowed into that place. God and his sovereignty said. I want that wall out of there because I want the gospel to go in.
In his sovereign way, he's allowed it to go in.
All right, I've said enough on this final verse.
Over in Romans 10.
Romans, chapter 10.
And verse nine, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, as the real thought here.
And shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, or from among the dead.
Thou shalt be saved. It's got to be Confession with the Mouth.
Maybe you've accepted the Lord Jesus as your savior, but you've never told anybody. Do it. Do it. Confess with your mouth.
And believe that in your heart that God raised him from the dead, by the way.
Resurrection is the greatest power that's known in the word of God. Did you know that? It's the greatest power that's known.
The ability to bring lifeout of death is the greatest power that's known. Our Jesus has that power.
I can just get the scenario there and at the.
Tomb of Lazarus.
Just before that he says to Mary, or he says to Martha. She said, Yeah, Lord, I know He shall rise in the resurrection at the last day. What was the Savior's response? 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 what never die not great.
That's the greatest power, the ability to bring lifeout of death. Jesus possesses that power.
You're spiritually dead today. If you haven't accepted him as your savior, he has the power to give you a new life.
And you need that new life. You're not going to enter heaven without that new life. You're not even going to see the Kingdom of God without that new life.
It's not done.
Thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from among the dead. Thou shalt be saved, for with a heart man believeth under righteousness. I want to say this.
That it's with the heart that man believes, not the head.
01:20:00
And that's the way it is when we receive the truth of God too.
It's with a heart, he said to the two on the road to Emmaus O senseless and what? Slow of head, no slow of heart.
Low of heart.
That's the way it is. We've been here in these meetings, we've been enjoying these truths.
Have they gone down into our hearts?
If they do, they're going. It's going to affect our walk.
It's going to affect our walk.
I met Christians.
Very well versed in the word of God. Very well versed.
But the difference are those who walk in these things.
And it's because it's down here. It's in the heart.
A little illustration for the children.
There's two armies here, the red armies here, the white armies here. Just to kind of delineate them, separate them. 10,000 on this side, 10,000 on this side. All the latest sophisticated weapons on this side, all the latest technology and sophisticated weaponry on this side. Two Cracker Jack generals over both groups.
Who's going to win?
Who's going to win?
The Army with the heart.
That's who's going to win. The Army with the heart. The army that has the heart and justice. Push it over the top. That's all that's needed. That's all that's needed.
Do you and I have a heart for Christ?
Well, they bring in new translations and they say this. And if they say, well, if we had this in the word of God, it would make our pathway easier.
If we had that, it's the heart, isn't it? It's the heart, my son. Give me thine heart.
Why? He wants to fill it with himself. That's the difference. That's the difference.
As he attracted our hearts is that love that we see in him has it. It's so attracted us that we want nothing else.
That's the difference, isn't it? That's what will make the difference for you dear young people. It's 5:00. I've got to stop it.
That's what's going to make the difference for you dear young people, and those of us that are older too. That's what's going to help us as we go on.
In this path of faith is to be occupied with Christ, and it is the only thing that works.
It's the only thing that works, and it's the only thing that ever will work in this path of faith occupation with a person of Christ. Oh, may our poor hearts.
Be so attracted to him, occupied with that precious grace.
That we see in him and that unspeakable love.
That we elsewhere they see no one or nothing else.
Confession with the most believing in the heart.
Saved. Good for believers too, and keep us from situations that dishonor the Lord. Confession with the mote believing in the heart. OK, I'm we don't have any hymn sheets. We're going to just sing that one from memory. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can?
I talk about the bloody Jesus blood and make me whole.
Let's pray together.
Open Mtg.
Open—B. Warr, R. Bauman, E. Wilson
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.
But when we.
Never breathe rain.
We want.
We will do, my heart.
Life.
All of heaven.
We wander by our glow. They came in high man.
I would say.
And I feel you all are my breath. I have to wear a girl.
We open our Bibles to First Timothy 316.
To get the scripture before us first of all.
First Timothy, 316.
And without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh.
Justified in the spirit scene of angels preached unto the Gentiles.
Believed on in the world, received up into glory.
The hymns that we've been singing.
Confirmed a thought that I had in my heart to talk about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Particularly in his early days.
Thinking of this phrase, God was manifest in the flesh.
Yesterday we were reminded that he stepped into time from eternity.
And we have various verses that prove that in Isaiah.
And remember, whether it's the 7th or the 9th, but it says unto us, a child is born, unto us a son is given, indicating that he would become a child. But He always was the Son. And John 316 backs that up too. 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. So he gave one that he had his Son.
And he came into this world. We have it here. It was manifest in the flesh.
God was manifest in the flesh.
And I'm sure we're all aware of those scriptures that point.
This out, I'd like to turn first of all to Luke. Chapter one, which was read yesterday, actually took place before his birth.
Luke, chapter one.
Well, just read verse 35 concerning the person.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Angel answered, and said unto her.
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall over shadow thee.
Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee.
00:10:04
Shall be called the Son of God.
Let's bear in mind that when the Lord Jesus came into this world as a man, He never ceased to be the Son of God.
He laid aside the form.
Of God. He didn't set aside being God. He always was and always will be God the Son. He set aside the form.
I had a book that was written by a Greek scholar pointing out the meaning of some of those words.
And the form indicates the outward expression of what is inwardly true.
He laid aside the outward expression. He veiled it in the flesh.
Of his body.
So the Lord Jesus came into this world as a true human being, but let's not forget that He has called that holy thing the Son of God, and He never ceased to be that.
And there are many other things that could look at. It's interesting to see the Scriptures that deal with the very early life of the Lord Jesus. We have him later in Luke at 8 days, coming according to the law, circumcised again at 40 days when the days of Mary's purification were accomplished. And we see Simeon, you know, and that's interesting, Anna, Speaking of him to all that looked for redemption in Israel.
And then in Matthew we have the wise men seeking him and bringing their gifts.
They were indeed wise men because they brought things that spoke of his person.
His we can take time to look at that Matthew chapter 2.
Verse 11 of Matthew 2.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him.
And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
I tried to emphasize the word him.
Much is made of Mary, She had a wonderful portion to be the Mother of our Lord, but when they came, they worshipped Him, not them or her, but Him.
It doesn't say he's an infant here.
I think it's nine times.
The term young child is used in this chapter.
He was now a young child, and Herod inquired diligently what time the star appeared, and he killed the children from 2 years old and under. That gives us a little indication.
And they presented their gifts unto him Gold.
How much they perceived of this I don't know, but they are wise enough to bring gold. Speaking of divine righteousness, they knew.
At least their gift implied his deity.
And frankincense.
That word would speak of the free outflow.
The incense that needed nothing to make the fragrance come forth.
And who would speak to us of his perfect life?
There's a book that's.
Well recommended for everyone. I read it two or three times. I should read it again. It's called The Moral Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ by JG Bellit. I think there was a brother recommended at reading it every year.
It brings before you the person of the Lord Jesus is a man of perfection.
Of his person and as the delight to read that and to enjoy those perfections.
In our blessed Lord, thus frankincense. And the third thing is myrrh.
And I understand that is something that oozes from a tree when the tree is cut.
Injuries the tree.
Trees don't feel pain, but it just brings before us the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ and other side of His being.
Well, you know, we have those same three things just by the way we look at Philippians Chapter 2.
That portion?
00:15:02
Getting a little away from what I really have in my heart, but this is so nice.
Philippians chapter 2, that portion that we often read on Lord's Day morning, beginning at the fifth verse. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery?
To be equal with God, there is the gold.
Verse 7.
Made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant.
And was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. There's the frankincense.
And became obedient unto death.
Even the death of the cross and you have the myrrh. Isn't that beautiful?
I really enjoyed that.
My reference is to Brother Gladding, the source of that. Let's go back to Luke.
To chapter 2.
At the end of that chapter.
And thinking particularly of the children and young people.
No, You might look at the folks that stand up here and speak or during the reading meeting. Most have Gray hair, if they have any hair. You know, we're older folks and.
Maybe we forget it too, that we were one day, one time, the age of some of you folks that are younger here.
You know, I was a teenager once.
I was a little boy once.
And we haven't forgotten those things. And oftentimes I come across something in the scripture that was a puzzle to me. I like to make it plain.
For those of you who are younger.
Well, don't forget that the Lord Jesus was once a little boy.
Someone said he had to do something that was more difficult than Adam had to do. He had to grow up from an infancy in a corrupt world. Adam was placed as a grown man in a in a paradise and he failed. The Lord Jesus grew up in a corrupt world and he didn't fail. He couldn't fail. That holy thing. It's called the Son of God.
Well, this glorious person as a child.
Who will read about it now when he was 12 years old? Anybody that's 12 years old here today, would you put up your hand? Hold up your hand. If you're there's a 12, here's a 12/1 back there, two back there. Good. There's some 12 year olds. Okay, I missed a few, a few 12 year olds.
And I'm not just speaking to you that are 12. Those are your 10 and 11815 TuneIn too, because I'm going to tell you something about the Lord Jesus when he was young. Let's read it first verse 40 Luke two and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit.
You know, when we're 12, we're trying to get strong and body, aren't we? Lift weights and stuff. Strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was upon him. And his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem.
And Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors.
Both hearing them and asking them questions.
And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
And when they saw him, they were amazed. And his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father, and I have sought thee. Sorrowing he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me?
Wish ye not that I must be about my father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart, and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
00:20:10
We hear a marvelous thing here about the Lord Jesus.
It says he was a child, spoke of him as a child, he grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and God was with him. How is it that at the age of 12 he could say things, he could ask questions that the wisest man, the most knowledgeable man in the scriptures of his day would marvel at him?
I just want to say this, the Lord Jesus never used his divine power.
To help out His humanity. He was a true human being without the failures that sin brings in. He was a true human being. Because someone once asked the question, was Jesus able as the Son of God, to ease some of the sufferings of the cross that she suffered as a man? Not a bit, not a bit. He even refused that medication of wine mingled with myrrh. He wouldn't take it.
And it tells us that the Passover was to be roast with fire, not sodden at all with water. Nothing to take away the heat.
Of that suffering.
He endured it all, he felt as intensely as anybody would, maybe more so.
The pain of the nails, the thorns, the lash, the punch.
The plucking of the hair.
He felt it.
And what he felt even more was the weight of our sins.
O Lord, was the tormented was our sins heavy load. He felt it all.
And the point I'm trying to make is, how is it that at 12 years of age he had all this knowledge?
So just because he was the Son of God and he knew everything.
Upholder of the universe? I don't think so.
I believe that as a human being, he studied it. He read the word of God.
They must have been into the scriptures.
You know there's an older brother here.
I'm not going to reveal any names, but a younger brother of his told me one time that he was walking through the living room of his house and he saw this, his older brother sitting there with his Bible open. He said you're studying your verse for Sunday school, No.
What you do in your Bible questions? No, what are you doing? I'm reading my Bible. I may have quoted exactly, but.
It was new to the younger brother that you could sit and read your Bible. Young people, you do that. Do you sit and read your Bible sometimes?
You know, there's a I see a boy shaking his head. Good, good.
You know there's a.
A young lady which is now gathered to the Lord's name, and she told us that.
She never read the Bible.
But it was one of her duties in the house and the home to dust a certain room and among other things, she had to dust this big family Bible off.
You get the idea. See, nobody was reading it. She dusted it off and one day it dawned on her, why don't I just read it and see what is it about? This is the Bible. And she started in Genesis. And I don't know whether she continued right on through, but a month later she was invited to a gospel meeting. And after the meeting.
She was discussing it with people, some of the young folks.
And she accepted the Lord as her Savior.
Is not marvelous. It started with reading the word of God and it no doubt touched her conscience.
So young people, children, read your Bible. You might not understand all the big words.
And the names are hard to pronounce. Big people can't even pronounce them right. So don't worry. But read your Bible. This is the point I'd like to make with you, dear ones, Read your Bible. The Lord Jesus as a boy had given himself to it, so much so that when he was 12 years of age when he came into the temple.
He was sitting in the midst of the doctors, doctors of the law, both hearing them and asking them questions, hearing them.
I'm glad to see young folks here that are hearing the Word of God. I see some of you are very attentive to the Word of God, and I don't mean just being. When I'm standing up here, I see I can see more from up here. But when I'm sitting there I can see folks that are paying attention and it's nice you're paying attention to the Word of God.
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Keep it up. Listen.
Listen you, you can go home from the conference and someone might say to you, did you learn anything? And you'll say yes.
I embarrassed one person one time, said well, what was it that you learned?
I'd probably be the same way but three years from now if we're still here.
Something will come to mind. I won't remember where it came from. It probably came from this conference.
Maybe it won't be that long.
But there are things that we're learning as we listen and as we read the Word of God, and the Lord Jesus as a boy was like that.
He was sitting there hearing them and asking them questions.
And notice verse 47 what it says.
And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. Answers.
That tells me that they must have asked him some questions.
You know when you find someone that's quite knowledgeable about a subject, sometimes, especially if it's a child, you quiz them a little bit to see what is the extent of their understanding. No wonder they were astonished at his understanding and answers.
I've often wondered what kind of questions did he start off with?
You know, sometimes we can ask questions that are kind of meaningless. And don't be afraid to ask questions because maybe they aren't meaningless, but the Lord Jesus would have asked very knowledgeable questions.
You know, it wasn't divided up in chapters in those days. But I wonder if he didn't ask him about Isaiah 53. What's that about?
And what did David mean when he said, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
And, you know, he could have asked questions like that. It would have stumped them. They wouldn't know. They don't know to this day.
Some of those learned rabbis.
But the Lord Jesus had studied. I'm bold to say it and correct me if I'm not right, but I believe he studied the word of God as a boy.
Maybe it was read in his home. He was brought up in a godly home. Many of us have been brought up in a godly home.
And don't feel bad because you've never got into some of the things that your friends talk about at school.
Be thankful.
You're shielded from it.
You're kept from it.
You know, when we were growing up, there were things we were not allowed to do. And in those days you did obey your parents. And in those days you respected authority. And I hope that it's not any different today in a Christian home, that you do respect authority, respect what your parents tell you, respect the word of God and respect all due authority. But.
There were things that we never did. And sometimes the neighborhood kids would say, I remember one time they asked my brother and I, they said, you've never been to a movie, we'll buy you a ticket. And then we didn't know how to answer them.
Because we knew that would have been wrong to do.
I'm sure we didn't miss anything because a brother that was saved in his teens.
He told me that the things he saw in some of those movies still come back when he's kneeling in prayer.
To haunt them.
We don't have that kind of a memory. It wasn't.
Hours to have is that I'm thankful for that. Thankful for that.
Another time.
Due to a circumstance of.
A person that was doing business with.
And I said to this person.
You must read your Bible.
And she said I had the privilege of being brought up in a Christian home. Wasn't that nice. I never saw her again, never saw before that.
I had the privilege of being brought up in a Christian home.
Do you understand it as a privilege, young people? Is it a real privilege to you to be brought up in a Christian home where you hear the word of God and where you're restrained from things?
You know, sometimes people think it's awfully narrow. I'm going to hold my place here and turn to 2nd Corinthians 6 because there's something there that might seem like it's holding us back from something.
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And verse 12.
Now I better read verse 11.
First Second Corinthians, chapter 6.
OE Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged or expanded. You're not straightened, that means narrowed in us, but you're straightened in your own vowels. Now for a recompense in the same I speak as unto my children, be ye also enlarged. And then what does it say? Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, and so on.
It might sound like, well, that's being restrictive, that's narrowing me down. Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. But you know what would happen if you're yoked together with an unbeliever? You are restricted. You can't go on in the same way with the Lord. So he says be enlarged. Don't get into this narrow thing, restricting yourself from going on with the Lord.
And we see some sad cases where that's been ignored in the matter of marriage. And a believer marries an unbeliever and they're restricted, they're narrowed.
Well, I just want to get back to the Lord Jesus here because.
He was into the word and he was able to speak to those learned men in a way that.
Amazed them.
And you just notice when his mother found him in verse 48.
They were amazed. His mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold thy father, and I sought thee sorrowing. Did you notice, if you're following that in the Scripture, how the word Father is there? It's with a small.
Now let's look at his answer in verse 49.
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wish ye not that I must be about my father's?
Business with a big F.
My father's business.
Mary was referring to Joseph, the legal father.
In the eyes of the law.
But he was about his father's business.
The Father, God the Father.
Well, this is all marvelous, isn't it? The Lord Jesus had such knowledge and understanding. Now let's go down to verse 51.
And he went down with them.
And came to Nazareth.
And was subject unto them.
Was subject unto them.
What does that mean?
Subject unto them.
He was obedient.
He did what they wanted him to do.
You know, sometimes there's things that you don't have to be told as a command. You just know that your parents don't want you to do it.
He was subject unto them.
I've often thought as apparent that they must have been amazed at this child.
Who never did anything wrong.
It doesn't tell us that any detail of that in the scripture, but his mother was always pondering these things.
I skipped those words here in these verses but at the end of 51 it says but his mother kept.
All these sayings in her heart. Amazing. He was subject 12 years old.
So young people and children, don't forget that. Be subject if you want to be happy.
We've heard it already. Obedience and happiness go together.
Obedience and happiness. It's so in our Christian life, whether we're children or older. But if you're a child in a home and you want to be happy and the family wants to be happy, be subject to your parents.
Obey.
And then it says something amazing. In verse 52, Jesus increased in wisdom.
And stature and favor with God and man. We read already in verse 40 that he was filled with wisdom.
And it says he increased in wisdom.
How could that be? He was filled with wisdom and he increased in wisdom. Oh, someone said it might be capacity increased, but it's like to think that the Lord Jesus is such a marvelous person. He's infinite.
He was filled with wisdom and he increased in wisdom. You can't explain it. I'd rather not try to explain it. I just marvel at this blessed one.
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And all that he did even as a child. I'd like to leave it there, but I trust that.
The dear younger ones.
And all of us, we could take a lesson from this of the Lord Jesus in his early life.
And how he was still obedient to his parents, although he was so wise in the things of God.
I hope I have something for the young people and for their children that this afternoon.
I'd just like to say to the young people and older ones too, including myself.
I've been joined this verse when I first noticed that when I was at a conference, I'd read the Bible through I don't know how many times, but in the first second chapter of Matthew, verse 12, it says these words, these wise men were seeking to find the Lord Jesus Christ the Savior. And it says in the end of the verse 12, it says they departed into their own country another way.
And I just hope, dear boys and girls.
And older ones and myself included.
That when we leave these meetings, we go back another way.
And serving our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because there's no other way to be happy.
I'm going to try and go through these because I don't want to take the whole time, but the Lord Jesus Christ, I'm going to read these words. You don't have to turn to them to save time, but we're reading the Gospel of John, chapter 15, These words spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He said these things. Have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, that your joy might be full?
The Lord Jesus Christ wants you and I, girls and boys, to be joyful in Him.
Now I just wanted to say there were five steps I'd like to talk on for young people an older ones that they're here.
That.
Might help you if you're unsaved and that is the first step is to find out. First of all important question.
That you're a Sinner.
And get a right from God's word.
And the Holy Spirit reveal it to you, that you'll realize that you are a Sinner.
And that you need a savior.
And if you're an earnest God will show you what verses there are several verses. As I say, I don't want to take up time. Let another brother have a message to. But there's so many verses in the Bible that tell us that we're sinners.
And there's as many verses, if not more, and telling us how to get saved.
But the first one is if you find out you're a Sinner.
And I hope you do today.
And then the next thing is to be baptized.
If you want to be happy and then the third thing.
After you get saved, that is.
Be baptized and then the most important step after you're baptized and you.
Know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Is to take your place at the Lord's table and remember him when you turn with me to Luke 22.
We all know this pretty well, but I'll read it for this younger one, verse 7.
Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that's so important?
Where wilt thou?
And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the Center City, there shall a man meet you. Isn't that beautiful, if you and I were sent into a city?
I've been sent in many times and with the company I used to be with and they gave me certain things to look for.
And in the excitement, I would be looking around and I never saw some of the things they told me. It wasn't easy to find. But he says here.
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There shall a man meet you, and that is no other than represents the Holy Spirit of God.
Bearing a picture of water.
Now when I read that several years ago, I thought, well, I if I was writing that, I might have made a mistake and I might have said a picture of water.
Picture, but notice it's a picture of water. Now the spirit speaks of the man.
The Spirit of God and the vessel the picture speaks of man you where I were saved and it's full with water. The word of God.
And if anybody comes into the meeting and they're not guided by the word of God, and they only come because we're nice people, the women all wear hats, they all shake hands, and the women kiss each other and show affection. And they have no other interest in the meeting than that. And they haven't got down by the Holy Spirit guide on there and a real desire to serve the Lord and fulfill his dying request.
Well, it isn't long till sometimes they leave the meeting naturally that they can't understand it all, He says unto them further.
After they follow this man, follow him into the house where he entereth in.
And ye shall say unto the Goodman of the house, notice.
The capital M for Master. The master set under the Where is the guest chamber? I like to think you know it was a guest chamber.
And I like to think that.
God maybe put that word guest chamber there.
Because it reminds us.
I guess chamber is a place where people come and stay for maybe two or three nights, maybe they stay a week, but they don't stay as a rule, very long. It's a guest chamber. And so it speaks to us this very short time that the Lord is coming and we're to go into this room expecting at any time we'll hear the call, the shout from the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Master, and you shall say unto the Goodman of the house, the Master saith unto thee.
Where is a guest changer chamber where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples and he shall show you a large upper room furnished. Isn't that beautiful? A large upper room furnished for as many who is same and wants to be at the Lord's table. A large upper room furnace and they were there to make ready.
And they went and found as He had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover. And all this is so beautiful. The next verse.
I know that you who have gathered for years have enjoyed it like I have in others.
And when the hour was come?
He, Jesus sat down and the 12 apostles with him.
I remember reading this one time I went to a small town.
I read it and I said.
And when the hour was come?
He sat down and six of the apostles with him, and all heads went down to read their Bibles.
No, I said there were 12. They were all there.
To read to me, to remember the Lord there, as we count it now to be at the Passover.
And he said unto them.
First of all, when the hour was come.
I mentioned that when I was brought up by my dear mother and father, who are Christians gathered to the precious name of the Lord.
Do you still insist that all of us would be at the meetings 15 minutes before the meeting started?
And my mother used to say a dear old French brother in our meeting and naming him, I'd forgotten his name.
He used to say if you get there, 15 minutes.
On if you get there on time.
You're 15 minutes late.
You should be there, Lord, especially Lord's Day if you're at the Lord's table 15 minutes before.
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So you can meditate.
And meditate with the Lord in prayer, and be prepared when the Lord, so to speak, appears at 10:30 at the hour.
And so I spoke in this town and I said, when the hour was come, he sat down. And lastly I said this six. And then I said, no, it's 12, isn't it? They were all there.
And he said with desire, oh, I think that's so wonderful. Can you imagine? It's hard for us to take it in.
That the Son of God.
God's beloved Son.
Who never sinned. He couldn't because he didn't have a simple mention like you and I. He was sent from heaven, born of a virgin.
And he tells us.
That he desires to be with us.
I think it's so wonderful.
So wonderful He desires to be with us.
I desire to eat this Passover with you before.
I suffer.
For I say unto you, I'm not anymore members of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying the test, the cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you now to save time.
I said there were five things. First, find out you're lost through the word of God.
Secondly, get saved. You heard a gospel message last night. There'd be a gospel message tonight if the Lord hasn't come.
Lord willing.
But find out and then be baptized. And then when the Lord shows you and you have a real desire to remember Him and his death as He's asked us to do, take your place.
At the Lord's table Now maybe there's someone here is in the same condition as I was. I went to the meetings faithful and my dear mother and father. I never never remember ever saying I'm not going gospel or anything else. I would go. I I enjoyed it. I wasn't safe for till I was about 11:00 and 12:00, I guess, but I went and I love my mother and father and I knew they were taking me there because it was of the God's will.
And as I went there, finally I got.
One for Christ, and I'm so glad that the Lord saved me.
So.
Going back to this place where I went.
Spoken this after the breaking of bread I hadn't been there for a while I went back and the brother said to me oh brother it's me alive just like to speak to you in the corner and took me over and said you know we had the.
Family here.
The family name and the number, I forgot a minute there were, he says. They used to come.
At 25, English to 11 and you hold it was 5 minutes before either 5 minutes passed the.
11 The meeting started at 11, we'll say 5 minutes past 1110 minutes past 11.
And 15 minutes past 11, all different ones, he said now.
They're all here 15 minutes before, like you suggested. I said, isn't that nice? He said maybe nice if you speak to them. I said, Oh no.
The Spirit of God has spoken to him. The works his Mr. Leven. I love them and I wouldn't want to offend anyone. Offended brother is harder to be one.
In a strong city.
And I said, leave that with the Lord now. Alright, we're down to the.
Finding out we're lost.
Secondly, being baptized, taking our place, the beginning say being baptized and.
Taking our place at the Lords Table now, there may be some here that are in the same condition as I was in the Lords Table. I used to sit in Montreal at that time.
The brethren sat in front and up there was a balcony over and underneath. Those who didn't break bread sat back. And as I went. I used to sing to hymns and I loved this. I've always loved singing. Not a good singer, but I love it.
00:50:11
And I used to sing to hymns and when the brother visited with his children.
And he walked in with these three children.
Brought tears to my eyes, Aunt.
Isn't it sad they were younger than I am?
And here I am back here.
And one day.
My brother visited one of the laborers and he said.
Billy, why are you sitting back there?
And I said.
He said you're saved.
What are you sitting back there for?
Well, I said. I tell you why.
I'm afraid if I.
Take my place at the Lord's table.
I may fall into sin. I've never been to a theater in my life.
But you know, I just, it's a serious thing to take your place there, he said. Yes, it is.
Well, he says, and he turned me to the 1St Corinthians 11 and he read me that scripture and he says, if you wait till you're any better.
You may never come at all.
Because, he said, we all sin.
And if it was a case of us not coming to, we sure we wouldn't sin. There wouldn't be anybody here if they were honest.
Oh no, he said here and we have the word of God and he says if a man's sin at an examine himself and then partake of the ailment and so I.
Desire and shaving one afternoon and supposedly went with a Christian friend, Chris Newton, believer in the Montreal assembly. Not gathered and I was shaving.
And the Lord spoke to me, and just as if he was in the room.
And he said.
When are you going to Remember Me?
I was getting ready to go out with.
I put the razor down and got down my knees.
And I said, Lord give me his strength, and I went up to Chris's house.
And I said, I'm sorry, I won't be going with you tonight. We weren't going anywhere special.
And I said I'm deciding to go over to the House of Mr. Price. I've been invited his grandchildren being baptized and I'm going to ask for my place that the Lord's Table.
And he got his hand out and he said you couldn't make a better choice. That's good.
But he said. I'm terribly disappointed that you're not coming.
Well, I said if I don't do it tonight.
Satan will hinder me and I said this may be the last opportunity I have because Christ is coming pretty soon, Chris.
He said. I know he is.
So that's why I took my place. Now, if there's any young person here today that has that feeling, don't put it off. Now the last one I was going to say is to work for the Lord.
Now how old have it got to be?
To be a Sinner.
I asked the little fellow that one in the summertime I was at a meeting and said, how old have you got to be to be a Sinner?
And he thought for a while and he said.
Well, he said.
When you invite me, oh, baby can be a Sinner, I said. That's all right. We're born on sin.
Yeah, I said. That's Stuart. Yeah.
So I'm going to ask you this.
How old are you going to be to work for the Lord? Well, some say you know well.
I'd like to but I haven't got the nerve to hand out tracks.
I haven't.
Got the energy to wherever the nerve to speak to somebody above the Lord.
And so hard.
Dear young people.
That's only.
Satan is telling you that.
We have two young people, a young man who has come to our meeting lately.
And once from Russia.
And the others from Lebanon?
And.
They bring in different ones on. Choose the name before I left. This Russian boy, nice looking boy, speaks only a little English, quite a bit more French, speaks Russian and other languages, about 5 to 6 languages. But here he is sitting at the back.
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With two young girls that he brought out.
One was a girl with.
And a colored skin, bound skin. And the other was a little French girl. And there he was at the back and I went over.
Shake hands with them. And he said, I want you to meet these two girls. I shook hands with them.
And had a talk with them. Not saved yet, but he said.
They hope to get saved.
He said.
Speak to them.
So I said, well, you've already spoken them. I don't think we should go too far.
I said, you know, we can spoil the work of the Holy Spirit by trying to get people saving 24 hours. Have you spoken about the Lord? You know, so I quoted some verses to them and I said, do you understand them? That we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God?
Yes. Did you read about John 316, How God so loved the world? Yes. But if you believe that, you can be saved tonight, right now.
Well, then we're going to our teeth. They're supposed to be this Sunday and we're having a fellowship tea and they hope to go the they said they were at least now about the younger ones. How about a little girl six years of age?
Can she?
Word for the Lord.
Well, there's a little girl I periodically get mail, no name attached them. I don't know who sends them to me half the time, but the little sip of paper telling about.
Two stories and this will really touch my heart. The little girl left Sunday school and she's.
Skipping down the sidewalk singing Jesus Loves the little Children.
All the children of the world.
And she was saying, and then she went on to Jesus loves me. This I know beside her was a man.
Walking down beside her.
And.
She didn't know him and he didn't know her.
But they came to cross the street and traffic light was.
Against them. So the little girl looked up in his face with a sweet smile and she said.
Mr.
Do you love Jesus?
No, no, no.
No, no, I don't love Jesus.
Why not?
He loves you.
He said how do you know he loves him? And he crossed the street with her and she said because he died for you and I on Calvary's cross.
And she said.
Why don't you love Jews?
Tell me Mr.
Why?
He said.
Go on home.
He went home.
And the Spirit of God.
Used that little girl's voice and message.
And he put on the TV to look at his sports.
Turned it off.
He picked up the newspaper, started to read it, put it down.
His wife looked down and said. She said to him, are you sick? No, no, no, he said, just come up, I guess work and all that, he said.
And she said, well, you're very.
Honey, you don't look at their TV or sports. You're not interested in the paper with the matter. I don't know. I ain't going to bed early. So we got into bed and he tossed and turned.
And the Holy Spirit all the time.
I was bringing this little girl's question.
Mr. Do you love Jesus?
Why not?
He died for you and I.
And so when the man went home and finally he got down to his knees.
And he confessed the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he went to a place where they sold the.
Papers telling the way of salvation. Christian book room. I don't know where it was, but he went there and told him the story.
And he said that's how the Spirit of God saved me.
And so this was written on a little track and somebody mailed it to me. The little girl, she was around six years of age. Now, here's another one. About 10 years ago, I got one little girl five years of age.
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And their father and mother had her friend coming to the house, a man businessman of her father's.
Not saved worldly man.
And the father and mother are Christians, and the little girl was.
Five years of age? No, that's not old, is it? The man came in and.
He said something to her like, what do you know today? I think it was.
And she said.
While I was at Sunday school and I found out that Jesus loves me.
Not nice, he said.
Oh yeah, she said he loves me is how do you know it? Well, she said I'll try and find the verse. So she somehow want your mother somebody and got the burst John 316. She read that.
Then she got the worst. But Paul says.
How he loves us.
And she said, you know, we sing in the Sunday school, Jesus loves me. That's why I know. And they are only reason we know is because God speaks to us in the Bible.
Well, he said. How do you know it's true?
Oh, because he's told and he's showing me. How did he show you? Well, she's done on Calvary's cross.
He said I love you this much.
That broke the man's heart, though, to think a little.
Five year old could lead him to Christ.
God is working, that is not.
Lose heart and Get me on tracks every opportunity. There's so many ways we can spread the gospel and the bills we send out for electricity or power or telephone or anything. But it'll attract him.
And I've done it for years. And in some cases I haven't heard. I got one call from one company and they phoned up and the girl said to you, the party that close the little tracking, such and such a track. I said yes, I did. She said, well, I work for the such and such a company and I'd like you to come in and speak to me personally. Would you, would you come at lunchtime when I have my mom on my lunch hour and I'm not taking up the company's time? I said sure and went in.
She accepted Christ and her Savior.
Wonderfully, I got another one in the mail.
From a girl, she said. Did you put that in there? Have you got any others?
Yes, understand some to her. I hadn't heard anything since from her, but young people that older don't. Let's give up giving a try. If you can put them in phone books on the telephone booth or there's so many ways we can spread the gospel. And I would advise you to get a rubber stamp. They're not expensive and put the address of the gospel hall where you go over whatever you call it and stamp it on there the hour of the gospel meeting and you'll get results.
Not the next day, but the main thing is the water with your prayers and the Lord can use you. So keep those five things in mind. Find out from the Bible that you're a Sinner. It's a very important question. And then find out how to be saved. If you don't know, if you're here last night, you know the answer. You'll hear it again tonight if the Lord tarries.
And then the next step is.
To be baptized and then to receive to the Lord as its favor, and then take your place at the Lord's table. And then after we've done that, be a worker for the Lord Jesus and he'll bless you.
There's 25.
Been encouraged to come up here to want to take too much place. I had the opportunity and the privilege of preaching the gospel last night.
I did have a portion on my heart and I felt encouraged to come up here because the two previous brethren have been speaking to young people and the children.
And I would like to just mention something that happened just before this meeting. I.
Spoke to a young boy in the washroom just before this meeting. I won't mention who it is.
He must be six or seven.
And Brother Peter Blair was with me, and this boy confessed that the Lord Jesus Christ with his Savior.
This is really good news. It's good news in heaven and it's good news for us. We know the Lord Jesus our Savior.
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To know that one has confessed the Lord Jesus as his own personal Savior.
Now the second thing I want to say.
Just want to say that that piece of plastic in my throat I've been asked about did go down and I did survive. Everything was, well, Hebrews 10 and 25.
I have something in my throat this afternoon and it's not a piece of plastic.
Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as a matter of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.
Want to thank their brethren here for the energy expense.
Afforded.
The work, the hours that we can be together and spend time opening God's Word and hearing of the things of Christ together.
Allowing us to be assembling together.
You know this word here, assembling ourselves together.
Appears twice only in the New Testament.
In this verse and in Two Thessalonians chapter 2.
It's the Greek. I'm not a Greek scholar, but I did look it up at Peace Synagogue or Sunagogi.
Like the word synagogue, a place where they met.
So the gathering together, but there's a little prefix there, Fe, and I believe it means 2.
There's a center 2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 2.
And the first verse.
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together.
Unto him, gathering together, unto him, two gatherings, this one. None of us who know the Lord Jesus are going to miss this one.
He's going to come on the clouds and we're going to be called away to meet him in the air.
You're not going to miss that, are you?
When it happens.
In a twinkling of an eye, in whose presence are we going to be the presence of the Son of God?
Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 25.
Gathering together.
To who? We get it in the 13th chapter.
Verse 13.
Let us go therefore unto Him without the cap.
We gather ourselves together, but unto Him.
Whose presence are we going to be into the presence of the Lord Jesus? Whose presence are we into now this gathering, the presence of the Lord Jesus?
It's a wonderful blessing.
Great responsibility.
I wasn't brought up in a meeting.
Come from the outside.
Was in a church denomination, the camp.
Value very much the word of God, the Lord Jesus.
And I.
I'm probably going to fail. Still not planning to fail.
We do fail.
Pull the browser at once.
Because we'd been having some difficulties and.
We have been having some difficulties.
I spoke to the brother and I used the word failure among the seats of God.
And he said failure no.
Weakness. Yes.
Failure. No.
Well, you can talk to me after a meeting. I'm leaving tonight after the reading meeting. I would like to speak of failure.
Failure to realize.
In whose presence we are.
And I would like to speak this afternoon to my older brethren.
And I would like to ask the Lord to give me grace. I don't want to offend my brother, and I love you dearly.
01:10:03
I appreciate the ministry from the Word of God.
We're in that place. We believe that's why we're here. We believe we're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are other companies of Saints who claim to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we claim that.
And we believe that.
And I am here not because you are here, though I love you very much.
I'm here because I believe the Lord Jesus Christ is here. That's why I'm here.
And if the Lord Jesus is here.
We want him.
He's the object when we come together to remember him Lord's Day morning to thrill our hearts, and when we come together, assembling ourselves together, exhorting one another.
We would want to be the apostle, Peter says. If any man speak, let him speak as the Oracle of God.
It's a great responsibility.
We have Colossians 3 in their eating.
We could have Ephesians 2, Philippians one, we could have any chapter in the Word of God, any chapter in the New Testament, and we'd have a blessed time together because we know the Scriptures so much. There's gift among us and we can appreciate the things of Christ together. But what does the Lord Jesus have for us?
Do we know?
Well, brethren, we seem to know.
We seem to know what the mind of the Spirit is.
And I'm afraid we're tripping over each other.
And in my judgment, brethren.
I do not believe we are waiting on the Lord properly.
Several years ago I was a young Christian in Montreal and we got together some French brethren and we were going to have a reading meeting.
Young in their faith and eager and so.
You'd find that if you'd come into one of our readings.
You have to be sitting on the edge of your chair. If you wanted to say something because I talked fast, raise your hand if I do too much, if I go too fast. For French people, we talk fast and we talk with our hands. If you wanted to say something, you almost have to **** in.
A trait of nature.
Not a trait of the Spirit.
Waiting on each other.
Would be waiting on the Spirit of God, because the Spirit of God can say it through me or somebody else and it has to be me that says it.
First Peter, chapter 5.
Verse one.
The elders which are among you? I exhort.
Who I'm also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also partake 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 I've already mine.
Neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being.
And samples.
To the flock.
When we had that meeting in French.
Dear brother in the Lord, he was older, English speaking, but he could speak French and he made that comment. You really got to get in there if you want to say something.
One on another evening, the regular assembly meeting was there with quite a few older brothers and.
And beautiful readings.
And I'd rather make a comment.
Little moment of silence. Somebody didn't understand. The question would come up.
But nothing else came up and another brother would make a comment and it was so wonderful for me, a young believer, to receive so much from the word of God from 1:00 and another by the Spirit of God.
And you know.
I was thinking as the more of God's people are together.
The more important it is for what I say that it would be from the Lord. If I'm talking to somebody, I can talk about the things of the Lord, but in the assembly the ones speaking should be speaking as the Oracle of God.
And I was thinking I would get the conferences. There are four or 500.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, maybe I'm naive, but I would expect.
I would expect longer silence.
01:15:02
More waiting on the Lord because we need food for our souls.
And that's not what I've been experiencing for many years.
Maybe I'm wrong, I don't understand properly. Maybe it is like it was the Corinthians. They even interrupted each other. Maybe while Brother Roach was speaking before I had something. I might say brother Roach, I have something and it's scripture for that. Not very nice to do, but that's the only orderly way. The first one is quiet and the other one goes on.
Why was that? Was he led by the Spirit to interrupt the other? I doubt that.
And samples of the flock.
My understanding from the Word of God.
An open meeting.
I want to speak freely because I believe it's general among us. I'm not pointing anybody, It's general among us.
Andre told me once we don't have any more open meetings.
Because I was the same brother gets up. So what do you do?
The form of godliness. It's good. The form of godliness.
Either power in it.
You have an open meeting in your assembly.
Some have it once a month.
And you wait a few minutes.
Nothing special.
So we go through our regular reading.
So what the Lord is saying is there's absolutely nothing wrong, Everything is perfect. We don't need special exhortation.
The Lord has no message for us. That's what we're seeing.
Now, brethren, I challenge you. You have an open meeting, your assembly.
You just wait, I challenge. You wait.
And if the Lord doesn't lead you by His Spirit to a portion in God's Word.
You better get on our knees, brethren.
We better get on our knees.
If I was there, I could suggest a chapter.
From chapter I chose.
But if you live that experience, probably the next reading meeting, the next open meeting, you'll come with a prepared heart.
And when your heart is prepared.
And the form is there, and there's power. There should be liberty and time.
For one who has a portion.
To get up and to present it.
Yesterday.
Was 3:10 I believe.
We were done.
So the portion from the Lord have no doubt.
What was it? Maybe 40 minutes is it or an hour and 1020 minutes left?
And we had 20 minutes at the end.
Would to God we would have had 20 minutes of silence in the beginning.
Am I wrong, Redmond?
Are we so spiritual?
So we're ahead of the Spirit of God, and He leads two of us to speak at the same time.
Or give out two different hymns. Don't feel bad brother.
We all do it.
Brother said before he said the Lord took out the blue.
He takes out the broom.
He doesn't get rid of brethren.
Can I say it? The Lord doesn't take out the room to get rid of brethren. He gets the dirt out. He keeps the brethren.
What do you think, brethren? You think He got rid of the brethren members of his body?
Dirt.
I believe the Lord needs to bring the broom out among us.
Not to get rid of us. He loves us. He has portions we've been enjoying. Delightful portions, brother. The form is there, but in my judgment, the power is lacking. The power to be quiet, the power to wait on each other.
And I would say this for myself, young brethren, do not take example on us that way.
Wait on the Lord.
You have a portion on your heart, you wait on the Lord.
And I trust the Lord would speak to us that are older, and I'm starting to get there.
Did we wait on him?
Let him lead us.
He's in a mist. Release 123 in the reading meeting. It doesn't matter who speaks. Doesn't have to be me. If we're edified, if we're getting from the chapter what the Lord Jesus has on his heart for us, He knows what we need. I don't.
01:20:15
I can read Colossians 3 from Mr. Darby or Mr. Kelly, or we can all read mystery books. We don't come together to have ministry books read to us.
We come together to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus, That one. We're going to be in this presence in a few moments. Here is delightful voice. Here's here in our midst.
Does he have the place that he deserves?
The ministry of His Spirit, I believe, involves our waiting on Him, and I trust the Lord will give you grace to consider what I've said. Thank you.
336.
When we were arrested and I'm done.
On helpless race.
The father gave his only son.
Of twice 10,000 gifts divine, No gift like this could ever shine 336.
Behold.
The sun and break when we were.
Red Dead.
Was great.
Our day.
Open Mtg.