Dorothy Conference: 2001
Table of Contents
1 Corinthians 1:1-12
Reading
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Lord hates that day, the cloudless ray, that prospect rain unfailing.
Where God shall shine, and light divine and glory never fading, the whole hymn 169.
Lord, we can see by.
All that's right. Unfairly.
Corinthians chapter one.
Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and Sosthenes our brother unto the Church of God which is at Corinth. To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God, which is given you by Jesus Christ.
That and everything you are enriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge.
Even as a testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come behind a no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ?
God is faithful by whom you recall, unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Before it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the House of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
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Now this I say that everyone of you sayeth I am of Paul, and I have Apollo, and I have Cephas, and I have Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptize none of you but Christmas and Gaius. Last thing he should say that I have baptized in my own name, and I baptize also the household of Stephanie.
Besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
For the preaching of the cross was to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved. It is the power of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?
Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how the not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world, and things which are despised. Hath God chosen? Yeah, and things which are not to bring to not things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence, but of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom.
And righteousness and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written, He that glorious, let him glory in the Lord.
Paul was 18 months at Corinth.
Spent a lot of time there establishing the assembly.
This is addressed to a church in a city.
Assembly of God? It's current.
Gives us truth for the local assembly.
Ephesians, in contrast with that, gives us truth. For the universal Church. Church is viewed its totality, but here the local assembly.
And every chapter.
Has something that needs correction.
Or.
Teaching regarding wrong doctrine or wrong thoughts or wrong practices.
It's a. It's an. It's an epistle that corrects the errors that existed in this local assembly, giving us instruction for.
All all the years that have passed, 2000 years how a local assembly should conduct itself.
It's the only epistle that in the address and verse 2.
He He addresses the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called Saints, with all that in every place should call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord affairs and ours. So it has the the broadest application throughout the world. It's not just limited to current and what he addresses to correct at Corinth.
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Applies everywhere.
He didn't teach one thing in one assembly and something else in another assembly, but this is the broadest. I mentioned that because there are passages in Corinthians like the woman's place and the head covering and and things that are interpreted to be, well, I was just a local situation that existed at Corinth and doesn't apply elsewhere. Wrong. It applies everywhere.
That local condition that existed at Corinth, the correction that he gives towards it and for it.
Applies everywhere and we get that.
I'll give an example. We get that in chapter 4.
He says.
In verse 17.
The end of the verse as I teach everywhere.
In every church.
Again in chapter. I think it's Chapter 7.
Verse 17 The end of the verse and so ordain I in all churches.
Chapter 11.
First, umm.
For 16.
But if any man seemed to be contentious, we have no such custom neither.
The churches of God, he's implying of course there that the churches of God all have the same custom and it wasn't the way the Corinthians were going on. They needed correction and I think in chapter 14.
Verse 33.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the Saints. So what he gives in Corinthians applies everywhere, doesn't it?
And that's so important to see that, and that not to accept any of the teachings as just applying in that particular locality only applies everywhere.
That expression is overlooked very often. It's in that second verse, and there is an attempt to make things local.
And when you first mentioned the difference between Ephesians and 1St Corinthians, I said, oh mine, we're we're going to not see that second verse. So I'm very glad you called attention to it. It's true that the church is seen in universal character and achievement, but even though it's in its local character in Corinthians, Paul says there isn't one rule for one town and one for another.
And yet today, people try to make it out that way. They talk about local customs, but you know, the reason they had the prohibition on women speaking is that there was a custom. There was a problem there. And 1St Corinthians in the Corinthian assembly of women chattering to one another and and whispering back and forth. And that's why it was brought in there. It's not cultural, is it? It's not.
These universal principles being laid down.
Even though the application is due the local assembly.
Of the apostle Paul was an apostle.
And because of that had greater authority.
Speak with more authority than anybody today.
But the principle still applies today that when there are problems in an assembly that is not contrary to Scripture, that somebody who is not from that assembly might not be used of God to try to exercise the consciences of brethren in that assembly.
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On whatever wrong practice or teaching might come up.
That brother who does so is led by the Lord is not interfering in local matters. He might well do his responsibility as a teacher of God to try to help, but he cannot in an administrative way take matters in hand. And we can be so thankful that the Apostle Paul.
Who could have gone to Corinth and?
Take up the matter since he had universal authority.
Not just like a local overseer. He could have done that, but then we wouldn't have the book that teaches us on these things and the conditions that existed there. And we can still benefit from that. We can see the wisdom of God in directing Paul to write rather than to go there. Personally, he was hesitant to go there.
Because of the problems. But he was still trying to help, and he did that in corresponding sending the letter S led by the Spirit. Now we might not and do not pretend that we speak with inspiration as Paul did, but we can still be led by the Spirit of God today and try to be of help in whatever we become.
Of hopefully when we try to help, we try to help in the Spirit and not come across as dictators or dictating things. Paul didn't do that, although he certainly could speak with much more authority than anybody today can.
Doesn't that bring out to a connection with verse two and the verses that have been read to us, the importance of the word of God?
You know, many of us recursively read the scriptures. We don't. We don't meditate upon them. We don't think about them. We don't consider what we're reading and.
It's always interesting to me to see that.
The word of God has never changed. It's just the same today as there was over 2000 years ago. God will never change His word, and there are many even in Christendom today who seek to turn the Word of God around in some way to make it fit into what they thought or have their own thoughts. But isn't it lovely to know that we can go back to the Word of God and find out that truth? That was over 1900 years ago. It's still here.
Just the same as it was with all the new so-called translations and all the mix ups that there are going on, we can go back to the word of God and get sound instructions and how precious this is for our souls. May we ever delve into the word of God and seek to be guided by the Lord in what we think or what we say concerning the word of God.
Some of us have run into a little bit of that in visiting foreign lands, and we have seen where cultures were rather radically different from what we have been accustomed to. And on the one hand, there is a danger, isn't there, of our reacting according to our Western, if we could use that expression, our western frame of mind. And I have I guess personally.
Occasionally, occasionally been accused of that.
And probably rightfully so. And it's important to see that the apostles and others did not try to change local culture or customs if they did not conflict with God's claims or with his words. And so we have found in traveling, and I think others here would bear us out on this, that there are many things that perhaps are done differently and we have no reason to change them.
And I may say that it seems, at least in part, that some of the antagonism to Christianity is tied to the fear that their countries may be Westernized. Well, we shouldn't be doing that. But on the other hand, when a dear brother once wrote to me and complained that something that had been ministered by someone.
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Ran contrary to their culture, I said. Just as our brethren have been explaining.
The Word of God judges every culture, including our own, doesn't it? And so we need the Word of God and how beautiful it is, how balanced it is. And as our brethren have been bringing out, God didn't write one word or one part of the world and one for another, but rather gives us principles that are good for all time, in every country, in every culture.
He found that in Africa.
The relationship.
Between husband and wife is not what it should be. From a scriptural point of view, a woman is almost like a slave and that manifests itself even among the Christians. Also, family life is not what we are used to, so these are things that we try to exercise their conscience about. Husbands love your wife and that they look.
More scripturally at.
A wife and at their children sit down with them and read the scriptures, pray with them. So these are things that, as you said, Bill, where the culture collides with scriptural principles and teaching and they need to learn that well. We also found that in some assemblies they were still practising things the way they were used to from the systems.
You know, arranging things for the breaking of bread, What scriptures to read? Well, we gave corrective ministry and they actually thanked us for giving corrective ministry. So I'm not distressed when one runs into something like that as long as they're willing to accept correction and accept scriptural teaching, you know. And it's not nice that Paul, even here where there was so much to be corrected, he says grace.
Be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. So whenever we come in contact with things that we know from a scriptural point of view, they're not correct, they need to be corrected. Keep this spirit in mind and hopefully will manifest that spirit so that we can be a help and not alienate people.
There are many things that are not regulated in Scripture. We're not under law and we're talking about what the scriptures sets down as the proper way of going on. But there are many things that differ from one assembly to another. I remember when I was with the the Continental Brethren, their seating arrangement was the the brothers sat up front facing each other.
And the sisters sat in the back looking at the brothers. And the sisters did not. The brothers did not look at the sisters, they looked at other brothers. Well, that's the continental style. They didn't do that in England. And we follow more of the English style where families sit together.
The scripture doesn't really doesn't really regulate that kind of thing.
The arrangement of the chairs, whether it's in a circle or a semi circle or.
Different ways. Those are not regulated in Scripture, and there are variations that you'll come across as you go from place to place. I made a mistake once when I moved down from Northern Illinois to southern Illinois. I said in the Bronx meeting once, Well, they don't do it that way up where I come from.
No, they don't do that. You don't don't ever do that. Don't make that mistake. I found that out real fast. Each assembly maybe do it a little bit differently. So there's a lot of liberty and flexibility.
Amongst us. But we're talking about does a woman, should a woman have her head covered? Should she speak?
In, in, in the Church, in the assembly meetings, and so on. The answer is no. Yes for the first one, no for the second one.
It it addresses those issues but not all the little nitty gritty details because.
I know it's something like.
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Something I always think of it going from one assembly to another, it's like driving your car and you're going up into up a big steep hill, so you you downshift in order to get up the hill. Then when you get on the top then you go to the eye gear and you just coast down. And it's sort of like that when you come from one assembly to another, you have to know what gear to shift into so that you can adjust to the the state of that assembly because they're all different.
I certainly like to sit as families and I like that, although we were used to that from Europe sitting apart. But in India, Africa, I think it's pretty well all over the world that the women sit by themselves and the men sit in another place. So when we go to India, I'm beginner sits with the sisters and I sit with the brothers. You just fit in, you know, You just don't try to force our ways upon them. My dad said when I immigrated, you're going to a different country. There are different customs.
And go along with the customs. Don't try to change.
A dear brother among us.
In his travels and he traveled extensively, these guys with the Lord now, but he said he went to a meeting.
And in the meeting he was at, they they always put the box.
Under the table.
He went to this meeting. This is just an example of what can happen under this meeting and the loaf and the Cup were there and the box was on the table.
And this brother, no one was around, so he went over quietly and he put the bikes under the table, what they did at home.
He said the other brother came in and looked around for the box and went right over and he said I'll put it back on the table.
And he said that was my lesson. He says I learned something. Never try to change the customs of a meeting you go to. They have me have little idiosyncrasies or little customs. It's not vital to the truth of God. Why should we change it? So he said he learned a great lesson from men.
One of the very important things for us to observe in our chapter is that it was addressed to the Assembly and corner.
But in our history, where we see the Assembly of God divided into thousands of sex, and in a city hundreds of various religious associations, it's difficult to conceive that the church in the word of Gods in the city.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church of the Thessalonians, and when he sent Titus to Crete to ordain elders, it was my cities.
So we have the Church of God in the city. However, man has divided the seeds of which we have sown here in the wisdom of God, so that we will know in our day how to deal with the divisions. The word of God still teaches us that the church is in the city and the full church is there, and that really helps us to not get ourselves.
Out of touch with the principles of the word of God. To suppose that we're just another one of the sects in the city. We are as gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and expression of the assembly in that place, and every believer in that city has a place at the worst table there.
And the only reason they are not at the Lord's table is they choose to be elsewhere in a voluntary religious association, which is the parties that have been created by man's, as Paul said in the third chapter here, that they operated according to man. Somebody thought it was a good idea, and there's more opportunity in this and so forth. But the church is in the city. It's still one, and the truth is unchanged. And so the apostle writes to the church and the city.
I'd like to comment on the church in the city. We had some the assembly where I go Lawrenceville is in the country and some had been coming. And then they got a hold of the idea of the wrong teaching, that there's no such thing as the church in a country, it's only in a city and the the I'll just read in Galatians, he says.
With all the brethren which are with me under the churches of Galatia. Now Galatia was not a city, that was a province, and there were assemblies in that province, some in a in a city, some in the country. But anyway, the idea of this person was he stopped coming because you don't have any scriptural basis for meeting in the country.
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I mean, it's nonsense, but it's amazing how someone can get a hold of an idea and carry it to a ridiculous extent.
Well, that's a perfect example, brethren, of what the Scripture teaches us in this epistle that the letter killeth, the Spirit gives light, and when we turn to the word of God, it's very simple. If where two or three are gathered doesn't make any difference, where that is, there am I in the midst of it?
It doesn't say the Church of the Galatians. It says to churches. And there is no such a thing as the American church, the German church or going by a county.
There are churches or assemblies in counties or in states, but we must never associate the churches as the church in Galatia, you know. So that's a very important point.
But we must also be careful that in our minds we do not think only of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in any particular place, as the Church the Church consists of every.
Saved person in any community. Now they might not give expression to their truth. They're not meeting on that ground.
And if there are only two or three in any place that meet on the ground of the one body, they and they only give expression to their truth, that's not presumptuous to know that and believe that. So there is the possibility that there might be only a few of those that really make up the church in any community that meet on that principle and give expression to it.
And I trust that we are faithful in that way, that we give expression to that truth, acknowledging Christ as head and meet on the ground of the one body, and will not refuse anybody who has a right to be at the Lord's table. You know, there is a danger that we sometimes might do that. Let's be careful then. We're really denying the very ground upon which we meet.
And that is the truth of the body of Christ.
In Acts 11 and verse.
22 we have.
The expression the ears of the church in Jerusalem.
Doesn't say the churches in Jerusalem, does it? The church in Jerusalem.
So.
I believe that in.
Happy to be corrected on this, but that any one particular city there is a church, not churches. They may meet in various places, but there's only one church in that city. Is that correct?
Is that still old brother? There were thousands that believed in Jerusalem. They couldn't possibly meet all in one building, but they were one church.
The Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo, and it may be the only place I know of among us where so that there are is in the capital.
There are four places where they meet, but they speak out of it as the Assembly of Santo Domingo.
And.
There are practical consequences to that.
Importantly that be respected, but I'm glad that the Lord has allowed that there are 4 congregations you might say.
Were places for more meeting places within that city.
And regularly once a month.
Brothers come together.
Out of all those four and speak of things that are of interest as a whole assembly there in Santo Domingo.
Not of course. Hindsight, I agree with that. Not saying they are the assembly in Santo Domingo, but.
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They're they're practical consequences to the fact that God respects the geographic location such as that, doesn't it?
The expression has been used at the church in the city is comprised of all those that were safe.
In that city.
The second chapter of Acts at the end of the chapter says and God added to the assembly such as were being saved.
Having heard the gospel of your salvation.
Having believed the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
This is what?
Characterizes the Save and those are the ones who are added to the assembly, believers of the gospel, sealed by the Spirit of God, joined to those who exist in that place by the Holy Spirit. And then it comes a matter of a practical expression of that assembly. And it says here in our chapter in verse nine, that we are called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ. And this is the fellowship of the assembly in that place.
Like that expression, giving, giving that that word, giving expression to the truth of God. Isn't that what we do on Lord's Day Morning?
With expression to the truth that there is one body.
There's not two bodies. There's only one and one when Paul wrote to the Corinthians.
They were either gathered to the Lord's name or they were in idolatry. There was none of these other divisions that were there. That's all came in now, has come in now through Chris and them. They've turned it around and each one rising up and assuming their position and get a following. And isn't that what has happened in the past few years with us? They leave us.
And they start another group.
Whatever they call it, I don't know, But it seems to me that if we leave the divine ground, which we know to be as we have it in the Word of God, that we're wandering around in Christendom somewhere, not knowing where to go.
That's a confusing thing. And Paul, when Paul wrote to these Corinthians.
He threw them to the person of Christ, like we have here in our chapter. I think this is a lovely verse. Verse four, No, verses three and four. Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Could you find any greater title than that? Nothing. Then he says, I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God.
Which has given you in Christ Jesus. Those are titles. Those are terms that.
Really. Give us.
The expression of truth that we have.
Are we really gathered to the Lord's name? Am I going on? Am I really gathered to the Lord's name? I believe I am.
Because I seek to give expression to the truth of that one body. There is only one body.
And on that loaf on the Lord's Day morning we see that one loaf that it gives expression there is one body.
So it's so, these are so, these are precious things and it's good for us to remember as we reflect and go back.
To the fact that when Corinthians, when Paul wrote to these Corinthians, there were no groups, no other divisions, no other assumptions anywhere. They were either gathered the doors name or they were in idolatry. And those are things to remember as we read the word of God.
And it is in partaking of that loaf that I give expression to the fact that I'm member of the body of Christ. That's the truth of First Corinthians 10. For we being many, are one bred, for we are all partakers of that one loaf. And so if I don't practically deny the truth that I'm a member is we've been speaking that expression, perhaps you'll allow a simple illustration in the town that I city that I live in, there's a an assembly plant, a Ford assembly plant.
And they take parts and they assemble them together, and they make a car out of them. And it's called the Ford Assembly plant. And as the verse was quoted from Acts, the Lord added to his church daily, such as should be saved. And you may drive along and see hubcaps in a ditch, if I may put it this way, And parts here and there. You say, are they parts of that car? Yes, they are. But they're not giving expression to that fact. Now we're not talking about living parts that have a will.
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But we as living members, the Church is composed of living members here on this earth, and so we give expression to that truth when we come together. And it was spoken of fellowship.
But fellowship is a known thing, and it's a real thing and it's a visible thing. And we come together and we give expression to that truth that there is one body.
Now Paul also, while he had to correct a lot of things.
He does not begin with that. He acknowledges what there was commendable, but there was among them. I think that's an important principle too. Maybe if we come across something in an assembly that is not the way it should be, we tend to get overly occupied with that which is not right. But we ought to be always.
Looking for that which we can acknowledge and acknowledge it. And Paul does that here. And of course these Corinthians, while they were not yet outwardly divided as we have it today in the church.
So many divided groups of Christians, even among brethren.
They were still together, but they were internal risks.
And I'm afraid that that is sometimes realized amongst those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ today.
And the danger is that these internal rift eventually lead to external ruptures. And so this is, I believe, something that should touch our hearts, our consciences, that we all say the same thing.
That there is not differences of thought and differences of teachings.
You know, I believe that there were these internal rifts among us long before.
It came to these most recent rifts that humbling, that humbled us so much. You know, they were there and we didn't have the spirituality to try to help in these situations. We cannot just blame those that departed. Have we been able to be a help to them?
If we had been in a better spiritual state, maybe we could have been used of God to help, just like Paul helped here in Corinth. So the danger always is to, Oh yeah, these people, they.
Had given up some things, and so unsupported was unavoidable that sooner or later they'll depart. Well, what have we done trying to deliver them and help them?
I think we have to humble ourselves that we have not been able to be used of God to rescue them.
The principle that we that helps us to understand what our true place is in the Church of God. It's really what we find in verse 2. The apostle writes unto the Church of God which is at Corinth and if you look at Revelation chapter 2, verse one.
We find there that the Lord Jesus himself addresses the Angel or the overseer in Ephesus, and each one of the churches unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus. Right these things say, is he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. So we find that the assembly or church is of God, it belongs to him. The assembly is the Lord's, and so the character of what goes on in the assembly.
Ought to characterize what is suitable for the very presence of the Lord Jesus himself.
And so Christ is not divided. And so we find that if there's good order, that which exalts Christ and puts man in the suitable place of a basement, and humility, and Christ is exalted, then we find that there's that which is suitable for the presence of God, holiness.
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There's an inference here too, to that coming day when all will be revealed in its proper order, and I'm just noticing these verses here.
Look at.
Verse.
Seven Well, verse 8.
7:00 So that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now there was much gift there. They had a lot of that, but they didn't have any love because they were suing one another. They were going to law with one another. There was really they were spoken of as corinthianizing so bad. It was then going on a little bit. God is verse nine. God is faithful. Isn't that a lovely verse?
God is faithful.
By whom you were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ponder that verse.
Meditate on it. That's a beautiful verse. God is faithful by whom you were called unto the IT says unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Then say. Then go to verse 10. Now I beseech you, beloved.
Brethren, by the same, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ achieve all speak the same thing.
Now he comes to the point they were not speaking the same thing. One said, I have a policy, I have a policy, I have Paul, and so on. There was that confusion going on there. And he said that to you all. I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's very interesting that in this epistle Paul brings in that name the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the gathering center. It was he himself. And he says.
That there be no speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, but that you'd be perfectly joined together in the same mind in the same judgment, because it speaks here about the fellowship of His Son, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and.
I just forget you for the verse. Oh yeah, verse 8 at the end of that verse that we shall also confirm you.
Who shall also confirm you unto the end that he may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. That day hasn't come yet, but God is going to display that. So however we've adhered to the whatever truth we have, if we if we stand by that truth, then it's going to be displayed.
There are two things here. He was thankful, as her brother Heinz was pointing out.
For their utterance, that is. For the fact that they gave out the truth and Mr. Darby made a statement. We can see farther than we can walk, and dear young people, don't let people criticize the assembly because they've got more truth than we walk in. Paul here is seeking to exercise the conscience of the assembly, that they would walk in the fullness of the truth that they had.
And the second thing that he draws attention to here is the gift. And we're to occupy till he comes. And that's why it's connected with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll have no opportunity to exercise that after the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we occupy till he comes. And it's in view of the day of manifestation when he's going to make everything plain. And so it's important that we neither despise truth nor we despise gift. And it's a wonderful thing. You want to get in a plane. You want the best pilot pilot there is. You want to go through security. You want the best security people there.
And so God's given gifts to the church, and we shouldn't despise them, but then he goes on. But the tendency at Corinth was not to judge what was said, but to judge persons. And so people said, well, brother, so and so he's an esteemed brother, and they follow individuals, but that's not what Paul is commending them here. For it was the utterance of the truth that they didn't come behind in this and that there was gift there. And we should despise neither of those. And we should not get following individuals and say, well, brother, so brother.
You'll excuse me for using your brother Heinz said that and brother Heinz is well taught. Therefore I'm going to follow what he says. That's not what Paul desired. I you're agreeing with me and and I'm glad because that's really that's really what the apostle Paul desired and when we get into a low state what we want is we want to follow somebody else and as their brothers been saying we see the results of it. I have sometimes said.
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If what I present is the truth of God.
And you do not accept it. You don't reject me. You reject the truth of God. And if I say anything that is not in line with the truth of God, you have no obligation to bow to it. And but I'm glad, Neil, that you mentioned the day of manifestation, because I believe.
The day of our Lord Jesus Christ is not the rapture, is it? That's the day of manifesting.
When he will come back and we come back with him, and then it will be manifested what there was.
Of God in the life of every one of us. In verse 7. The the Word coming waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is literally the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything in that day will be revealed.
And it will be revealed as God sees it, and we'll see it as He sees it. It'll be perfectly revealed. So he's he's looking on. It's not the rapture at all, it's the revelation when he comes back and everything is manifested and revealed according to his mind.
Chuck, I have a question.
That.
I I don't want to misquote anything, but I thought I remembered you're speaking in Woodbridge one time and challenging us.
Asking us what was the worst thing?
Worst situation that existed in the Corinthian assembly, and I guess most of us are mind immediately went to the fifth chapter. But I think you said it was this 10th and 11Th and 12Th verses. Did I misquote you now or not?
I don't remember that, but I agree with that 100%. The most serious error there was following Man, having set up I'm a Paul, I'm of Apollo's, I'm a Cephas.
Dividing the assembly into little pockets and then they are open to.
To not act in unity any longer with regards to the other evils that had come in. And so the enemy is trying to divide us. He's trying to get us into little circles. Will you see a little circle talking over here and another one over here and another one there. And birds of a feather flock together. You can always tell what a person is.
What they like and what they think and how they think by the company they keep and so it's yeah and and it's if the assembly, if the enemy can divide us.
Into little groups where we just only associate and fellowship with those that think the way we think.
That's not a good sign.
That's exactly what a sect is, beloved.
One of the works of the flesh delineated in Galatians 5 is School of Opinion, translated Heresy and the Authorized Version.
But we have here the highest authority that can be called upon any individual, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you speak the same thing and be of the same opinion.
One of the cliches.
That has ruined the testimony of Christianity is everyone is entitled to his own opinion.
That's horrible. We are enjoined by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to be of the same opinion.
And I can say without apology, beloved, if my opinion of the word of God differs from your opinion, one or both of us is mistaken.
It's as simple as that. The spirit of God is not going to lead one individual to an interpretation and another individual to an interpretation. And you can explain any heresy, any wrong teaching that you want to propound by simply saying, well, that's your opinion. There are scholars that differ.
So we need to adhere to what is said here to be of the same.
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Opinion. And that is what the Spirit of God is leading us to, and the Word of God.
God has sounded a warning, too, hasn't he? About that day.
Turning over to the third chapter.
Verse 13 I won't read all the verses, but verse 13 every man's work shall be made manifest for the day, the day.
Shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire. God is going to test everything that whatever your views are and what your thoughts are and what your exercise are going to be tested. Not you, but the, the, the work that you're putting into it. That's what we have in the third chapter. But notice what he said was very solemn verse, for the day shall declare it. What day is that what we have in the in the first chapter? The same same thing that display.
Everything will be in display before a holy God.
And then it says that they shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire.
And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Not every man, but his work. So we know that that day is going to be a remarkable day, because they're going to declare all that we put into this thing. All our thoughts will be all brought out there. Our views, if they didn't accord with the word of God, will be wiped away. So it's beautiful to think of that.
And we needn't fear that day either, because God is going to wipe out all the error, all the failure. But we ourselves, those who belong to Him, are delivered because we're already in our in our glorified bodies when this takes place. We find that later in Revelation.
I like to add to what Brother Ewell said. I remember the story was told me that a young believer attended a Bible study.
And somebody would say, what do you think? What do you think? What do you think? Finally, one brother said. It's not a question of what we think. What does this scripture teach?
And.
When we read any book in the New Testament, we have to understand what the purpose of that book is, and we ourselves have to be careful about fanciful novel interpretations.
We run into that sometimes.
Be careful about that. Do not allow the mind to go wild when it comes to the word of God.
The Spirit of God had a purpose whenever he had communicated some truth, and we had to get first of all the hold of the teaching that was communicated. Now there might be some applications, but the applications will not.
Collide with the interpretation. There is really only one interpretation of scripture.
But there might be some applications, but be careful that the applications don't overthrow the interpretation.
Just on this question of interpretations because it's important. What our brother Ewell was saying is that cousin asked me once, he said, well what is your assembly teach about sister's place? And I said, well what does the word of God say? He said you're not answering my question. I said yes. I said I believe I'm in a place where brethren have a pure heart and they want to do what the word of God says. And if it was pointed out to them that they were wrong, they would want to do what the word of God says. He said, well our interpretation difference.
And I said I'm not sure it does. What scripture are you referring to?
Well, he closed the Bible and because he knew perfectly well what the Word of God taught. And it was a question, as our brother was pointing out schools of thought or heresy, I think literally in Greek means to choose.
And so people will say, your interpretation of Scripture is different than mine. Open up the book and see what it says. It's pretty plain. It's not usually the things that we don't understand about Scripture that causes problems. It's the things that we do where the will is at work. And so schools of thought are formed. But we need to be thankful that we're in a place, I believe, where those call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. And if something's pointed out, something was pointed out to these, this assembly at Corinth, Paul sought to correct them, as you said, with Satanese.
01:00:06
And they had a pure heart and they set matters in order. And that is the mark of a pure heart. But if I say, well, I don't care what this book says, I'm going to do what I want, that then I formed a Harris here, a school of thought. It's very important.
For us to understand.
That the assembly does not teach anything.
The assembly is always taught.
The Colossians difficulty was they weren't holding the head and they weren't getting the instruction from the head.
Philosophy and vain deceit was creeping in.
So if an individual should ask me what does the your assembly teach, I say the assembly is taught by the word of God.
My brother read those verses to us this morning before this meeting began in the Book of Revelation, didn't he?
But the spirit teaches to the assemblies want to regress, but I would like to refer to what was said about there not being national churches or assemblies.
But that is exactly what Protestantism became after the Reformation.
And that's what is addressed in the Assembly of Sardis in chapter three of the Revelation.
The Lord Jesus Christ said, I know thy works, that they are not complete before God.
Had the Reformation not been interfered with by national governments getting involved in accepting the truth to get free of Rome?
Normally it would have addressed to an expression of the assembly, but as man has gotten into everything that God has instituted and ruined it.
Protestantism failed to accomplish an expression of the assembly, and therefore we have to come back to the word of God and gain from it the principles of what is an expression of assembly and that we do.
I suppose one of the important things to gain from this chapter is that there is a remedy, isn't there? I've enjoyed the fact that the apostle says.
That ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, our brother Little is just read from the third chapter, and there we find things that are going to have to be burned up. How do we reconcile those two?
Well, from God's side, there is power there to remedy all of the difficulties and questions that arose in Corinth. And so we never can assume that things have to be this way. That's what we hear, don't we? Well, you can't walk in the unity that is given to us in the New Testament. It's impossible we hear that, don't we? And I have heard it many times, both in North America.
Excuse me? In North America and foreign lands, it just won't work. I was talking to a girl not too long ago in Romania and somehow the question her her father came up. She said you and my father agreed. Impossible.
Well, maybe the problem was on my side, but it is possible, isn't it? Unhappily, there will be wood, hay, and stubble in my life that needs to be burned up, and I suppose there won't be anyone there, will there, that will have nothing but gold, silver, and precious stones. But the Apostle gives us this in order that we might realize that in an assembly that had perhaps the worst track record, you might say that's recorded in the word of God.
Maybe not the worst bad teaching, but more things wrong. There is a remedy for it, and God would give it to us. That remedy is right to us. Last night at the Spur meeting when it said that we should humble ourselves under the hand of God and submit ourselves one to another. That solves all difficulties if we just do it. I just want to make a comment in connection with the statement The church doesn't teach. That's right, but I want to read.
First Timothy 3:15.
If I carry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground, or Darby has it base, pillar, and base of the truth.
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We are responsible once we are taught.
To I mean the assembly once it is taught by the gifts the Lord is given.
To hold that truth. So the question should be not what does your church teach, but what does? What does your church responsible to maintain and uphold? That's the truth we don't. The church does not establish the rules.
The Church is not a legislative body. It's an administrative body and sometimes judicial. But God establishes the truth. It's right here in my hand. It's the word of God. Thy word is truth. The Lord is the truth. He is the truth. The Lord Jesus is the truth. Objectively, I see it lived out in that blessed man. And he's given us the Holy Spirit, who is the truth subjectively within us to make good to us. What's in this book which is the truth?
So.
The assembly doesn't teach, but once it is taught, it is to uphold and maintain the truth of the word of God, and it has no right to change that, no.
Right, to change it and so much that's error out there in Christendom is man has changed what God has said as though he has the authority to do that. Well, that's blasphemous, isn't it?
To content earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints. It doesn't say once delivered to the Brethren once delivered to the Saints. Yes, God has used brethren to recover much of the truth. We're thankful for that. But it wasn't new truth. It was truth.
And once delivered to the Saints, and that's where we have to turn to, to go back to that which is from the beginning, and it's all in this book. And ignoring the teaching of the Bible has led to all of these systems and men's ways of doing things. And don't think for a minute that we are not in danger of slipping into that kind of a thing. You know, we are made out of the same stuff, so we have to.
Continuously remind ourselves this is the book that has highest authority and asked the Lord for grace to help us to bow through it. Not just in big things, even in little things. You know when we start giving up teaching in little things.
What stops us from giving it up in more serious things? Doctrinal matters, moral issues and this kind of thing.
Let's sing #288 verse 2.
Preserve thy flock most graciously within thy sheltering fold, both of them, from every harm away, and in thy safeguard fold, till thou shalt fully have regained in US the fruit of grace, and we enjoy that never end, shall see thee face to face. Verse 2288.
3 Reserve LifeLock most.
1 Corinthians 1:12-21
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First Corinthians chapter One, verse 11.
Or it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the House of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you faith I am of all, and I have a Paulus, and I have Cephas, and I have Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you but Christmas and Gaius.
Last thing he should say that I had baptized in my own name, and I baptized also the household of stuff in US. Besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words. Plus the cross of Christ should be made of none, of fact. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved, It is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the freedom.
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Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Or after that in the wisdom of God. The world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Or you see your calling, brother, and how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God had chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world, and things which are despised. Half God chosen, yeah, and things which are not to bring to not things that are.
That no flesh should glory in his presence.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written, he that Gloria, let him glory in the Lord.
I could just read a few more verses in the third chapter before we get into discussing this. If I put chapter 3.
And verse 3.
For ye are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men? For one step I am a fall, and another I am of apartheid policy. Are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, And who is Apollo's, but ministers by whom you believed, as the Lord gave to every man I have planted, Apollo's watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything.
Neither he that watereth but God to giveth the increase.
The awful evil of division was pointed up to us as being.
The principal and worst problem at Corinth, and it's worthy to consider the reason one.
When God.
Chose Abraham out of idolatry and revealed himself to him.
That family and the nation that resulted from it was the only worshipper of the true God in the world. And Deuteronomy 6 and verse four. It says here, O Israel, God thy God is 1 God.
The principal testimony given to Israel was the one true God.
Consequently, when they fell into idolatry, like the nations around them, they became.
No longer God's chosen in the world? Asked authority to the Gentiles.
Passed upon them the sentence of not my people.
And so when we bring that comparison into the assembly.
One of the principal responsibilities of the assembly in the world is to be testimony to the fact there is one body.
And so to go into division is a denial of the cardinal truth given to the assembly.
00:10:00
We might read God's thoughts as to this in the Epistle of First Peter.
No, it's James, Chapter 3.
The end of James Chapter 3.
It's sense and these are God's thoughts about strife and division.
Verse 16.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work, And that's the reason we can say that division in the assembly is so heinous in the sight of God.
Where there is strength and envying emulation.
There is every evil work and confusion. God is not the author of confusion and has read to us there in First Corinthians 3. Are you not Carlin Walker? According to man, when man's?
Ideas and principles are brought into the assembly. It's a negation of the truth of God, and it brings in confusion.
And this is not, of course so this is the reason that we say that division is so heinous and such a.
Capital evil amongst the people of God.
The Apostle first brings up the question of baptism because as we had quoted I believe earlier, there is one faith 1 Lord 1 Baptism. And so we have that truth that there is that. And many believers don't understand what baptism does. And maybe we could just turn to Galatians chapter 3 and verse 27 to see what it does. People will tell you what does it do. While I had a brother tell me the other day that his pastor told him that it imparted new birth.
And the Holy Ghost, another man says, well, it doesn't do anything, but it's the outward sign of an inward work. And don't make people make all kinds of statements without understanding the simple truth of what what baptism does. And I believe there would be a lot less division if this was understood. Let's just turn to Galatians.
For as many of you as have been baptized, Galatians 3 and 27 for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Now the baptism there is not into the body of Christ, but it's into the profession of Christianity. And so the name of Christ has been put upon a man by baptism, or been put upon a person by baptism. That's what it does.
That's why we should be careful about what we put on, what we wear on our shirts, so to speak, what we associate ourselves with. Because by baptism, the name of Christ has been put upon you.
And so This is why he's raising the question of some say I'm a Paul or I'm a Paulus or I'm a Cephas and people just we don't aren't simple enough about this. Mrs. Green is going to marry Mr. Black. And so she decides she wants to be Mrs. White. And she said, well, Mrs. Mr. White's a nice man. I'm going to take his name. But by baptism the name of Christ has been put upon us. And there would be if we were simple about that he's going to go on and.
Develop these routes of division. But man has taken the very thing, the very admission by which we're brought into the profession of Christianity, and he's made it a source of division.
In order scripture that you quoted Neil from Galatians the better rendering is baptized onto Christ. By baptism we are not put into Christ. Now I don't know the original, but this word can be translated into or unto. But baptism doesn't bring us into Christ. It makes us a disciple going into all the world.
00:15:02
Making disciples, baptizing them, that's the order. Correct order in Matthew and then teaching them. Teaching doesn't precede baptism. That follows if you read Mr. Davis translation. So baptism.
Puts us in an outward position among the disciples of the Lord Jesus, and that does not require that one is born again and is saved before 1 can become.
A disciple And but I wanted to mention too that divisions. We sometimes speak of the divisions among brethren. That's not a proper way of putting it, because the way I understand it here is divisions are internal within an existing assembly. When there are outward risks, they are properly referred to as sects, not as divisions.
I think that's a good distinction to see that difference when there are internal rifts, although they're going on still collectively, there's a divided state. And unfortunately that happens many times even in local assemblies today. And that is not a good state, and it is usually brought about by putting too much emphasis on some individual.
We're going by so and so following him, and I hope we do not fall into that trap. Paul says the imitators of me as I am of Christ. You know, the true servant of Christ will not attach people to himself. His ministry will attach souls to Christ and make them follow Christ, not man.
Of course, sometimes the servant himself might not seek that place, but people give it to him. You know, that is the danger that we follow men. Well, there is leadership in the Church, but scriptural leadership is those who will lead souls to follow Christ.
I thought that should be added that divisions are internal sects. When there are external risks amongst God's people, we do not rightly refer to the divisions among brethren. When they are outward rifts, they are sects, you know. That is, I believe, the proper way of presenting it.
There's a comment on verse 10.
I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's that name which we all profess, which unites us. It's common to to all Christians. They they, they know the name of the Lord Jesus, that you all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you but that should be. Now there's three words here in this translation.
Translating one word in the original perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. I won't turn you to it, but I'll refer you to it. In Matthew, I think it's four. The Lord found Peter and and Andrew were casting their Nets, and then James and John were mending the Nets. Now you're not going to catch many fish.
With a net that's torn and got holes in it because the fish will then escape through the holes. So the mending of the Nets is very important.
It helps the evangelist. The casting of the net is a picture of an evangelist. The mending the net is a picture of a shepherd.
A pastor that that mends the net. That's exactly the same word in the Greek.
That's translated mending the net as it's translated perfectly joined together. So Howard, James and John and they they see this net and it's torn. And so they put together those torn pieces, maybe they even replace the spot there with with another piece of the net. They fix the tear and so they restore the net to a like new condition without any holes in it, so that when someone casts it and it catches the fish, they don't escape.
Well, it's interesting that that's what that's the same word as perfectly joined together. So we need men in the assembly not only who cast the net and go out and and bring souls in through our evangelists, but we need those that mend the tears in the net, that perfectly join together these frayed ends, put it together so the net is whole again and will contain the the fish.
00:20:27
In Galatians 6 you have the same word again.
I'll have to refer to it.
From what I've just said, you'll know what the word is, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness. Considering thyself less, thou also be tempted. The word restore is that same word. So a restored net is amended net, and when a soul is restored.
To Fellowship and back into a place of usefulness in the assembly. Then that is mended, the terror is repaired, and they go on together. That's what's meant here in verse 10, that she'd be perfectly joined together. That includes restoration, that includes mending, the tear and all that has caused a rupture and a tear in the net. And then it can be used as intended.
When Christians are divided, that's the worst state they can be in. Because the net is torn, there are holes in it and the truth can can leak out and souls can go away and so on. They won't be kept. So I think the the the way the.
Well, the etymology of that word is very precious to follow out, and it's amended net and a restored brother. Then the net is whole again, and they are perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. And that's what's so needed today, isn't it?
Satan is the great adversary and he's trying to divide us no matter what it is. He doesn't care. He has no principles.
You use anything to divide us and it's only that we who are seeking to go on in the truth.
We have principals who we might want to maintain and we do want to maintain them, but it has to be done.
In a way that is according to the grace of Christ and according to the Word of God.
It seems to be one of the most natural tendencies of the human heart to want to have a human leader, doesn't it? So as someone has mentioned a few minutes ago, there are dangers on both sides. There's a danger of a man taking a position of prominence and wanting to have a party that he draws away after him. There's a danger of people wanting to make a man the head of a party and to flock around him if in fact he has some appealing characteristics or gift or teaching or something like that.
And so both are warned against here, aren't they? The apostle warns against those who would.
Make parties, and he warns against those who would follow those.
Who made that kind of a party? But it's one of the most natural and, sad to say, the most evil weeds of the human heart to want to do that. And so the apostle guards against it right at the beginning of the epistle, doesn't he?
I might point out what Keith read in the third chapter.
Where Paul says, who then is Paul and who is Apollos as ministers by whom you believe? It wasn't really that they were following their at Corinth, that they were following Paul and Apollos, but he used his name and he used the policy's name to illustrate the principle in chapter 4 verse six, he says.
And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes, that you might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another, or who make it the difference. So on now if he had, if he had.
Named these men, then then they would have said you're just jealous.
You're just jealous there. He had his enemies there at Corinth. You're just jealous of these men. So he doesn't name them. But he puts Paul, he puts his name and the palace's name there to illustrate the principle that if you're going to be followers of us, you see there were men there that were false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. They were promoting themselves and they wanted to gain followers. But he doesn't name them. But he puts his name in a policy's name to illustrate.
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That if you follow man, regardless of who it is, me or Apollos that is not.
Following Christ. And that's just making a party, and we won't have any part of that. So he puts his name in and the policies to illustrate the principle that he's bringing up.
To see how Paul desired not to promote himself and what he says here in the 14th 1St, I thank God that I baptized none of you. He actually got down and thanked the Lord that he hadn't baptized them. He wasn't trying to promote himself. He was glad they were baptized, but he was glad he wasn't the one that did it. And because what he had in view was the blessing of the Saints, it wasn't Paul and Paul having a place. And that's really the test of it is is my heart's desire? Is your heart's desire to see the blessing of the Saints, or is it to have a place for self?
And so he could actually thank the Lord that he wasn't the one that did it.
Now we know there's a reason, and he goes on to tell us that that.
He was not sent to baptize.
Because Paul's Commission that was committed to the 12 apostles and it had to do with earthly things and Paul had to do with heavenly things. There were the 12 apostles. You get that in first Corinthians 15 and then you get the apostles that are mentioned in Ephesians and he gave some apostles. I believe those are the New Testament apostles that gave us the truth of the church and the truth of glorified Christ. And Paul was not involved in the.
The administration of that, though, he did baptize.
You could say if you were baptized by Brother Jones, she's just one of the Brethren. No one knows who he is. And I was baptized by Paul.
I was baptized by Paul. You were just baptized by Brother Jones. I'm a cut above you because the Apostle Paul baptized me, and I think that that when we go down to these other countries that are poorer and so on, one of them ought to do the baptizing and not any of the visitors.
We have recused to baptize. At least I have refused to baptize people in India or other countries. They have asked me to do that. I tell them no, that's your business. You have labored with them. It's your business to baptize them. And what is important for us to understand that baptism was not only practiced by Christians. Philosophers baptized their disciples in their own name.
And they became disciples of the philosopher that baptized them. That helps us to understand that Paul says, I didn't baptize in my name. Yes, I baptized, but I baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. You became not a fellow follower of the one that baptized you. You became a follower of the Lord Jesus. That's the point. And water baptism is not connected with church membership. The Baptists make it that way, and many other.
Denominations when we were in Malawi, not this last time. Time before we had a question and answer period on Saturday and one brother said is it OK to be baptized over again? And I thought that he was referring to infant baptism. And so I answered, I said if somebody has been baptized.
He doesn't really need to be baptized again because he is in the Christian profession and.
But Mr. Darby himself says that if somebody isn't satisfied with his infant baptism, baptize him again if they have a conscience about it. But I didn't understand it, and I found it out the next day, is that they had been baptized as adults in some other denomination.
Now they came in amongst the gathered Saints, and they thought they had to be baptized again by brethren. Well, we cleared that up afterwards, not understanding the question correctly. What a baptism is not connected with church membership.
00:30:15
Spirit's baptism has is connected with the truth of the body of Christ, and that took place on the day of Pentecost and.
Water baptism brings you into the Kingdom. It's connected with Kingdom truth. There are two ways how you are brought into the Kingdom in reality by new birth. John, Chapter 3. Unless you're born again, you cannot see the Kingdom, you cannot enter it. So you enter by proof, but in reality by new birth the Kingdom but by profession. Your answer that enter the Kingdom by water baptism.
And this is important for young people to get ahold of that yes, it is correct for somebody who has never been baptized when they accept the Lord Jesus as savior, that they also publicly take their stand among the followers and the disciples of the Lord Jesus. It would not be good to receive somebody at the Lord's table, which has to do with the inner circle of the truth of the body of Christ, if he's not willing.
To take his place in the circle of profession, I'm referring to Ephesians 4. You know the inner circle is the body of Christ. The outer circle is the sphere of profession, and every baptized person is in that sphere. Whether you were baptized as a child or baptized as an adult before you were saved, you are professingly amongst the Christians, the early Christians.
Were persecuted the day when they publicly took their stand amongst the Christians and were baptized. That's when they were subject to persecution. The Jews sometimes understand baptism better than the Christians because when somebody amongst the Jews is influenced by the gospel, they labor with that person, the Jews, trying to persuade him from becoming a Christian.
But the moment he has been baptized, they have a funeral service. That's the Orthodox Jews. They realize that he has been cut off by water baptism from his former connections, and in that sense he is saved.
Baptism does say, but not the soul. But from my former connections and associations, and they're now identified with the Christian company through baptism, and the Jew recognizes that. So they are no longer Jews, they're now identified with the Christians, and that is what water baptism does. And as Christian parents, we can take our children with us into the position where we are.
Identified with the Christian testimony, and it's wonderful truth to lay hold of one of the compromises that Pharaoh offered to the children of Israel in Egypt was leave your children in Egypt either. Amen. Go.
No way was that acceptable. We take our children with us and separate them before they are personally saved outwardly from the associations of the world and identify them with the Christian testimony. I hope this will be a help to some. Water baptism is not connected with the truth of the body of Christ and the church truth. That's why Paul said I wasn't sent to baptize, he was the minister of the church.
The truth of the body of Christ and the Church truth came to us through Paul's ministry and water baptism is connected with Kingdom truth. Let me just quickly summarize the just quickly say the person who does the baptizing is not important. It's the name to which we are baptized that is important. And if you read Acts 2 and Acts 10, I just read them, I'll read Acts 10. Peter's speaking. Can any man forbid water that he should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we and he commanded them to be baptized? He did not do the baptism.
He did not do the baptizing. Peter did not. He commanded them that they be baptized. The same thing is true in the second chapter, if you read it carefully. And I think there's a reason for that, and that's the reason we're bringing out. It's it's not important who does the baptizing. It's the name to which we're baptized that is important. And that is why if you've been baptized to that name, no need to be baptized to that name again. And it is not that he gave commandment to those who had been saved to submit to the baptized. He commanded those who came with him who had not seen that vision on top of the roof.
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Took an Apostolic command for them to be willing to baptize these gentiles.
That's the see, that's one of the arguments. They say it's an act of obedience.
Description never commands a person to be obedient to submit to baptism, but to baptize. That's the commandment. And so.
Get a hold of these things. When I grew up in Europe, I didn't understand that truth. And Chuck and I, when we were early in our contact with each other, we would argue. I would argue believers baptism and he was arguing household baptism.
Well, I tell you, I'm thankful that the Lord cleared me up on that about we can live in peace with our brethren who don't agree with us on household baptism. I believe as long as we believe that one who is saved needs to be baptized, we can live with these different views that exist amongst the same brother.
Chapter Brown and Brother Macmillan I understand.
The one believed in household baptism and the other believed in believers baptism, and they labored together amongst the Saints.
And when somebody came to build a Macmillan and one of his family to be baptized, he set to chapter. He is one for you. And if somebody is a believer wanted to be baptized, Bob said, here's one for you. So we were ought not to allow the difference to divide us. But I'm thankful and I believe with all my heart that we as Christian parents can take our children with us on Christian ground. We won't leave them in Egypt.
Perhaps I could just recount a story that would because I believe that this troubles a lot of young people, this question. And you said that a safe person should be baptized and they feel like they've been caught in a dusty Rd. with the dust blowing everywhere and they don't see clear. I visited a high school friend that grew up in a Christian denomination and they didn't know anything about what it was to be saved. And he got saved and he raised a family and I was in the home and I was with his 16 year old boy and he told me, he said I'm praying that my grandmother would become a Christian.
And I try to talk to her and she said I'm confused. I am a Christian and.
I pointed out to him that she had been baptized. She had the name of Christ put upon her. She was baptized onto Christ, and she bore that responsibility of bearing that name, even though she wasn't a real believer.
And he said, you mean baptism puts the name of Christ upon a person. And I said, yes. He said, well, I'm a real believer. And I could see the young man really was. And I said, he said, but I'm not baptized. And I said, well, you know, your uncle's the base commander of the Canadian Forces base in this city. What would you think if he never wore the uniform of the Canadian Armed Forces? He said, well, that would be a strange thing. And I said that's really the condition that you're in.
You really are in the position of the profession of Christianity, and you've never put on the name of Christ by baptism. I said the next time I see you, I want to see you with the uniform on. And so that's really what it is. To put it in a simple language, it ties this all together. If we understand what baptism does, it puts the name of Christ upon a person, and it brings with it a responsibility that we bear about when we go about that. That one's a Christian. They bear the name of responsibility, and it helps us understand not to digress.
But much of what's in the Gospels, which is not understood, that there are those that are in a place of privilege and responsibility, that don't have life. And so you get a verse like.
Take that wicked servant and slay him before me. He's not talking about one who was saved, but he's talking about.
Who bore the name of Christ in this world? And he's going to be judged as such differently than a heathen who never bore the name of Christ. But if you're a believer and you've never had the name of Christ been put upon you, I know it's been said that the command is not the one being baptized, that it's a privilege to bear the name of Christ, and you ought to bear that name by baptism.
It's also very important to understand that an individual can go through these outward processes.
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Even professing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and going through the baptism process and be outwardly identified as a Christian without reality. And that's what creates so much confusion in the processing church today.
Those who persecute Christians do not ask whether this is a real believer.
They persecute those who are baptized under Christ.
All right, let's move on.
Verse 12 Very important verse.
Now this I say that everyone of you say it. I am appalled and I have Apollo's. Now we saw from the 4th chapter, he just puts his name in Apollo's name in there. And I have Cephas and I have Christ.
Some have wondered, well, what's wrong with that, saying I am of Christ what it does?
It makes Christ the head of a party.
He's not the head of a party, he's not the head of part of the church. He's the head of the church, the whole church. And so really.
Another illustration of I am of Christ is.
But I don't go to the meeting. I don't get much out of the meeting. That's where Christ is in the midst. But I stay home and I read my Bible for myself, and I'm of Christ and and I don't need those others to teach me. That's despising the gifts that the Lord has given for the good of all.
But I think the the I am of Christ group is the one that thinks themselves superior.
To anyone else, I don't need Paul, I don't need Apollos, I don't need Cephas. I just have the Lord for myself, and they despise the gifts that the Lord has given for the good and blessing of the Saints. So that's an independent kind of an attitude, and it's not of God. We do need one another and we shouldn't despise any of the gifts the Lord has given. So we can make two mistakes. We can we can make too much of an individual gift and say I am of him.
Or we can make nothing of those gifts, despise them, and say I am of Christ. I don't follow any of these. Well, we're not to follow man. That's right. But we should value what Christ is given. So you can make a mistake on both sides of the of the streets, so to speak, despising the gifts and saying I am of Christ. Or making too much of A gift and following an individual instead of Christ himself. We should value all that Christ has given.
And.
To stay home, there's some that they take the attitude. Well, I can read my Bible at home and I get just as much out of it or read ministry. But there's something you can't get at your home. You can't get the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of his gathered Saints. You can't get that you're missing that at home. He's not there. He's with you. Individually, we've had that pointed out, but not collectively. And when you don't go to meeting where the Lord is in the midst, collectively, you miss that. You miss His presence.
And that's very serious.
Says of the Passover Lamb, a bone of him shall not be broken when the Lord Jesus is hanging on the cross. Soldiers would not were not allowed to break his legs. They came to him and they found he was dead already, so that a bone of him would not be broken. The oneness of the body of Christ is something that God had before him back then, when he gave the institution of the Passover. A bone of him shall not be broken. It's something that is very, very important to God.
And it's to be It takes spiritual energy on our part to keep this before our hearts. It's easy to get following a man, but God has before us Christ, and that's the remedy to any division among Christians. Any separation. The 1St 10 verses in this chapter, almost every verse brings before us the full title of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we go down through it, we'll see that God said that before us, the Lord Jesus Christ, His name, the oneness of His name, the oneness of His body.
And we need to keep constantly, as we see our eyes are scattered toward this man, that man, this group, that group to keep looking back. And if we keep focusing back on the Lord Jesus Christ, whether he takes that away, doesn't it? That's God's remedy course.
This is looking at Christ as just another man, isn't it in our verse?
12 Now this I say that everyone of you, Seth, I am appalled. Who was he? He was a natural man.
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And I have a polis, I have Cephas, and I have Christ.
Was this just, was he just a natural man? Well, turn over to the fifth chapter and I think of that verse 16.
And I think this has been the answer to me wherefore henceforth.
No way. No man after the flesh.
He was the Divine Person.
Are we going to classify him with we're just.
Other men, natural men, He was a divine person, therefore.
Wherefore, henceforth know we no man after the flesh. Yeah, though we have known Christ, yet now henceforth know we him no more. That seemed to be the answer to that thought of including the Christ, including Christ peoples there, and he believed on the various ones.
May I add to that?
The disciples before the cross were in a relationship to the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.
And that came to an end.
They now, after his death and resurrection, were linked with him in a new way, altogether, as the head of a new race and the head of the body of Christ. And for us the practical application is.
Do we esteem a brother because of his higher education?
Do we esteem him because he has a high position in the world?
He's wealthy, so we give him a special place of prominence.
I have sometimes suggested what if the government of this state would get saved?
And learns the truth of gathering and wants to be gathered. What we receive him as the governor of this state? No way.
He would be received as a brother in Christ.
We don't know any man after the flesh. But I like to add to what Chuck said as to I am of Christ. There's nothing wrong to say I belong to Christ, but so do you, all of us belonging to him. That is different than to say I am of Christ. You know, I'm just adding that to what Chuck said. There's nothing wrong in recognizing.
His claims upon us that we are belonging to him. He has bought us with a great price. We belong to Him, and we want to recognize that. But that is not what Paul is touching on here. They make Christ a point of division. That's terrible, and I hope we are not guilty of that. I trust we recognize that we simply belong to him and recognize his claims upon us.
As individually and also collectively.
But it follows there too, doesn't it? In the next verse, is Christ divided?
Is.
Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in Or was Paul crucified for you? Or the baptizing name of Paul? No, it was Christ.
He had now gone into death for them, and he was a he was a glorified man.
So he could not be placed put in a position of justice. Another man this was he was in now new creation. And so it's so it seems that it fits together there to describe why it says that being saying Eye of Christ is not is not the right thing to do. Not to say that.
Verse 17. But Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish.
Foolishness. But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.
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What man calls foolishness is the wisdom of God and the power of God.
Anne's wisdom would never come up.
With the with the book like this, never, not in a billion years, a man's wisdom never rises to such heights that the salvation of God can flow from a man crucified on a gibbet, on a cross of ignominy and shame. And that there God paid for in the person of his Son all of our sins that would never enter the mind of that. That's God's wisdom.
The cross of Christ is the end of man in the flesh. Get ahold of that. The cross of Christ is the end of man in the flesh. And therefore worldly wisdom, human wisdom, and the divine things will not avail. That is what answers to plugging the world with earth. Bringing human and worldly wisdom in the things of God stops the flow of blessing.
So we have to make that distinction. Remember what Moses learned. One of the lessons that he had to learn is that the wisdom of Egypt, and he was instructed in all the wisdom of Egypt.
Did not qualify him to become the deliverer of the children of Israel. He had to unlearn that the 40 years behind the wilderness in the school of God, if there was anything that was humbling to one that was in line to the throne of Egypt, which is believed to be the case with him.
Was to be a shepherd.
To shepherd somebody else's sheep because.
That was an abomination in the eyes of an Egyptian, a shepherd.
So that is what was apartment to get him off his high horse. He did definitely think at first because of his position, he could help his brethren, but he had to unlearn that and he had to come to see that the wisdom of this world, the wisdom of Egypt, the world is a picture of Egypt did not qualify him to become a deliverer, and even when he ended up there in the land of Median helping Jethro's daughter.
He even looked like an Egyptian. An Egyptian had helped us. I hope we don't want to look like the world outwardly. There is such a thing as outwardly looking different than the world. I'm sure when he went back to Pharaoh O after 40 years behind the wilderness, he didn't look like an Egyptian anymore. He looked like a shepherd.
You know, so these are practical things that we do well to remember because we outwardly many times don't see a difference between a Christian and a World clinic.
But Osis looked like an Egyptian. But I'm sure when he came back 40 years later, he didn't look like one anymore and he did not rely on the wisdom of Egypt in leading God's people out.
I would like to just attempt to clarify in the minds, especially the young people, what has been said as the cross being the end of man and the flesh.
Therefore by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin that was Adam's sin. And from that point the entire history of man was God putting man to the task to see whether or not there was any response to God in the human heart.
And when we say the cross is the end of the flesh, it means simply that all of the 4000 years of testing of man proved man to be a total failure. And God wiped the first man, Adam and all of his children completely off the scene and began afresh. And a risen, glorified Christ the new man has replaced the old man Adam, which is the term their dislike. So God.
Gave every opportunity.
For man to respond, even coming himself and the person of the Son, to seek to elicit from man something for God and the cross proves when they said we will not have him, it proves the total ruin and complete failure of the first man and all of his generation. That's why choice was really over at the cross, because man was tested, it was tested and that choices were put before him but after the cross.
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God said.
God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. He's commanded a blessing and man has to disobey God to go to hell.
It's not. We put it as you know you've got a choice between what you do. God's commanded all men everywhere to repent. He views man as incompetent to make a proper choice, and so he tells them. But the only right choice is.
And as far as the worldly wisdom was concerned, I was thinking this. I met a real believer and he asked me, what church are you a member of? I looked at him. I said the same one you are.
He said, well, what's the name of it? I said, he said Everybody's got to have a name.
I said I have a name.
And, you know, that's worldly wisdom is everybody's got to have a name, they've got to have a society and so on. But the cross has severed us from the world, and the world has a system. You form a company, you form a human society. And it's got to have a name, It's got to have a human organization connected with it. But Christ is not divided. And we've been made, He added to his church daily, such as should be saved. And we've been made members. And we're thankful that we're in a place where we can practically express that truth as we had this morning.
But the wisdom of man steps in, and he starts to bring human thoughts into this. And really this epistle to Corinthians seeks to set aside those human thoughts.
Could we suggest that that's what links what we've been discussing in verses 11:00 and 12:00 with the latter part of the chapter?
That is, if I am going to want to take a place, if man is going to want to be somebody, what kind of a man does the world want? Do they want a man who submits to the death on the cross? Do they want a man who goes through all that Ignominion shame?
Oh no. And when the Lord Jesus and the 6th of John outlines clearly that it's only through his death that there could be any blessing, it says, Then many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Why? Because they didn't want that kind of a man. They didn't want that kind of a person to follow. They wanted someone who would be victorious, someone who would take the lead, someone who would lead them to victory. But that way, Oh no.
And so to do what we have had in verses 11 and 12, to party, make to want to take positions and so on, was going contrary to the whole spirit of the Master, wasn't it? The Lord Jesus could tell his disciples when they strove to be the greatest. He could say, Oh no, that's the way of the world, That's what the Gentiles do. But ye shall not be so. Whosoever will be the greatest among you, let him be the servant of all.
The Son of Man came not to minister, to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. And so the whole current of the latter half of this chapter, we would suggest, is to show those dear Corinthians, and us too, that all that was going on there, in the way that we have in the earlier verses here, was running totally contrary to the very name that they claimed to bear.
I like why the preaching of the cross is foolishness to the natural man. I like to.
Make some comments. Some young people might say. Brother Heinz, you spoke of Worldly wisdom doesn't qualify us in the things of God. Why should I go to school? Why should I go to college? I'm not trying to discourage anybody from being a diligent student.
If you go to school, try to be a good student.
And if somebody wants to become a doctor, and if he does not allow that to interfere with his Christianity, by all means become a doctor. But remember that this is not what qualifies you to lead amongst God's people. And be careful in the schools of men beginning from elementary school. They teach you things that are contrary to this word and psychology.
And all of this nonsense that is being pushed, even in so-called Christian circles, that's worldly wisdom. Mr. Hunt has rightly expressed it this way, The seduction of Christianity. Be careful about those things. But there are things that you better apply yourself reading, writing and arithmetic and this kind of a thing. And nowadays, if you want to.
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Get a halfway decent job. You have to become familiar with the computer.
And this kind of a thing. But remember, don't ever make those kinds of things the purpose in your life. Don't let it take the priorities away from you. What are the priorities? The spiritual things.
My brother-in-law wanted to become a doctor and he revealed this to me before he did talk to anybody in the family and he said what do you think Heinz, about me becoming a doctor I mean pre Med Well I said to him if.
You require to spend all your energy and every effort to just get through medical school and you lose out spiritually. You're setting your goal too high. But if you can go through medical school and not lose out spiritually, I find nothing wrong with it. You know what? He did not only go to everything, he continued to have a Sunday school class and he excelled in school. So there's nothing wrong with.
Studying and applying yourself. I don't want to give that impression at all, but make sure.
That you have your priorities straight, and that the Lord does not lose out that He is the object in your life.
E 17 and 18th verses here should have a profound practical effect on how we give the gospel something. Because if the gospel is something that is, as her brother was saying, can can be received by the free will of man, then we need to figure out how to give it the best way to get the free will of man. To choose the gospel, we have to present it in such a light that it will be appealing that we'll be able to reason and answer all the the.
Questions of reasoning, minds. But if the gospel doesn't come that way, and it comes by the cross of Christ and what seems foolish to man, the way we're to present it is to present it in its simplicity, its truth.
And leave it to the Spirit of God to open the heart's door. Not to be ignorant, we don't want to present it in ignorance, and we don't want to turn aside honest questions that are asked. But no amount of our reasoning abilities and no amount of our persuasiveness is going to turn someone from death to life. That's the work of the Spirit of God, who are born not of the will of man, nor of the will of the flesh, but by the it's by the will of God, and it's by the word of God. So the best thing we can do to communicate the gospel.
Is not to take a bunch of courses on how to effectively evangelize, but to acquaint ourselves with the truth of the gospel and live in a relationship with the Jesus Christ of the gospel and the Spirit of God will give us utterance. And that is, I believe what we find in Scripture is the effective way to give the gospel, to rejoin that to what Brother Ewell has said and what Brother Heinz said. Psychology is not all foolishness. If your boy won't eat and you put the piece of something on the end of a fork and say this is an airplane, open the hangar.
That's psychology, and there's a place for that. But as you've been saying, the natural man cannot be coaxed or brought into blessing that way, that it is through the preaching. And Mr. Darby made a very helpful comment.
Is it preach facts? We're living in a nation that is largely ignorant of the simple facts of the gospel, who the Lord Jesus Christ is, what he came to do, the facts of what he did. I know that sometimes as a younger brother, I had a real terrible time standing up and saying, well, what am I going to preach on in the Gospel meeting? And it's fine to use stories and it's fine to relate things, but the facts of the gospel and even among the Saints is.
The difference between propitiation and substitution.
Who the Lord Jesus Christ is, There's great as to his moral character, there's great vagueness and uncertainty in the world, and we need to preach those facts.
And as you said, in communion with the Lord. Really, that's the secret.
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Last two verses.
Oh my devil.
1 Corinthians 1:21-31
Reading
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One 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.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
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For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified.
Unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.
And base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yeah? And things which are not to bring to not things that are that no flesh and glory in his presence.
But of whom are ye in Christ Jesus? Who of God is made unto us Wisdom?
And righteousness and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written.
He that glorious let him glory in the Lord. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with Excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom.
But in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
In these verses, there are several references to preaching or the Word.
Or the preaching of the cross.
But I think it's important that we understand that this is not saying that preaching itself is considered foolish.
People preach about everything.
There are people preaching to go to London and Hyde Park, and you can listen to people preach about everything under the sun. You go to places in New York City and you can hear people preaching on anything. I'm sure it's so in every part of the world. The point is here, not the art of preaching, but the the message itself, the word of the cross.
It's the concept that a crucified man.
Is the way of God's blessing and salvation. That's foolishness to the natural man. He doesn't understand it and he's perishing. And that's why it's foolish. Consumed. I mentioned that because there's a tendency sometimes to think it's that it's preaching itself. It's foolish. The world doesn't consider preaching foolish. They pay people a lot of money to get up and preach.
But it's the subject of the matter. What is it that they're preaching? And so it's the word or preaching of the cross that's to them that perish foolishness.
And that, I think, puts it into perspective that we might not put it in if we did not realize that it's not preaching itself to foolish. It's the message that we have. What are we preaching? We're preaching it. A crucified man is God's way of salvation.
The crucified man is how God has brought blessing to this world. It's foolishness to the natural man.
The humanizer says by weakness and defeat he won the meat and crown. Trot every poor beneath his feet by being trodden down. He Satan's power lead law with sin. He's sin overthrew about to the cross to the great destroyed it so and death by dying slow. We don't have that last verse in our hymn but you and I know it from the past. But it's beautiful to see.
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That just does not make sense That one wins a victory in defeat.
In the 23rd verse.
He says we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews as stumbling block. They were looking for a Messiah that would come and set up the Kingdom and reign in righteousness and establish them as the head. They were the tail. The Time the Lord was here in subjection to the gentile powers, and then this one who claimed to be the Christ.
The Son of God was crucified on a cross of shame and ignominy, and reproach and dishonor.
That was a stumbling block to the Jews that was hard for them to.
Put together with all the many scriptures in the Old Testament that spoke of the coming Kingdom, the glory of it, a man shall reign in righteousness, and Princess shall rule in judgment, and so on. But there were scriptures in their Old Testament that told of the sufferings of the Messiah. They seemed to overlook that. And Isaiah 53, Psalm 22.
So on.
The sufferings in Psalm 69 and so on. So it was a stumbling block to the Jew you remember in Acts One. After he rose from the dead, they asked him now that he'd come back, Now wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel? Their hopes were dashed to pieces, when the one they expected would reign was put to death in such an ignominious way. And.
Now they thought, now would be the time to set up the Kingdom. And it's not for you to know the times of the seasons which the Father has put in his own power, but ye shall receive power after that. The Holy Ghost has come upon you. So a new order of things were about to be introduced altogether by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Christ in glory rejected man down here. But to the Gentiles, the Greeks it was foolishness, wasn't it?
A man, just as **** has just said.
A man crucified in shame and weakness, being the savior of the world, being the king of kings and Lord of Lords foolishness. But the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Foolishness to these high minded Greeks and Gentiles is that it was, as we had brought before us yesterday, the end of natural man. The preaching of the cross is the end of man's history as a natural man before gone to those of us that believe the power of God, the Apostle says in Galatians 6 and 14. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross.
By which the world is crucified unto me, and I under the world. The cross stands as a Sentinel between the believer and the world, and it separates the world from those who believe. So it is the end of the first man that is foolishness to those who perish. Now the Pharisees and the lawyers experience the same type of thing.
As for the preaching of John, it says in Luke 7 that they rejected that for themselves, the counsel of God.
Well, a natural man in his vaunted lore and education and wisdom.
It's foolishness to think that I've been set aside, but the preaching of the cross sets aside the first man completely and sets the 2nd man before us.
His students in college remember these verses.
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
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Or after that in the wisdom of God. The world by its own wisdom knew not God. God had seen to it that man cannot find God out by his own wisdom, by his own intellect. The only way that God can be known is his revelation of himself in the person of his Son. And by the Spirit of God man's intellect will never.
Find God out.
And so it was the wisdom of God that the world by its own wisdom.
Cannot find him out, knew him not knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of not preaching, but the preaching what was being preached? Christ crucified to man. That's foolishness to save them that believe. There's no way that there's no way think of it. You know those that want to degrade and speak against this blessed book, They say it was just the invention of men.
There's no way that man would ever invent such a way of salvation. Never would it enter his mind, its foolishness, to man, the way that God has chosen to bring salvation about his beloved Son crucified on a cross of shame, dishonor, despise, spit upon.
All the evil they did to him, that's the the weakness of God. He was apparently weak, unable to come down.
If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe thee. They wouldn't have. He had committed miracle after miracle that didn't convince them. They were determined to get rid of that man. What shall we do? They had a conference together and they said, if we let this man alone, the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.
He didn't leave him alone. They put him to the cross. They put him to death. They thought they got rid of him and the thing they were trying to avoid happened. The Romans did come and take took away.
Their place and nation, the very thing they tried to avoid by crucifying Him, was the very thing that happened to them. And then God opens the floodgates of love and blessing to this poor world that offers salvation full and free, based upon what Christ did on the cross. The natural man doesn't understand that the cross was the end of the first man. We understand that.
Some Christians have a hard time grasping that.
Still trying to improve the old man, The old man was crucified with him. It's the end of the history of man after the flesh. We know that. But the means that what God used to bring about this was to man. Utterly foolish, utterly foolish. And yet that's God's wisdom and it's God's power and God's ways are not our ways no man could ever have devised.
Such a means of saving the human race as God has devised. And it's not just a way. He didn't have the five choices that he could have made. It's the only way that salvation can come about. The way it came about is the only way. There's no other way. His son had to die and be put to shame, as he was by his own creatures, in order to bring about God's love to be expressed and flow out to the lost guilty sinners such as we were.
I suppose it's important, and perhaps we could say this to the young people this chapter in no way.
Shall we say makes little of man's mind or his capabilities, Does it? No. God made man's mind, and there's nothing wrong with the mind being used to the fullest extent. But the difficulty is that it tends to intrude into the moral and spiritual realm where we are shut up to divine revelation, aren't we? And so there's nothing wrong with the mind being used.
But the higher we get in the use of the mind, the more the tendency is, the more the danger is that it be used in the wrong way. For the unbeliever, of course, the tendency is to try and think that he can figure things out, that he can't learn by any other means but by divine revelation. And of course God will not have man glorying in his presence, especially fallen man, and using his mind.
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To try and delve into things that only God can reveal to Him. And so God in his wisdom, as it says here, as we might say, deliberately shown man the utter folly of allowing him to try and find God by human means. And so where is the disputer of this world? Where is the scribe? Where are the men to whom the world would look up?
Most of the time they're morally a long way from God, and what they say is utter foolishness. But then for the believer, the danger is still there, isn't it? Our mind, if it's under the control of the spirit of God, can be used to much blessing, and that's what we want. But the mind, not under the control of the spirit of God, can go just about anywhere and the same thing can happen. Flesh can glory in his presence and God says no, I won't allow that.
I won't allow that to happen. And so once again, the mind used by a believer in the things of God makes him end up in error. It may seem to have a semblance of truth with it, but it ends up in error, doesn't it? And again, the same principle applies, that no flesh should glory in his presence. But we say that because there is a danger in some circles among believers to in seeking to apply this chapter which needs to be firmly applied.
There is a danger of denigrating the mind that God has given man and saying we shouldn't use our minds. No, the Lord doesn't say that at all. He made the mind and he intends that it be used, but he intends that it be used in the right way. He intends that it be used for his glory. He intends that it be used by the believer under the control of the Spirit of God.
There is such a thing as true science.
Scripture speaks of science falsely. so-called there is true science. Science discovers the secrets of nature. Industry puts it to the use of man.
So there is such a thing as true science, and if you study the sciences.
Not science, falsely so-called. You might well enjoy it and but be careful when it comes to understanding the truth and word of God, you need the Spirit of God and you need to be taught by Him. It's very important to understand that we as believers believe, therefore we understand.
The worldly person wants to understand before he believes, Even when it comes to the truth of creation, they bring in all kinds of arguments trying to even help us to understand creation.
Do I have to understand scientific facts in order to believe what this book says about creation?
Now I believe what it says and I might be very ignorant when it comes to the sciences, but I don't need to know scientific facts in order to understand what the Bible says about creation. I'm just mentioning that we don't want to belittle through science and just think of I'm a diabetic, what they have discovered.
How they can help a diabetic Tremendous, isn't it?
Can we not be thankful for that?
The surgical skills, the medicines to treat various ills, those are wonderful things. But when it comes to the word of God, we don't need to be trained in sciences in order to enjoy and understand the word of God. God said to man after he created him that he was to fill the earth and subdue it.
And that's what you've been talking about. I was thinking in the 1St Corinthians 2, verse 14. But the natural man?
Receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Remember that young person when your college professor, who is so filled with himself and all his knowledge.
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If he doesn't know Christ, he's not saved. He hasn't been born again and received the Holy Spirit. He cannot know the things of God, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual, he who has a new life and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, judges or discerneth all things. Yet he himself is judged or discerned of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord?
That he may instruct him.
But we, we Christians, have the mind of Christ, and that's what we've been talking about.
Having the mind of Christ, we know what the world cannot know, does not know, and cannot know.
In connection with what you said, Brother Heinz, about science and creation, is it helpful verse and principle brought out? The Lord said, take heed how you hear, for to him that hath shall more be given to him that hath not shall be taken away, even that which he seemeth to have. And it's how we receive the word that's important. If I ask you, do you have a driver's license? And you say to me, yes, I believe you. But if I say I see it, and you show it to me, and I say, oh, yeah, you do have one. I didn't believe you. I believe the piece of paper.
And it's important that we receive the word of God as the word of God. And if a person, as you say, believes things because they've been proved to him, he hasn't believed the one who's told him those things, he's believed the proof. And God does give abundant proof. There is abundant proof to the truth of Scripture, and we see these things and we marvel at it. But our faith cannot rest on those things because it's not faith. We haven't received the word in a right way.
And so just the verse before the one that Chuck read in the second chapter, Brother Chuck read in the second chapter is it says.
Comparing spiritual with spiritual, we're jumping way ahead, but we communicate spiritual truths by spiritual means. And that's really what the thought is there is that it comes by believing what God has said, and it's the only right approach of a man to God. And if he comes because God's proved something to him, he's not coming the right way.
And it is not that we understand through faith the way a philosopher or scientist wants to understand. There are many things that are recorded in this book that we really cannot apprehend. You know when you think of the Trinity, when you think of the truth that there is.
God manifested in the flesh that there are two natures.
A human and a divine in one person. Can you really understand that the way a philosopher wants to understand that? But I can enjoy by faith what the scripture says or do I have to admit I cannot really fully enter into it? So faith enjoys things and believes it, although we cannot really.
Fully enter into it. That's important to get a hold of we can enjoy.
What God says just because he says it, although I cannot the way a scientist or a philosopher wants to understand it, I cannot enter into it in that way.
There's a sign on the back of the this room that I'm reading right now that says the most important tool for success is the belief that you can succeed.
Would it be right to say that even though there is such a thing as true science that there needs to be among the people of God and exercise as to whether the Lord would have the goal and and into a course of true science or what everything whatever we pursue in life. And so we don't want to give the idea that because that at a certain Ave. of education.
Umm is pure science or whatever that that is OK to go ahead and pursue that line of profession? Would that be right?
It's the way the Lord leads one.
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Luke was a doctor, the beloved physician. Zenus was a lawyer. And we're thankful for those that are. We're glad that there's a doctor when you have diabetes, as you said, and if one is LED in that way with the caution that's been given, I was thinking, as has been mentioned in college, that Paul went to Mars Hill.
And he said, I perceived that thou art altogether too superstitious. And then he spoke of two things that could not be known by man's natural reason. He spoke of resurrection and of judgment.
And So what we have in the Word of God are things that are revealed. They're reasonable, and God has given abundant signs to them. But.
It's not by signs and it's not by reason that we receive these things. We receive them by faith.
And that's exactly what we get in the Epistle to Hebrews Chapter 11. By faith, we perceive that the world was formed by the word of God. We do not know the worlds were formed by the result of the so-called scientific process, setting up a hypothesis and doing experimentation and arriving at a conclusion.
No. We know the world is reformed by the word of God because God tells us this by revelation.
And there is so much in our lives that we are totally dependent on God for revelation.
Everything in this book that historical is true, but we do not depend on the history of it to authenticate what is said in the word. There are some scientific facts. How could a fisherman know about the dissolving of the elements and the melting with a fervent heat in these kind of things? Well, it's by faith. We understand the truth of God, not by the scientific process, not by the education process.
Simply believing what God has said.
Could I add, Dave, to what you were suggesting, because I think that's a very important point and that is that we can, as young people, have the mind of the Lord about direction that we take in our lives.
Permit me to say from the vantage point of one who's a generation ahead of most of the young people here, it pains me many times to see dear young people today so bewildered by the multiplicity of choices in the world and the opportunities that they hardly know which which way to go. And I think that's what you're referring to, Dave.
And it is difficult. It wasn't as hard in the generation that some of us grew up in.
But the same spirit of God.
That helped us to make decisions, can help you to make a decision, and God isn't. We say it with all reverence, bewildered by the tremendous number of choices. And so it's not good enough simply to say, well, I have no idea what I should be doing, but everybody else is going to college, everybody else is doing this or that. So I guess I'd better go too, and we'll see what happens.
I don't believe that we always know the end of the journey. We don't always know exactly where everything's going to end up. But at the same time, I believe we can have a sense in our souls of definite and clear guidance from the Lord as to which direction we take. And whether that's a matter of going into an academic course or whether it's a matter of going into business, whether it's a matter of learning, a trade, or whatever it might be, I believe we can have a sense of the Lord's guidance in that.
And so I don't believe that we have to flounder around and end up getting into a situation where perhaps we do get into difficulties. Because there have been those that have had that happen, those that have gone into courses and gone into various lines of the exercise of their mind that has caused a real difficulty for them. And it's sad, very, very sad. And the scripture warns us about that. It warns us about being spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit. It warns us in this chapter about where man's mind can lead us.
And so it's good to be much before the Lord, isn't it? That scripture says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom? And Psalm 25, verse 14 Remember this young people. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant.
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He'll show you your path if you walk with him, but that's not a there's no shortcuts to that. You can't take a course in school to gain that. The secret of the Lord is to walk with him, who is the truth, and he will never mislead you. Never.
Mr. Darby's translation in Proverbs 3 is to lean not to your own intelligence.
But commit your way to the Lord, and he will direct the path we've often said to our dear young brother and sisters. Do they that honor God? Will He honor? And so the secret is a matter of communion with God the Lord Jesus Christ, And take my yoke upon you and learn of me. And so here we are, walking with the Lord Jesus Christ in his company, and we're safe in whatever direction our life might take.
But the power of our energy should be exerted and going on in communion with Christ, and then we don't have to have too much energy expended In what direction we should our life should go.
Let me read, Let me read another scripture for the help of everyone with this question before us. How can I know His will?
In Philippians 4.
He concludes this wonderful epistle, which is the normal Christianity, normal Christian life. Finally, verse 848. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true. Not fiction, but true.
Whatsoever things are honest or venerable about to be highly esteemed, what sort of things are just?
Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely. Don't dwell on the evil, don't dwell on the failures that you see around do and in your brethren, or even in yourself to judge them, And then go on the occupied with what is lovely, as much as lovely with the Saints. What sort of things are of good? Report there be any virtue, there be any praise. Think.
On these things.
Our thought life will.
Help us if we follow this, we follow just these simple scriptures that tell us how to walk and to find our way through the maze of confusion that presents itself to young people and to all of us actually as we go through this scene, but greater is He that is in you. There's another scripture, first John 44, then He that is in the world. We have one in dwelling us who is our teacher, our guide, our comforter.
The one that takes our hand walks with us through this scene. The Holy Spirit and the Blessed Lord on high is interceding for us. Spirit here below interceding to whom? To the Father and the Father himself loveth you, the Lord Jesus said. And that's so good to know that all the persons of the Godhead are engaged in your life and in my life, if God be for us.
Who can be against us? He's given all he could give. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things so it's all for us. And God is for us, and we can go ahead with the consciousness that he loves me, my Father loves me, and the Son is praying for me, and the Spirit is praying for me to go on and to walk according to his mind where this is where we find it right here.
Make this your daily study and your meditation, and you'll have the secret of the Lord.
Also in connection with that, just two final verses that we're all familiar with and Josh will watch after one verse 8 and 9. Josh watched after one verse 8:00 and 9:00.
Like the same as, as we said already.
This is a very good outline to success, especially for those people who are considering.
What to do, whether college or whatever.
This book is a lot of my mouth with Thou shalt meditate there in daylight. Now may it's observed to do according to all is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy ways prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
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I'm not I commanded thee. Be strong and with good courage. Do not pray, neither do thou dismay. The Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
In case that didn't get on the tape, I'm going to reread it.
Joshua 18 and 9:00.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night.
That thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous.
And then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee, Be strong, and have a good courage? Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, For the Lord thy God is with thee. Whithersoever thou goest also in Proverbs it says In all thy ways acknowledge him. What does that mean? I believe it means that we recognize his claims upon us.
We are not our own. He has bought us with a price. He is the Lord. He is in charge. He is to direct. We don't always are 100% sure whether we have the Lord's mind. When we immigrated to the state, my father-in-law initiated this and I asked him, I said, Are you sure that you have the Lord's mind?
No, he said. I cannot say, but I pray every day.
That if it isn't his will that he would stop me.
Even as a young man, I was never impressed with people that are always so sure that they have the mind of the Lord.
Even the Apostle Paul remember several times he wanted to go someplace. The Lord stopped him. But if we really want to please him and be directed by him, we can say Lord, I don't want to make a mistake, Please stop me and he will. We're not our own. We belong to the Lord Jesus. We ought to live for him, not for self.
The apostle Paul preached at his conversion. He said, Lord, what will thou have me to do? And here's a man who had been schooled in all of the wisdom of this world, And we could also liken Moses the same time. And God took both of those men into paths that were different from the education in which they were schooled in. So I'm not saying that a person after they've taken all the education that they pursue a different path, but.
It just shows that that God's ways are different than man's ways, doesn't it?
50 years ago I was wrestling with some of these things and someone put in my hand a little track by William Kelly called Bread Trades. Many of the young people can get a hold of a copy of it. I'm sure you'd find a blessing from it.
I had a good friend in high school by the name of Al Rain.
And Al was struggling as I was with what the Lord wanted us to do, and I gave him that to read.
And he.
Felt and one can't talk, but he came to the conclusion that he wanted to be an ophthalmologist and he became an ophthalmologist. And I lost track of him for almost all these years.
About six months ago.
Bob DeWitt.
Got a reply to something on his web page that said do you know possibly how I can get in touch with **** Corgis?
Do you know anything about it? Bob forwarded it to me, and we began a very happy renewal of our friendship and correspondence.
And now just recently said to me, I've thought over that tract of Mr. Kelly's and I wish I had thought more about it when I was younger. Now brother Bill, this is not common in any way condemning his becoming an ophthalmologist. But he himself has had second thoughts about it and wondered if he wouldn't have been happier in a bread drain where he could Now let Mr. Kelly meant by that was just something to her, my friend.
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And.
He. He.
At this very late stage in his life, having retired from the medical profession, he's now.
Digging into the word and enjoying it. And he said something I couldn't have done years ago. I just didn't have the time for it. I have mentioned that track because if you haven't read it.
And it's still available. I suggest you get ahold of a copy of it and read it. Not that you become a plumber or Carpenter or whatever, although I I sometimes feel that the happiest Christians I know are those that are in that kind of thing. They go on and people who clean rugs for a living or whatever it is. I enjoy that being in the company of such.
I've been on both sides of it.
I remember at one point in my college career, college education, my father called me inside. He told me he was scared of what was happening to my mind.
By all the garbage that you're being taught in the college.
If you knew my dad, you knew he had a pretty sharp mind and he wasn't deprecating.
Intelligence. Intelligence. But he knew that I was headed in a bad direction, and finally I became convinced of it myself.
And I got down on my knees and I prayed something. That was probably the most dangerous prayer I've ever made in my life. But I've never regretted it.
I said, Lord.
If the acquisition of knowledge and and.
That sort of thing.
Will take me away from you.
Please take my mind away. I'd rather go into heaven a simple.
Souls than the one in becoming more and more convinced with the of. The.
Garbage of the world.
I'm glad. I trust the Lord didn't totally take that.
I trust I still have my mind, but it was a real sober prayer and I said it before him because these scriptures that we're reading together.
Were what formed the basis of my saying to the Lord.
Let me be simple again in the things of God.
Now, don't take that wrong.
Intelligence and and.
Intelligence and diligence and the things of science are is a valuable thing. I'm not I I joined with heights and what he said before about it. But be careful.
Be careful and if you can get a hold of that little tractor, Mr. Kelly, if it isn't available, it's not a long one. I have thought of putting it up again in a in a in a word processing format and give us the title of that. Again Fred Craig, Fred Craig, that was the title of BTP gave to it years ago and I don't know if it's still available. Has anybody recently seen it?
Never. Still never saw it? Beg your pardon? Never heard of it.
00:50:04
This latter part of the chapter is very important. It's how spiritual truth is communicated. And to use a overused word, it's very relevant to the day in which we're living because it's how is it that God reaches out to people. When I was younger, somebody said, well, if you're going to rich, meet rich people to the Lord, that you've got to rent the Ritz Carlton in Paris and invite them to a reception and give them the gospel there. That's not how God does it. You want to get people to the Lord, you got to entertain them. So you have puppet shows.
That's not how spiritual truths are communicated. It's the foolishness of preaching. Don't apologize for the truth, Give it out. We're living in a vast, so-called Christian land and people are largely ignorant of the simple facts of the gospel, even real believers, simple facts of scripture. And So what you do is you give it out. It's by the foolishness of announcing this truth that people know that there's going to be a judgment. People's consciences have been awakened.
They've been given a shake. You know, when the Gulf War was on, some students spruced themselves all up and they came to the house. They said, can I talk to you? And they came and they sat down and they said, is this the end of the world?
Circumstances that awaken their conscience. It was an opportunity and we, many of us had to have opportunities. And the time is just to open the word of God and announce to them a fax and leave it with the Lord. And that's what he'll use about A great deal of energy is burnt up by people trying to communicate spiritual truths in spiritual ways.
And so.
A brother used to say, you know we shouldn't just use a why rob the Lord if you're if you want going to use a piano and organ give him a whole orchestra, you know. But the fact is that christened and my brother said he shouldn't say that because christened them gives Hollywood a run for its money and the way they do things now. And that's not how spiritual truth is communicated. It's somebody bowing their head at the table at school, reading their scriptures on the bus and going on in this acquired Christian way that God.
Announcing the facts of the gospel that this wonderful truth is communicated.
I like to comment on verse 26.
For ye see you're calling veteran. How that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.
Again, there is nothing wrong.
In wisdom, true wisdom.
You know, it's a wonderful thing if you know a brother that is a wise brother, but here it says wise according to the flesh. That's not the kind of a wisdom. And those people like that. There are not many like that that the Lord calls, and not many mighty.
And not many noble. I understand that one of the women of nobility said she was glad it didn't say. Not any noble, but not many. Why? Because God delights to pick out that which is likely esteemed among men, that magnifies his grace.
And justice, keep that in mind. Not many like that and.
But that which is steam little, that's what it says. He has chosen to foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty well.
Maybe most of us fit in that category. You know, we're not very wise, we're not mighty and we're certainly not of nobility, but.
The Lord in His grace has picked us out and has made us to be what we are in Christ.
The Lord Jesus on one occasion said to the Father.
I thank thee that thou hast hid this from the wise, and revealed them unto babes, for Even so it seemed good. And thy sight, and that's what we're talking about, the wisdom and the wisdom of God. He has taken that which is a no ignoble in man's views, and used it to bring blessing to man, when the Lord Jesus Christ was given the scriptures to read.
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Where he was growing up, he read that the poor have the gospel preached unto them, and so it's a good principle for us to keep in mind what we have right here that not many.
Wise and not many noble and so forth are called, but the gospel goes out and except one becomes as a little child.
Can't enter the Kingdom. And so God has taken these things and hidden them from the wise of this world. Can a man, in searching find out God? No. He has to come in as a little child, dependent and believing, and that is a source of blessing because it seemed good in the sight of the Father's eyes. That's wonderful for the children here in this room to realize that maybe they don't understand everything in the meeting, but God's chosen to reveal things to you that the wise men of this world do not know.
If I took one of the youngest children in this room and asked them what's going to happen, they would probably give you a pretty good little outline of what the future holds for this world. What are the leaders of this world saying we're going to rid the world of evil?
Now, who is right? I think God communicates, is pleased to communicate to what is not regarded in this world. As you've been pointing out things that the wise men of this world, the powerful man, as they jet about the world, trying to set the world in order, they don't understand. But I think even a young child can understand that the Lord's going to overturn till he whose right it is has come and it's going to be given to him. And so that's why it's wonderful for you to be here and This is why you belong here, is to hear these things line upon line, precept upon precept. You're going to pick up a little bit. But God has given you to understand things that the wise men of this world do not and cannot understand by human wisdom.
Maybe turn together to Acts chapter 26.
Thought of your mind? That's Chapter 26.
Speaking about the Apostles verse 25.
24.
And he said thus, faith for himself and fish to sit with a loud voice, ball loud heart, be signed by himself. Much awareness does make the man for the margins of cases, but instead.
I am not that most noble Festivus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
That's the key truth and.
Also call on the well learned man, but he used it for the glory and honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, heading forth the words and truth and soberness.
Something wrong with the higher education Sometimes the Lord has allowed to give it to us, those who have a member to speak the words and truth.
And the second verse of Corinthians Chapter 11.
3rd degree.
Dear left by any means as the serpent desiled, he through his subtlety, but your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is incorrect.
I like to take note of a word that appears here in this first chapter first Corinthians several times and the thought down through these verses. And that's the word calling unto them which are called where you see your calling. Not many noble are called.
And we know that the gospel goes out and we preach the gospel.
Whosoever will may come, God has established a basis whereby he proclaims liberty to the captive. There's no reason for anyone to say I haven't been predestinated. I haven't been called, I haven't been chosen. I can't come. God declares, Whosoever will may come, but what is it? And this will produce, This produces worship in our heart. What is it that gets us to listen to that?
01:00:08
It's that call that God gives to us, and it's a sovereign act of God. And we read the word God has chosen the foolish things God has chosen.
The things that are despised.
There's nothing in our wisdom and in our ability and our comprehension.
That led us to be saved. We were dead in trespasses and sins. A dead man can't respond to anything, can it? Sometimes we hear the gospel preached. You need to believe on Jesus to be born again. The Bible tells us you need life from God to be able to believe on Jesus. That we could not have been our own wisdom ever have come to make this decision, no matter how well it was presented, no matter how lovingly it was given to us.
I remember you used to listen to Albert Hale preached the gospel. And I think how could anybody in the world not get saved listening to that gospel message?
But that isn't what makes someone get saved, is it? It's that call of the God of Heaven, and it's an irresistible call when he speaks and calls our name and says come, follow me, it's absolute grace. It's absolutely a sovereign act of God. And we get that enrollments in the 8th chapter of the Book of Romans.
Verse 29 of Romans, chapter eight Well, let's read 28 verse. And we know that all things work together for good for them that love God to them that are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate them he also called.
And whom he called them he also justified. And whom he justified them he glorified. What shall we say to these things? What can it do when we think about this, except to produce in our heart profound, deep thanks, gratitude, and worship? Now I like to keep point out that some misunderstand whom he poor knew, as if he would know who would accept the gospel.
A brother years ago put it this way, he said, upon whom he set his affections. Then he predestinated. I think that's a beautiful way of explaining that verse. And so before anything was made that was made, God knew that there would be a key.
And he said I want that key to be my son, my child.
And then when Keith was born, he saw to it that Keith would hear the gospel.
That that call would reach you and.
You were saved. It was all a sovereign work of God. It's for me, for anyone in this room, the same way. But calling sometimes also refers to what we are called to, You know, we have a heavenly calling, you know, not an earthly one, but how wonderful that that call reached us. And the Spirit of God brought in our hearts and consciences so that our eyes were open to our need.
And to accept the law, and we cannot boast, I have believed.
Overdose that have not believed even faith is a gift of God, you know, faith was given to us and so that we could by faith accept what the grace offered.
Before we close the meeting, our time is nearly gone. Could we hear something on verse 30 of chapter one? It seems to tie in with what we have just been hearing, that it's the sovereign grace of God that calls us and.
Maybe, Brother Chuck, if that wouldn't be asking too much, could you give us something on that? I was just going to say go ahead, Bill.
Go ahead.
Well, I could make a remark or two, but maybe others would enlarge on it. But it seems here that the wording says, Who of God, Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us Wisdom? And then in the latter or in the next chapter it says in verse seven we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory.
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It's characteristic of the gospel that the Apostle Paul preached that he begins with the honor and glory of Christ and God's purposes in his beloved Son, and then the wondrous way that God is going to bring you and me into blessing with him.
And so he's the center of all of God's wisdom, isn't he? And then of course, righteousness. Well, how could there be righteousness except by the cross? God could not bring righteousness together with His Holiness except by the cross sanctification. We're set apart, set apart positionally, and then as we live on in the Christian life, practically and progressively, we are set more and more apart from the whole course of this world.
Through which we walk and then eventually redemption, I would suggest, is looked at here as the completion of it all. That is, when we receive the full results of the finished work of Christ. We are of course redeemed as to fact now, but as to reality, it'll be realized in that coming day in a full way, won't it, when we have those glorified bodies and see the full results of all of that work on the cross.
As to the Lord Jesus Christ being made to us righteousness, it says in the.
And is it Chapter 9 who himself knew no sin?
Has been made sense for us that we might be made of righteousness of God. In him there is a righteousness of God announced in the gospel and we are Christ is our righteousness. He is also our.
Sanctification or holiness. God has made us holy and without blame before Him in love, so that we have become.
In character and nature suitable to the presence of God himself. So all of this is in Christ. He's dressed us with every spiritual blessing.
Heavenlies in Christ, and so He himself is the object for which it was all done, and we have everything that we possess in him.
Just a little word of caution in regard to the righteousness and part of this. There's a there's a thought that is taught all around us that the Lord Jesus personal righteousness is put to our account. I don't think that's taught in Scripture. I think when it talks about the righteousness of God, it's talking about God's perfect.
Consistency.
With what he is and what he does for the believer. Now that's all made good to us in Christ, and only in Christ. But increasingly I hear around me believers talking about the concept that.
The Lord's personal righteousness in his life down here is what is put to our account, and I don't think that's taught in the Word. I think what is taught in the Word.
Is that that qualified him to go to the cross and satisfy the righteousness of God, which is then made available to us in Christ. God is just and to justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
In English we have two words. We can also say God is righteous and declares righteous. The one who believes in Jesus. I was also glad for for Brother Ewell.
Referring to having been made holy. Sanctification is more than just setting us apart. Yes, that's true, but He has made us holy. We stand before him wholly unblameable, irreproachable Colossians, one and by one offering. He has perfected forever the sanctified or those that are made holy. The NIV said that are to be sanctified as if it is a future thing. No, it's a present.
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State in which God sees us. We are made holy positional holiness. There are scriptures that speak of practical holiness and like in Hebrews, that we might become partakers of His Holiness. That's why He chastises us. And also in 2nd Corinthians 7.
1St Thessalonians 3 You have practical holiness.
But it's a wonderful thing by faith to understand that God looks at us as holy through the work of the Lord Jesus, not because of anything that we have done, but being.
In that position before him we ought to be exercised at practically it be demonstrated in our lives.
That we demonstrate what the grace of God has made us to be. If if.
If Christ, keeping the law for us was put to our account, then we would stand in a righteousness that He.
Worked out during his life. And there's a verse in scripture that says that is not the righteousness in which we stand and it's Galatians 2.
21 Last verse of chapter two he says I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. The righteousness in which we stand is Christ risen, who is our life and our righteousness. We can point to the man in the glory and say he is my righteousness before God, having put away all my sins on the cross.
Now he's risen into a state of acceptance and favor, and that's where we stand in him. And he is our righteousness, but it's not his keeping the law for us. If that had been the case, why would he have to have died?
He was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Romans Four 330 Sorry #67 in the appendix. Perfect righteousness of God and its witness in the Savior's blood.
67.
The perfect.
Day.
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And our Father, we thank thee for that one that thou hast exalted, given a name which is above every name, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we thank thee, our God, that we have by grace been able to acknowledge in some measure in our lives that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Well, we acknowledge that there's no wisdom without thy well beloved Son. And so we have wisdom in this path and wisdom.
Knowledge as to the purposes and counsels of their God. In this scene we thank the our God and our Father that Thou has delighted.
To reveal these things to us that we might have fellowship with thee in this scene in intelligence as we await the coming of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. And so we thank thee for this precious time together. We just ask that it might bear fruit for thy glory and honor in our lives and that there might be blessing for us to In the precious and worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Amen.
1 Corinthians 2:1-10
Reading
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280-8288.
God and loving Father, we thank Thee again for the lines of this precious hymn. And we thank Thee too for the ministry of Thy precious word that has enlightened us and given us assurance caused our hearts to be bowed in Thy presence. Oh blessed Savior, we think of these things as we meditate upon Thy person. And thank Thee for the truth that have been has been presented to us.
We look to Thee now for the about the meetings to follow. We ask Thy guidance and direction as we would read portions of Thy word. We pray too, that our hearts may be prepared to take in what Thou has to say to us. Rather than bringing our thoughts to the Word, we pray that we may together Thy thoughts toward us and to be refreshed and built up with a desire to please the blessed Lord Jesus. So we think of these things as we commit the next few moments to Thee for the for Thy blessing and guidance.
We thank you again for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit of God to make these things good to us. And we just pray that we may adhere to these things, that we may bow to them. That we may make Christ our object rather than Self, rather than having to just to know the Savior, but to know Thee as Lord, the one who has authority in our so we ask for blessing now as we commit the time to Thee in Thy precious and in Thy worthy name. Amen.
Chapter 2.
First Corinthians chapter 2.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came out with Excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
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That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Albeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the Princess of this world that come to know, but we speak the wisdom of God, and a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the Princess of this world knew. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard.
Neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yeah, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even saw the things of God, knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak not in the words? Which man's wisdom teacher, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for their foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things that he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ?
Some people.
Use these first verses as if it is wrong if one has the ability to speak eloquently.
That he should not use that ability.
Paul does not here suggest that that would be wrong.
But when he was among the Christians, Christians in Corinth.
This was the direction received by him from the Spirit to speak in this way, because they made too much.
Of man's wisdom and eloquence and this kind of a thing. We know that a palace was an eloquent preacher, and he was not discouraged to in that way speak.
But he needed to learn the way more perfectly, and it was taken in by a coolant Priscilla and they taught him to understand the truth more perfectly. But he was a very gifted speaker, so there's nothing wrong if one has the ability to speak intelligently, clearly, with eloquence.
To use that, but of course there is the danger that we make too much.
Of that kind of an ability. You know, sometimes I'm afraid that we say, well, in the camp there are real gifted men and there are gifted men there. But I'm afraid sometimes we confuse gift with eloquence just because somebody can.
Eloquently present a subject that does not necessarily mean that he has a real gift as a teacher.
But Paul was directed by the Spirit of God to speak the way he did so that their faith would not rest in man's wisdom. I think that's the way to be understood that way, right? Yes. And in the second verse he says, I determined not to know anything among you.
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Save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. They needed to have Christ before them as their object.
They were saying I am of Paul, I am of Apollo, I am a Cephas. They had man before them.
And they needed to have Christ set before them, and Christ crucified, which brings in, as we had this morning, the end of the first match, the end of the man after the flesh. And they were, they were Colonel. He says that in the third chapter he couldn't speak to them as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. And so they needed to be delivered from making much of man.
No matter how gifted the man may be and have Christ before them. And then the cross needed to be pressed. Because that's what brings nothing. That's what brings us to nothing, isn't it?
And that really is presents one difficulty of our bearing witness to the truth, as we sometimes refer to it as the outside place, But it's simply being gathered the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We do not.
Give place to the first man. We do not ask a well trained soloist to entertain the Saints or to use that quote talent in the assembly. And so when we make no place for the first man has been gathered simply to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their theological training is of no value, and there are various other natural abilities, their instrumental ability to play, and so forth.
Gives no place for the first man and therefore it is not an attractive place to those who sometimes quote, would like to use my talent for God. Well, we come to the assembly and the only man to be exalted in the assembly is the second man, the last Adam. And we can tell something as to the truth of everything that is ministered as to which man does it exalt. That's the task to put and the Corinthians root problem was confidence in the first man.
And so that is Christ crucified, presented to them not in the Excellency of speech, if we look at some of the.
Addresses of the Apostle in the Acts. We would have to say that he could be indeed an eloquent speaker, but not among those who made a great deal of the first man.
Very precious to see here too. Just dropping back to verse.
20 The previous chapter. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God has made us, made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption.
He begins his second chapter by saying, And I, brethren, came when I came to you, I came not with Excellency of speech he wasn't.
Conjuring up things. He wasn't directing up certain speeches to give them these truths, but it was a fact. He was declaring the testimony of God, and the very next verse says what the test? What was the testimony of God?
The crucifixion, as it says Jesus Christ and Him crucified, I determined not to know anything among you.
Save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's where the marvelous testimony that Paul gave.
Because God had brought him into this place of nearness and blessings.
The Apostle had had an experience no one else had ever had, and he does not say anything about it in the first epistle.
14 years later he mentions it to the Corinthians. Second Corinthians 12 He says. I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago.
Whether in the body or I cannot tell. Whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth.
Such in one caught up to the 3rd heaven and he saw and heard wonderful things. He could have presented that to them, that would have dazzled them, that would have really impressed them that he'd been there. But he doesn't do that, doesn't do that at all. Not until their state required it. And that was many years later. Didn't say a word about his experience until it was necessary. And then after he says it in that.
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12Th chapter He says I have become a fool in glorying ye have compelled me. He didn't want to. He didn't want to speak of himself in any way.
A spiritual man never wants to speak of himself. Those that promote themselves are not spiritual, They're fleshly and they're carnal, and he was anything but carnal. He was a spiritual man, but he did it because they needed certain truths that.
We're connected with that, and that's why, about the way he went to them. He came with just an ordinary man and spoke to them not in any way as to tickle their desire after something great and something that would impress man after the flesh. He didn't do that.
So he knew their natural weakness in spite of conducting himself, as he describes here is still fell for it, you know, because that's why he's writing this epistle now. But he's reminding them from the very beginning. I did not in any way want you to be occupied with men and men's ability, but they had fallen into it anyway, so.
I trust the Lord would help us to have more discernment in dealing with souls. It's amazing how Paul was given a spiritual insight into their weaknesses before they really came into Christian blessing. But in spite of being careful, they fell for it. They still got a got the best of them, you might say.
Doesn't that say then, Brother Hines that?
In ministering the word, it isn't just knowing truth.
But it's to have ones. To be in communion with the Lord in such a way that we let him tell us how and what to bring forth. I think that's important, isn't it? And according to the state existing and that might differ from one assembly to the other. And it's only the Lord that can give that discernment. It's not any human intuition or anything.
We spend money, we just have to rely on him.
Many of you will recognize the statement.
Mr. Darby made his grapple with souls. Where you find them, that is what has been said.
To discern the state of the individual and minister to them in words that are relevant to them and in terms that they can understand. We had at a conference a number of years ago and second Peter one, where it's where it was told us that we should in our knowledge have temperance. That is, we do not have to tell an individual with whom we're dealing everything we know. We have to use self-control to be able to discern what is the need of that soul and seek to meet it in the grace of God.
That our grace should all our speech should always be with grace. That it might bring edification. So if we're speaking in terms that souls don't comprehend well, we're not building them up, we're not helping them along the way.
Paul was quite intimidated at Corinth, and so on the third verse he said I was with you in weakness and in fear, and in much trembling, And when Timothy came, he sent Timothy there, and he had to tell the Corinthians in the last chapter see that he be with you without fear.
The ground of ministry, he quotes from the 116th Psalm. I believe, therefore I've spoken. I was greatly afflicted.
And so we hear things in the assembly that the assembly, which is a pillar in support of the truth that you will not hear in the world. And I think the young people understand this more and more, that there's political correctness in the world. They say you can't say this and you can't say that. And there's sort of a social censorship about speaking the plain truth, and that can even creep into the assembly according to man's wisdom. But if God has said something, if God says that, that settles it. And we we ought to believe it.
And so.
Paul spoke plainly. I remember a brother standing up at a conference, an aged brother who we know and he just spoke on, I believe on a sister's place. And he said his knees were just shaking. And because there was real opposition to that truth, and I believe that we need to realize that in the assembly. Well, this was the condition of things at Corinth. If somebody had come and tickled their ears has been said, they would have been gladly received. And so he deals with that a little bit more in the second epistle, that condition of things.
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It's good to realize that it's a testimony of God that we bear. I'm going to give you a statement that was given me by God, a young woman.
Says it is an incorruptible seed that we sow.
And it may lie dormant, sometimes for years, until God is pleased to water it and cause it to spring up into eternal life.
So we have here the testimony of God, and that's what we bear.
What we have here, excuse me, don't we have here to the attitude and the which in which we present the truth of God?
And Paul's attitude was such, wasn't it? He was a he was ordered of God. He was he was told that he was going to suffer many things for for the Lord's name. And here were these Corinthians with their knowledge they became they were behind in no gift as we find in the first chapter. But there was an attitude there, and I just think of that as we read these verses. And I was with you in weakness.
Well, you say we He's pretty weak. He's feeble, but he had something to present. He was presenting the truth of God, and it's it's weak. He was in fear.
And he was in much trembling.
And.
His speech was, and my preaching was not, in the enticing words of men. That is, he didn't come with a lot of big words that nobody knew about. He presented the truth of God in a very simple way and in much fear and trembling. And isn't that true, that when we come, we meet up with those that we realize that they fear God in some way?
And they present the truth to us. We find that it's we can receive it because we see the very attitude that they speak of God's principles are different than man's. And so with this the dear apostle, he was there in weakness, in fear and trembling, and yet he presented the most glorious truth that any man could ever hear, or anyone could ever hear.
Precious, isn't it?
When the Lord was sent to Herod.
He wanted to see some miracle. Of course, the Lord did not entertain him with a miracle.
He didn't give him what he was looking for, and neither did Paul entertain the Corinthians with the kind of thing that would have impressed them naturally speaking.
One of the sergeants in the jail where we go on Sunday night had his Bible on his desk one night, and I engaged him in conversation. And yes, he said I'm in certain, certain Bible school and I'm taking a course in persuasive preaching.
Well, Paul's preaching was not of that character. Well, not with persuasive words or enticing words. You don't go to school to learn to teach the truth of God. You learn it, you ingest it, you digest it and you give it up. I was meditating this afternoon on that verse in John 9, John 7. Excuse me that if any man thirst, let him come to me and drink, and out of his belly she'll fall Rivers of living water.
We ingest the word, and then we have that with which the Spirit of God can use.
To speak the truth to those with whom we come in contact, not with persuasive words, but in the power of the Spirit of God.
So then we don't take.
What we've been saying, but we ought to just say it again that we don't have little canned sermons that we take around from assembly to assembly, do we?
I've I've heard that accusation sometimes, and I'm always amazed at it because I I think of how.
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Important it is to get before the Lord in each circumstances to what the?
Particular need of that particular group of people is and if you have a canned sermon, that isn't going to do it, is it? But **** wouldn't that be more?
A prophet, he would discern the state of the Saints and give what was needed for the teacher as he goes around. I I heard of some brothers that that were traversing making a circuit and everywhere they went they taught the same truths. They taught the same thing. I don't call that a canned sermon.
In other words, they were teaching and they felt the Saints need to be established in this line of truth. So that's a teacher might might do the teach the same thing from place to place, but a prophet, he would try to discern the state of the Saints and give ministry accordingly.
So I think both are in order, Depends on whether what the gift of the person is. I felt that Rotoland Dean had a tremendous gift as the voice of a prophet. You know, many times when he ministered in open meetings, I felt that very much and he certainly was a capable teacher as well. So a brother might be a teacher. He might also have the ability to reach the conscience. You know, someone has said that the teacher.
Addresses himself to the intelligence of the believer, while the shepherd addresses the heart and the prophet addresses the conscience. And that's the least kind or that ministry is the least appreciated amongst the Saints of God. We always want to have something that warms our heart.
But that might not necessarily be what the Lord wants us to hear. So let's not despise prophesied. Scripture warns against that. There is very much need of that kind of ministry among us, especially since the world has come into such a large extent and we have to be humbled by the condition that manifests itself the prophet. The voice of the Prophet is needed.
And that is the present aspect of prophecies, not giving new revelations, but applying what has been previously revealed and applying it to the heart and conscience. That was the ministry of the prophets in the Old Testament, that they were trying to use the word of God to restore God's people to a spiritual state.
The term pastors and teachers is grouped together in Ephesians 4, isn't it? And a pastor would would seek to to see what the state of soul is of the individual. And so that gift is brought together in Ephesians chapter 4. And it seems to me that it's good for those that are teachers to to seek to determine the state of soul in the presentation of the truth.
And I feel that in our assembly meetings, in the Bible readings, that that it's not just truth, it's not just doctrine that we want to present, but to to be humbly before the Lord. We have in our in our meeting in Pine Grove, we have the the prayer meeting before the Bible reading. And I'm very thankful for that because.
It's very much in prayer before the Bible reading.
That we would, that the Lord would give us something during the reading meeting, and you may take up the same chapter two different nights in the Lord, to give different thoughts in connection with them. And so those who take part in the meeting are very important. It is that that we we seek to to discern what the mind of the Lord is for the that the Saints of God may be fed in the meeting.
Because it's the desire of the Lord that the Saints be built up, isn't it?
I put that in a very practical way, Peter says in First Peter and Second Peter, chapter One, verse 12. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them, and be established in the present truth. We can't go home and bone up on a particular portion in Scripture with all the written ministry that we can find on it, come to meeting and spit it back out, and expect that the Saints will be edified.
00:30:05
We're going to find perhaps that that ministry even chase a little bit. There needs to be a application of the truth, that it be present truth.
Hopefully there will be those in the assembly that will teach. Not necessarily the same person, be a teacher and a shepherd, but that there will be those who teach and those who will shepherd. Those are the two gifts.
That are so important in the assembly and the oversight in the assembly Shepherd Care is connected with that.
We find that in First Peter Five. We find it in Acts chapter 20. So.
It is not always easy to be a Good Shepherd, because the Shepherd and the Overseer is concerned about the spiritual well-being of the Saints and if they.
Are in danger and if they're not going on right for the Lord, their responsibilities try to help them and that is not always appreciated. Sometimes the very people that they try to help turn against them, You know, we have had that again and again happen amongst the Saints, but how wonderful.
We and we can probably go on here.
We wisdom among them.
That are perfect. Now how do we understand that?
Does it mean that the Saints will get into a state, hopefully of sinless perfection?
No, I don't think that that is what it's meant.
Yeah, I think somebody quoted that verse in Philippians. As many as are perfect. Let us be thus minded. That is spiritual maturity and growth. Earlier in that third chapter of Philippians, Paul himself said that he was not yet perfect, That means brought into full conformity to Christ.
That will only be reached when we get to be with him and like him. But there is the possibility that you can mature spiritually and we find that also in Hebrews. Let us go on to perfection, full growth. I hope we will grow and reach spiritual maturity. You know when you look at these little kids and if they would never grow, the parents would be very much distressed.
But what about spiritual growth? You know, unfortunately, sometimes older people are babysitting Christ even after they're saved for a longer period of time. That's not normal. That's not what the Lord expects. He expects that we grow and mature spiritually, and to those that are mature, they can't may have put a death rate stomach.
Harder food to be digested.
You know, they don't have to be spoon fed, they don't have to have milk, You know, they can have solid food.
The reason here we find, don't we, that the Apostle presented this truth as he did.
Just dropping back to a couple verses here. He speaks about his speech and his preaching and so on, and then he says at the end of that. It says that at the end of that verse, but that.
But the in demonstration of the spirit and power.
Demonstration. That's example, isn't it? That's demonstrated in his very attitude, in how he preached and how he spoke. And it's very beautiful to think of that. It's in a demonstration of the Spirit and power. Now notice verse five, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men.
You know, we meet a lot of people that are very wise people. I've heard some preachers that are very have a lot of wisdom. But when you get through, you hear them, you say, now what did they say? What did they say?
They didn't make the point. They did a lot of talking. They didn't make the point. But I just had lovely Here, it says that your face should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. And in my early days, I remember we asked.
00:35:08
Questions of some of these ministers and we get together afterward.
And say that did not sound like the Lord. They told us a lot of things but it didn't sound right. And I thought of those verses in First First John, where the Spirit will give us an unction from the Holy One and we'll we'll know these things. We were pretty pretty well green in these things. We didn't know them and we asked these questions and they talked us a lot, give us a lot of talk. But in the end we said what did they say?
We don't understand this and I think it's very beautiful to see how the apostles to these Corinthians here were knowledgeable and and always looking for something new That your faith should stand, should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. There's where the truth really is gets in.
Argan says not be in the wisdom of men, and that's Mr. Darby's translation also, and it is very important.
And we certainly do not decry where blessing takes place, regardless of whatever means God uses.
To bring souls to himself. But when an individual comes into peace with God and circumstances that are.
Brought about by theological discourse and by entertainment methods. Their faith, then, is in that frame of mind. They see nothing wrong with the entertainment. They see nothing wrong with the school of theology. Their faith is in that mode. Well, that's not the way it's presented here. The power of God and the Spirit of God does not give that first man the place. What is the power of God?
You look at Samson and they looked at him, and I think if you imagine him in a Sunday school book or a picture shown as a big, strong man, but they looked at him and they wondered where in lay his strength. They don't believe he was visibly stronger than anywhere one else. But he had long hair. And perhaps it's a puzzling thing to us, but long hair is a womanly thing and what is characteristic of a woman is submission and weakness and and so and so we'll hear what, but it's submission and it's something that the world doesn't know anything about.
And that is the power of the believer. We had heard about the unity of the spirit, and you know, there's unity, there's a war. And immediately they send out their ambassadors all over the world to get together, a coalition and so on. And that's the world's idea of unity, to go through Europe and all these borders they fought over. They're gone now, like abandoned gas stations, and they've got union, but they don't have unity. But in the assembly, we have the unity of the Spirit. Because why? Because there's a simple desire with a pure heart to submit to the word of God.
And it's something the world knows nothing about. Her brother, John Gorgas, had a very opportune time sent out that tape.
Submission, God's healing principle. And I gave it to a brother and he said, you know, I've been to a lot of churches and he said my wife and I remarked about something, she said.
Why is it that what is so central to Christianity we have never heard taught anywhere?
And so that's the power of Christianity. That is what the unity of the Spirit is. That's what produces it between you and me, is when we submit to this blessed it's not forming A coalition or fabricating something the way that's man's wisdom. And so in the assembly, we hear things that are not politically correct. If I can use that term, that you'll never hear them in the world, to simply submit to the word of God.
And so that is what the power of God is. And that's why Paul trembled, because the rich man was respected at Corinth. The man, the eloquent man, was respected at Corinth. But the one who simply came and gave the word of God, as Paul did, or as a Timothy did, they tremble. And I just would say this in connection which was said when prophecy shapes. And I quote again that verse that I quoted from the Psalms. I believe, therefore I've spoken I was greatly afflicted. And the chafing comes first of all with self.
And when the word of God is applied really in the conscience, and a man has lived that truth, and it is chafed on himself first of all.
Then there's going to be power to give it out.
Job said I uttered things too wonderful for me, and the experiences of Joel brought his experience up to speed with what he knew and these things God worth oftentimes with man. And it's a wonderful thing that we can see farther than we can walk. But God will often bring up our experience to the level of what we've been taught and what we know, And these are often painful but necessary experiences, and we see that with Paul.
00:40:29
The Corinthians despised that in Paul they looked down on him because Paul had trouble, and our brother quoted from the last chapter of Corinthians. But Can you imagine anybody who had the trouble in their life that the apostle Paul had? But it was because he saw things that were not lawful for a man to utter, and we've been given the very highest truth that can be committed to man, and their suffering connected with it.
The word mystery that we have.
Here in verse seven we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.
In the world a mystery is something which is secret and unknown in the present. But in the Scriptures the word mystery is that which was unknown in the past but is now revealed. What characterizes like verse 20, God hath revealed them unto us by the Spirit. So the mystery that Paul speaks of, speaks of quite a few mysteries in the New Testament are things which they didn't know in the past in the Old Testament.
Secrets. They're now revealed. They're not secrets anymore. They are now revealed. And we know them by the Spirit of God and by the word of God.
The very, very notion that God would save man through the cross was foolishness to the world, and it's God's wisdom, God's wisdom.
So there's never one mystery, isn't it, that we will never be able to understand. And that's the mystery of the person of Christ.
You know that remains. No one knows the Son but the Father.
And that's good for us to recognize. But mystery is mentioned over and over again in the New Testament, like in Ephesians 3 and in Colossians 1.
That is revealed, and it is known to us, but it isn't known to the world. And here that is pointed out by Paul. Here the world, had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. You know they were ignorant of what God's purposes in God's mind was, but.
We do not have to be ignorant about these things. God wants us to know these things.
He has revealed His eternal counsels and purposes, which He purposed in Christ before the world was and He wants to bring us into His secrets, just like even with Abraham should I hide from Abraham, He said. God has introduced us into His secrets, made them known to us, and they can be enjoyed by faith.
If you compare the quotation of verse 9 to the.
Old Testament. Where it comes from, you'll understand what Brother Chuck was trying, not trying what he said.
About the revealing of mysteries in the Old Testament, things concealed is it doesn't read exactly that way in the Old Testament. It's a quotation, and it says, but it is written, I have not seen nor yet heard. Neither hath entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them, that wait for him. But he's come now, and so the heart of God has opened up now, and he says he's revealed to them, to those that love him.
And they're revealed by the Spirit, so it goes along with our chapters. So in the Old Testament they had to wait, and they in Peter was referred to. But they diligently looked into these things and tried to understand these things. And it was just communicated to them that it wasn't for themselves but was for us that they prophesied those things. They had a sense, I believe, that they were prophesying more than they understood. But now we can understand those things are revealed by the Spirit of God.
00:45:05
So we never need to worry, as the world would tell us, that our minds will be constricted or cramped in the things of God, Will we?
Someone commented. I understand. I think it was possibly William Kelly. I stand corrected on it, that he had a mind built for the universe, But they said he clings to that book like a fool.
Well, he did have a brilliant mind. No doubt he had a mind that could have made much of himself in this world.
But was his mind constricted? Oh no. We speak wisdom among them that are perfect.
And there are heights and depths of meditation in the things of God so far beyond our poor minds that even those who.
Spent a lifetime in it, said They only scratched the surface. That's what it means in Ephesians 3, doesn't it? When it talks about the length and breadth and depth and height, it's as if God brings us to a Vista and shows us all that He has in Christ, all His purposes and His beloved Son all that we have in association with Him. I want you to enjoy that wisdom. Man's wisdom will never bring us there, but God's wisdom will.
And so we never need to be concerned that our minds will at all be constricted by these things, as the world would tell us, but rather that we'll be liberated and set free. As a brother wrote, free from myself, Lord Jesus, free from the ways of men, chains of thought that have bound me, never combined again. And so the Spirit of God would set your mind and your heart free, and mine too, to live and enjoy all the good of these things.
Phil, Darby's uncle, said in all of England he knew nobody more capable than John, but he vows to that book like a fool.
Not care of William Kelly, somebody told him with his ability and knowledge of the original languages, if he were to go to Oxford, he would make a fortune for himself. His answer was for which world?
Tremendous, isn't it? For which world? Yes, these men were intellectual giants, but the spirit of God was able to use them. And it has also been said that J&D.
Manifested A childlike faith in the word of God, and I trust that it's more found with us.
And it's very good to get a hold that in these verses here that follow.
There are three things. First of all, the truth was communicated by words taught by the Spirit. That's revelation. And then they were passed on in the power of the Spirit, communicating spiritual things by spiritual means. That's J&D surrendering. That's better, isn't it? Communicating spiritual things by spiritual means. We do well to remember that the way we present the truth.
That's inspiration. That's inspiration.
First revelation, yes. Then inspiration. And then the power of the Spirit of God receiving it, yeah.
Thank you.
I I think the thought that the comment was William Kelly had a mind for the universe narrowed by Darby ISM.
That's not bad, but this is consistent with God's ways with men. When he needed a witness beyond all others, he chose one who had been schooled and all of the law under Gamelio and converted him to.
From a man breathing out slaughters and curses against the believers, the one who.
Having been turned to God, preached straightway that Jesus was the Christ.
How could he do that? Because he was instructed in the word of God, and so when God raised up men to give us the.
Recovered truth he didn't. He didn't lack instruments. He picked men who had the ability.
To bring it out and pass it on to us. What is the obstacle to getting that comes out in Corinthians? Corinth. It wasn't a lack of gift that came behind a no good gift. It wasn't the lack of the time that the apostles spent there. He spent, as we heard, 18 months there. It was a moral thing. And so you see in Corinth, he has to write to them 10 times. He says, know ye not, do ye not know? And he goes back to principles. In the Old Testament, you're not to muzzle the ox. It treads out the corn.
00:50:23
A little leaven leavens the whole lump. You'll find 10 times. Paul has to tell them things that they could have known by reading. The Old Testament ought not even to the level of Christianity. You get the Thessalonians who turn from idols to the living God, and he's able to take up the rapture of the church and the appearing and so on. And he was there barely two weeks.
So it wasn't the amount of time. It's a moral obstacle. And perhaps you had. We've all had that experience. You pray about something and you don't understand a scripture, and maybe for years you don't. And then the Lord shows you that there was something in your eye that hindered you from seeing a scripture. And so if you don't understand the scripture, don't wrestle with it intellectually. Go to a teacher and we're thankful for those that come around and teach us, But get before the Lord about it. Get on your knees about it.
But that's what he's really saying. He has revealed them to us by his spirit. And so when the brethren, we get that in in the Lord's address to Philadelphia, because they had kept the word of his patience, they'd kept his word and not denied his name, he says, I'll give you the keys of David. It was that readiness to simply bow to the word of God that the prophetic scriptures were opened up to those brethren. I give you the keys of David. And so the whole word of God was opened up to them, and they understood.
Things that were there in the word of God about the future hope of Israel and the hope of the Church. And many things were opened up to them because they kept His word and not denied His name.
Sometimes.
We'll have a passage of Scripture that we don't understand.
And I found it many times. I just spread it out before the Lord and say Lord, I don't understand this, show me. But there's there's some good advice that can be given as to how to find it out.
Read the context in which this difficult verse is found. The context and yet that you can understand. You can understand the the tenor of thought now.
This verse that you don't understand is not going to be inconsistent with or contradictory of the context in which it's found. So that will help you to understand it. Now there's sometimes when the Apostle Paul.
Will he'll start his sentence and then he'll stop.
He'll like, let me let me show you what I mean. I have to get the Darby out because I didn't see this. I didn't understand it. And the King James.
And then I read it in Mr. Darby's translation. It's in First Corinthians 8.
I got to read it. Got to read it in King James 1St, and then you'll see the difference. The point I'm making now is touching things offered unto idols. We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but charity edify it. If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. If any man love God, the same is known of him. What does that have to do with what he started with? It just doesn't seem to fit. So now I'll read it in Darby.
But concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know comma parenthesis. For we all have knowledge that this is in the parenthesis, for we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs out, but love edifies. If anyone thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know it. But if anyone loved God, the same is known of him. End of parenthesis. Now I'll read it without the parenthesis concerning the things sacrificed to idols we know.
Dash, now verse four, starts with the dash concerning, then the eating of things sacrificed to idols. He goes right back to the first sentence. Then he continues. He says.
We know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is none other God saved one. Well, Paul does that more than once, where he'll start something and then he'll he'll just digress into a into a deeper, profound truth. I mean, the deeper, profound truth is. If any man think that he knows anything, he knows nothing. Yet is. He ought to know. We only know partially at best. The best of us doesn't have it all.
And that's good. But he just pauses there and goes back. And he does that several times. And that's a good illustration of it. But I didn't understand it until I saw the punctuation that Mister Darby gave gave to the sentence I said. That makes sense. Neil, allow me to give the verse that you quoted correctly in the proper order. They turned to God from idols. Why is that important?
00:55:27
The positive side of separation comes first.
And then trauma idols, that's the way it is in Hebrews 13 Go unto him outside the camp, not go unto go outside the camp. Unto him. I just thought, it's a good point to make. And if the positive side of separation is not enjoyed, separation becomes a difficult path. But if the positive side is enjoyed.
We have turned to God.
We turn unto him.
Outside the camp, what a difference that makes dear young people think of the positive side. And let me also say this.
If you have something in your life that has this honored God, and you haven't straightened it out, don't expect that the Spirit of God can give you spiritual insight.
But if you go on in the power of an uncreated spirit, he can help you, and then have to humility and say, Lord, I need help. I cannot, without divine help, understand anything. Please help me by thy spirit. Will he not do that? Yes. And then, as already indicated, we have those that help us, those who teach.
And so on. But what does it say in First John that speaks of the fathers, of the young men and of the babes? Of the babes? It says that they have no need, that anyone teach them. They have the unction of the Holy One. They have the ability to understand divine truth when it is presented. And that's said to babes, you know, it's beautiful, isn't it? To get a hold of that if you're a Christian, if you really have the spirit of God within you.
You have that which it takes to appreciate divine things, but you need to have a humble spirit. You have to approach it in humility and ask for divine help. And hopefully there's nothing in your life that hinders the spirit of God to bring the things of Christ before you. But there are times, There are times when you're in something, you're doing something. It's wrong.
The word is cease to do evil. Yes, learn to do well.
Abhorred that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Second John comes before Third John. Second John is negative, tells us whom we are to reject and not to receive Anyone comes to your house and doesn't bring the doctrine of Christ receive him not. That's the key verse in second John. Third John is them that are such we receive. Those are friends. And so sometimes it's the negative is first.
And the positive follows. So it depends on the context. I just want to reinforce what was said about helps because we sometimes despise the help that God has given. And teachers were mentioned and our brother referred to how Mr. Darby's translation was a help to him to understand that we've even heard incredible things like the Brethren's writings or the Yellow Pages and so on. And it's, I just want to say this to the young people. God gave gifts to the church and he that descended, he ascended.
And he gave gifts in men, and He gave.
Individuals to help. And if we despise the help that God has given, then we're not in a right spirit and we need help. And God's given us the help that we need. We do have the unction of the spirit, but we can't go it alone. If I may put it this way, if I give you a good Teflon frying pan as a wedding present, I come to your and a good spatula. I come to your house and you're frying eggs in a six quart saucepan and trying to turn them with a spoon. I say you haven't just despised the gift that I gave you, but you've despised the giver of it. And so God's given us helps as teachers to go about and help us understand. He's given books of ministry and we ought to avail ourselves of it.
01:00:01
Heinz, I just say this to you. If you're going to minister in a country where they use the Spanish Bible, have to be a little careful. I made a point number of times in in the Spanish speaking countries about that verse and verse Thessalonians, they turned to God from idols. It doesn't say that in Spanish.
How does it say so? People would look at me rather strangely, you know? And then I realized that it didn't say that. And yet you can get that from not only from corrective translations, but you can also get that from the tenor of Scripture in that particular case. And it makes me think of the verses in in.
Hosea.
14 Ephraim, She'll say what you like to have to do with idols.
I don't have anything more to do with either of why they they had become engaged with the Lord, hadn't they? And I just mentioned that I agree with that point and but I didn't want to want you to walk into trouble in the in the country. How do they say it in Spanish? It says they turned from idols to God. Oh, the other way around? Yeah, it does.
I was. I was.
That might be wrong.
Well, I'd rather think it is.
I don't think Mr. Driver just said, well I think I'll make it because and putting it the way he did and I think it's important to see that that translations and this is.
And have value in accuracy and translations is.
Has a point to it. We want to know how did God say it and say it exactly the way he did.
So it's it's.
Encouraging, when you find that, you get into it and you get to the possibility to look into it and in a interlinear or. And they do have the interlinear Greek.
In Spanish, and you can see that it it says it the way trendy translates it there.
For the children's sake.
Let's say.
You're playing with a knife. You're just a little boy and a little girl. You can really do harm to yourself, but if your dad and mom would come and rip it out of your hand, they might hurt you. But if they offer you something precious, like a doll for a girl or a little truck for a boy, they'll drop the knife and take that, which is appreciated so much more.
I think that's the principle of it. Sometimes we are pounding away as gift is up. Give that up rather than offering something better and when they get ahold of that which is better, they'll drop that which is bad.
Regarding the quotation, excuse me, brother, go ahead.
I was going to start a new subject, so you better. I was going in verse 10. Go ahead. Well, I was going to ask if we could have the meaning of verse 8.
Does it mean that if the Princess of this world had understood the wisdom of God, they would have gone along with it? Or is there a different thought there?
Well, if they had understood the wisdom of God in what would come out of the death of Christ, they wouldn't have crucified him.
That's it. The man's heart, in other words, would have been so contrary to God that if they had known the consequences of the work of Christ, they would deliberately have gone against that in order to prevent the blessing. Is that the thoughts? That's what it says.
It's usually interpreted that if they knew who he was, they wouldn't have crucified him. But that contradicts Mark 12. When they saw him, they said this is the error, let us kill him. They knew who it was. But if they had known how the mystery and the wisdom of God and the mystery was going to be accomplished through his death, that would have sought to frustrate the grace of God. That's how wicked man is.
I was going to go on to verse 10, nine and 10 when Isaiah wrote.
What is quoted here? That's all the light he had.
And he says that it's never entered to the heart of man well.
01:05:00
Comes the light of Christianity.
And God has revealed that which Isaiah did not know.
Unto us by the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit searches all things, and the last.
Expression, according to Mr. Darby's translation in the Searches the Depths of God.
All of the truth of God has been brought out. I have many things to say unto you. The Lord said concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit, but you're not able to bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he shall guide you into all truth. So the mind of God has been made known, which Isaiah did not know, and it is by the coming of the Holy Spirit.
That this has been brought out.
And he has searched the depths of God so that the whole heart of God is told out. And we enjoy the fruit of the spirit ministry, the Lord giving it from heaven through the apostles and prophets of the New Testament. That's a I just thought of it you that's a beautiful verse to prove that the Spirit of God is.
Is divine. He's God because who can search the depths of God but God himself?
And when the Spirit, when the Lord referred to bringing him into all truth, I suggest he is referring to what we have in the epistles. There is where the truth of God is fully told out. We sometimes sing in a hymn quoting the Queen of Sheba. The half has not been told. Well, the half has been told. More than 1/2 has been told. It's all been told. We haven't entered into the half of it yet, so we will.
And it Colossians it says growing by.
The true knowledge of God. That's a tremendous verse. We know God different than anybody else has ever known him before.
And unless you know him as he has revealed himself in the Lord Jesus, you're stunted in your growth growing by the true knowledge of God. God has fully revealed himself in the Old Testament, we have partial revelations of God.
But in the New Testament we have the full revelation of God in the person of his Son. There is no further revelation to be expected. We have it all. And the God of the Muslims is not the true God. No, He is the product of the mind of wicked men. They created their God. All false gods have been created by man. There is only one true and living God, and he has revealed himself to us.
And he is love and light and we know it in this book. All the rest are false gods created by man. And man is wicked. He's evil. The heart is desperately wicked. And above all things, how could they have created a good God? Impossible has to reflect themselves. We know the true God tremendous truth.
The Muslim religion says.
That God does not want us to be his children. That's next to sacrilege. He wants us to be his slave. Do they know the God we know?
A God of love of grace. They don't have the word love in the Quran. No, they don't know love M166.
Unchangeable life, gracious love. Our earthly path has Ceaseless Viewed.
Their new art beating heart to move thy tender mercies still pursued ever with us, may they abide and close us in on every side 66166.
Be thyself.
Our story.
Our friends.
Wildlife.
Can come in the world here.
01:10:02
You know, maybe you could teach that one to us at Rubin Towson. Make pardon. Could we sing this to a tune we know? You could teach us this tune at Rubens House on Sunday night.
Lord, thou has grown.
Oh.
My God.
No worries in here.
1 Corinthians 3 Gospel
Reading—R. Hale
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.
1St Corinthians 3.
First Corinthians chapter 3.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes. In Christ I have fed you with milk, and not with me, for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able, for ye are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you, and vain, and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men.
For a while, one saith I am of Paul, another I am of Apollo's, are yelling carnal, Who the?
And who is Apollo's but ministers by whom he believes? Even as the Lord gave to every man I have planted A polished water. But God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planeth, and he that waters are one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God.
Year God's Husbandry. Year God's building according to the grace of God, which is given unto me as the wise Master Builder.
I have laid the foundation, and another bill that they're on, but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
For other foundation to no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones.
Wood, hay, stubble, Every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss.
But he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, whom shall God destroy? For the temple of God is holy. Which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men, for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and ye are Christ.
And Christ is God's.
There's a contrast in the between the first part of the chapter and the latter part of the chapter, and a sign of carnality is that we get taken up with persons.
And the latter part of the chapter. It's a discerning of the character of a work.
And when we get carnal, we start to say, well brother so and so. He's an esteemed brother and he says this and so we follow that brother and we tend to follow those as that perhaps we have a personal liking to and matters of importance are turned into personal matters. And so he is really dealing with that. In the first part it was evidence that they were carnal and in the latter part of the chapter he shows that God is going to judge, not the persons that was taken care of at the cross.
00:10:20
But the work is going to be judged.
And that's if we're spiritual will regard a thing as to the character of the work and what the word of God has to say about it, and not judge things based on personalities and who it is, who said something, or or whether we like that particular person. But but what is done is whether it's according to the word of God, whether it's wood, hay and stubble.
What is very interesting is that in chapter one Paul says that I thank God in verse 4.
Always on your behalf for the grace of God, which is given you by Christ Jesus, that in everything ye are enriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge. Yet he refers to them here in this chapter as babes.
So I.
Their worldly principles and attitudes.
Apparently, in spite of the fact that they had much gift, had stunted them in their growth and they had not matured. In Hebrews chapter 5 and the first part of chapter six we have pretty well the same thing that they had not grown, and in that case it was their clinging to the types and shadow.
Buddhism. So whether it is work, the attitudes and principles, or whether it is Judaism, Jewish principles introduced into the Christian profession that will hinder spiritual growth and development.
Now that is good for us to consider. Hopefully the Lord, if there's any danger for us in one or the other direction, that he will deliver us from that so that we can grow and mature.
So that we are no longer looked at as base.
Isn't it true that?
Philosophy or Man's Views?
Will hinder growth and it's interesting, isn't it, to know that?
When you come to the word of God, don't come with your own views and your own thoughts.
We have to set them aside and hear what God has to say. And I believe there's a key there because it says here he said you're. I'd rather I could not speak as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes. I fed you with milk and not with meat. They couldn't take the deeper things of God. And isn't it true that if we come to the Lord, come to the Bible with our own views, we're always in confusion? Because that's man's philosophy. He likes to bring it to the word of God.
But God wants us to hear what he has to say. So I come to the word of God.
And I say, Lord, help me, give me thy word, give me decision in these things, and we get it in the word of God.
Probably important to notice that.
Difference here between milk?
Here and then, Peter.
And Peter is the natural substance for growth, isn't it? Here the thought is that they were not ready for more mature teaching. And so it's not, as you say, well, isn't that good that they wanted milk, you know?
Peter says it's sincere desire, the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby.
Don't confuse the two places because they're two different thoughts right there. This is a question of maturity here, isn't it? They only could have the elementary things and they weren't able to get on with things, and that was the result of their carnality.
And it was not just that they looked to men they were envying. Also they were jealous of what others had, and they themselves would like to have it. So this is a danger that there is envying instead of being thankful for whatever the Lord has given anybody that can help the Saints and none.
00:15:16
Has everything, and it's a good thing I've sometimes said that the Lord doesn't expect me to do everything.
That there are others that are able to do what I cannot do. And so we need each other, and we ought not to envy and be thankful for whatever God gives.
And.
Accept the help that he provides.
Through others.
There is a difference between jealousy and envy. Jealousy is wanting to earnestly hang on to what God has given to you.
God is a jealous God. Envy is wanting what God has given to somebody else.
I think that's good to realize that that if the Lord is God is a jealous God. And sometimes brethren say, Oh well, look at this. I feel so sorry that this is being given up and but there's not a real jealousy when they see the truth being attacked or carried off. Well, God's a jealous God.
A husband should be jealous of his wife's affection. That's not wrong. But envying is when you want with somebody else's God.
And that's the fruit of the flesh.
Barnabas in X is very encouraging example.
Remember when they went on their missionary journey in Acts 13? It was Barnabas and Saul. But then there is a change of leadership.
In that same chapter, Paul and his company, his name changed.
And one of us did not cause any problems. He readily accepted that change.
He was the one that introduced him to the Saints in Jerusalem and brought him also to Antioch.
Yet when?
It became evident that there was the Spirit of God working more mightily through Paul, and there was a change of leadership as a result.
Barnabas did not cause any problems. He readily accepted it.
That's a very commendable thing. We ought to really desire that if we have in any way been helpful to somebody, that that person might grow and perhaps be even more used than we have been used. That would be the spirit of Christ in the believer.
Perhaps someone can help me find it, but I've been looking for something where Paul says I have transferred these things and their application to abolish 4646 Chapter 4, verse 6.
Yes.
It seems to me reading that.
That Paul is saying that I'm going to use us as the example, but that we're not really the ones that are. They're talking about. In other words, that they were not really.
Forming parties around fall in the policy rather than.
Transfers the application to themselves and takes it on himself, you might say.
I don't know how that appeals to those who have looked into it, more perhaps than I have, but it seems to me that it's a.
Using themselves as an example, but that they were not really leaders of any kind of a I think that's what Brother Chuck said yesterday.
I think I was out for a while, but it isn't bad to have it repeated.
It isn't bad to have it repeated. That is why he's forced in the second epistle, when they become obedient, to really take up and to speak as a fool.
And to defend his apostles if he didn't want to do that because they were really giving a place to those that would have.
00:20:07
Did really desired a place? Who really whose names he could have put here? Had he wanted to be a little less charitable that there were those the Corinthians fell victim to those that came and wanted a place, and so he transfers it to himself. And then in the second epistle, when they were to become obedient, then he speaks as a fool, and he defends his own apostleship. Because that was jealousy. It wasn't envy.
That God had made him an apostle, so to speak, and he had something to say to them, and as an apostle they ought to receive it.
Isn't one of the solemn things in this chapter the fact that these Corinthians could be spoken of, and quite properly in the first few verses of the first chapter, as being enriched in all utterance and all knowledge and coming behind in no gift? And yet in this chapter the apostle still has to categorize them as babes and not able to eat mature food.
The voice to each one of our own hearts, if I may suggest it, because there can be a good deal of knowledge, you might say, of the word of God. Not, perhaps in the right way, but knowledge. There can be a good deal of gift. And yet in that sense.
I am not really maturing in the things of God, and the apostle gives the reason here for the Corinthians. I don't say it's the only reason, but it was the envying and strife and the party making the things that were causing problems that he identifies more than anything else. Now we don't want to make light of the immorality that was going on there or other things that subsequently are addressed in this epistle.
But isn't it significant that he lays such strong emphasis on those things in this chapter as being one of the primary hindrances to their growth? Should be a voice to our heart, shouldn't it?
The very word that he uses to describe them as carnal.
Sometimes has its meaning as to the material out of that which something is made. Actually there are two very similar words used here. But when he says are you not carnal, it has a moral impact as to the state of their soul. And so where the moral state is such that they cannot receive the truth because this is the way the truth is received, then they are ******** in their progress by their state of soul.
You see this in Eli that Eli refused to rebuke his own sons.
They were going on in a drunken way with the flesh hooks, taking of the sacrifice and so on.
And then here comes this woman who was really of a broken heart and really desired the Lord Hannah. And she was praying. And what does he accuse her of? Being a drunkard. And you see that in Corinth. Is that Corinth, They were going on, they were wealthy and they were having these love feasts. He says, I don't praise you, I praise you not. They came together not for the good, but for for bad, he said. Don't think I'm going to praise you for your love feast, because some are actually going hungry and yet they were praising themselves for their love fees.
And then also they were they were blind to the very serious sin there, and there was divisions and strife, and it really was a manifestation. You see that with Eli, and you see that in Corinth.
Another thing that characterized them, he says. They were walking according to men. We had brought before us yesterday the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ and the possibility and difficulty at colossae of not holding the head. So if philosophy and vain deceit becomes the principles by which we are operating in the assembly, we are operating according to man and not according to God.
And that constitutes A moral state that hinders the progress of divine growth in the soul.
Notice what he says in the 4th chapter, verse 8. Now ye are full, Now ye are rich. He have reigned as kings without us, and I would to God he did reign, that we also might reign with you. For I think that God has set forth us, the apostles last, as it were appointed to death. For we are made a spectacle under the world, and to angels and to men. We are fools, for Christ's sake, but ye are wise.
In Christ we are weak, but ye are strong, ye are honorable, but we are despised. Even under this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place in labor. Working with our own hands. Being reviled, we blessed. Being persecuted, we suffer it. Being defamed, we entreat, we are made as the filth of the world and are the off scarring of all things under this day. All the time they were reigning as kings. What a contrast, he says. I write not these things to shame you.
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But as my beloved sons, I warn you so you can have a lot of knowledge and still be carnal.
Knowledge puffers up.
But knowledge in itself is not wrong. In the Old Testament, the prophet, the Lord laments, my people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge, you know, And we find that even in the New Testament we know.
So so knowledge in itself isn't bad, but if it is used.
To promote cell.
That bad and I believe.
If we realize that we clearly see from scripture that various gifts and things are needed for the Saints to be nourished and fed, we will not just push our line of things, so to speak, and we will be happy for what others can contribute.
Paul was sowing the seed, Apollos was watering, and so on.
We have to recognize that that the Lord gives different things to different ones and different services, and they all are needed in order that the Saints prosper spiritually, and we can pray for that. I'm afraid, beloved Saints of God, that there are too many individuals and gifts are laying dormant because people are so occupied with all kinds of other things.
And they are not contributing what they could contribute. If they would really have their priorities straight, then they want to be used of the Lord, whether it be the gospel, whether it be in ministry, and so on. And don't ever belittle gospel work. You know, there was a man among us. He's no longer with us. Very capable teacher. He was belittling gospel work.
I said to him, you better be careful. If the Evangelist wouldn't do his job, you won't have anybody to teach you know well. In other words, we need all these various gifts that the Lord has given. And the Shepherd care is probably one of the most needed gifts amongst the Saints everywhere, not just the teacher, you know? So we have to recognize that.
There has to be a complementing each other, you know. That's what we learned from the body.
You know, if you would all be a hand, if you would all be just one part, what would that mean? That isn't really the body. So, and let's remember that brethren, every one of us is a member in the body of Christ. And we recently, several years ago, received a young man. And when we talked with him, he wanted to remember the Lord, we said to him, Conrad, remember you're being received as a member of the body of Christ.
That means a functioning member of the body of Christ. It might not be at this point.
Genesis 26-Well Diggers, Luke 24-The Center, John 20-The Risen Christ
Open—H. Brinkmann, C. Little, C. Hendricks
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Let's turn to Genesis.
Genesis 26.
We have things in this chapter that I believe fit in with some of the things that came before us in the reading.
That brought this chapter to my mind.
We read from verse one. And there was a famine in the land beside the first famine, that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech, king of the Philistines, unto Giraffe. And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt, dwell in the land, which I shall tell thee of sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee.
And will bless thee for unto thee, and unto thy seed I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swear unto Abraham thy father. I will make thy seat to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries, And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge.
My commandments, my statues and my laws, and Isaac dwelt in Guerra, and the men of the place asked him of his wife, and he said she is my sister, for he feared to say she is my wife.
Lest said he, The men of the place should kill me.
For Rebecca, because she was fair to look upon, came to pass when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines, looked out of the window and saw, and behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebecca his wife. And Abimelech called Isaac and said, Behold, for surety she is thy wife.
And House said Thou she is my sister.
Isaac said unto him, Because I said, lest I die for her. And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto US1 Of the people might likely have lain with thy wife, and thou shouldst have brought guiltiness upon us. And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, he that touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
Then Isaac sowed in that land and received the same year.
And hundred Pole The Lord blessed him, and the man worked great, and went forward and grew until he became very great. For he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds, and great store of servants. And the Philistines envied him for all the wealth which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father.
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The Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us, for thou art much mightier than we. Isaac departed then, and pitched his tin in the valley of Gira, and dwelt there. Isaac dicked again, dwelt for water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham.
And he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. And Isaac's servant sticked in the valley and found there a well of springing water. And the herdmen of Ira did strive with Isaac's herdman, saying the water is ours. He called the name of the world Isaac, because they stroke with him, and he dicked another well and stroke for that also.
And he called the name of it Sitna.
And he removed from dense, and digged another well, and for that they strove not. And he called the name of it we hope for. And he said, For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. And he went up some dense to Gershiba. And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father Fear.
Not.
For I am with thee, I will bless thee and multiply thy sea. For my servant Abraham's sake. And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there, And their Isaac servants stick a well.
And Abimelech went to him from Guerra and Ahusa, one of his friends in.
Hildegard, the chief captain of the army, Isaac, said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? And they said, We thought certainly that the Lord was with thee. And we said, let there be.
Now an oath between betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee.
That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace. Thou art now the blessed of the Lord.
We know that Isaac in.
Chapter 22 is a picture of the Lord Jesus.
Who?
Died for us.
And then we have in chapter 23 that Isaac's mother died. That's the setting aside of Israel. And in chapter 24 we have the call of the bride. Israel has to be set aside before the bride can be brought to Isaac. A beautiful picture of Christ in the church. But here in this chapter, Isaac is not a picture of the Lord Jesus.
Why he denies his.
Wife. He does the same thing that his father had done.
She's my sister.
You know, sometimes.
We fathers teach our children bad things, and perhaps they act worse than we do because Abraham did marry his half sister, but that was not the case with Isaac.
But.
We can see that Isaac is not in the best spiritual state.
And he dwelt among the Philistines.
And the Lord tells him to stay there. Don't make the mistake that your father has done when there was a famine and he went to Egypt.
Well, he stayed there.
But he was not.
Trusting the Lord, denying his wife. How sad.
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But in spite of it, the Lord blesses him.
Isn't that the way it oftentimes is in our life that we have to?
Have to confess that we are not what the Lord could expect of us, but He loves us and blesses us anyway, you know, He reaped.
A hundredfold that time.
It's a wonderful thing to experience, to goodness of the Lord that many times gives us what we do not deserve. Because He's good and he loves us, He has taken us into favor if he would always deal with us according to what we deserve.
That we wouldn't fare so well, I'm afraid.
But what is especially on my heart is the Philistine influence.
We find that they had plugged the wells.
That Abraham's servants had ducked, and they used earth to pluck it with.
What do the Philistines represent?
The Philistines had come from the same place where Abraham had come from.
But they had not gone through the Red Sea or through the Jordan.
They occupy the place of blessing, but had no claim to it. I think that's a very good thing to get ahold of.
When it comes to us, what do these Philistines represent? They represent nominal Christians who are not saved, who have not the Spirit of God.
And what do they do when they handle this book?
You know, that's what the world speaks of.
Well, in the word of God either speaks of the Word of God or the Spirit of God.
And.
Not having the spirit they plug.
The wealth of blessing.
And Isaac's servants have to predict the wealth.
I like to suggest to all of us.
Every generation has to go through that experience of re digging the wells.
Making things your own, separating the pressures from the vile.
I'm convinced.
And I've often said that, and it's worth repeating, you can sit all your life under the best of ministry. If you do not have a personal exercise to make things your own, to search things out, you make very little progress.
I take great pleasure in meeting young men, young women that have a desire for the things of God start early in life.
When I came from Europe, there was a dear brother. Harvey, Vetter's father, was a spiritual father to me.
He said to me Heinz searched the scriptures and see if it isn't true.
Those who God has used for blessing amongst God people started early in life.
Yes. You don't have to be 30 years old before you start showing interest in the word of God. You better start young.
When will we start reading the Bible for ourselves?
I was thrilled very much when one of my granddaughters not long ago, visited at our house. She's 8 years old. At that time, she says, OPA, that's Grandpa, you know, that's sweet, the Bible. And she sat down with me. She nobody had put up to that. And she read to me out of the book of Exodus. That's where she was reading every day. She was reading the Bible, 8 years old.
Wonderful thing. I like to encourage the children to get into that kind of habit.
We met some Christians out in the state of Washington. We had labored with their son, who was in prison in Wisconsin, not gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus and little Mary, 10 years old, she said to me. I read the Bible for myself every day. Isn't that a wonderful thing?
Is there anything better that you can do? Read the Bible.
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Dig the wells. Redict the wells.
You know, even we who are brought into blessing, being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we too have to redict the wealth.
And I hope we will go back to the pure source of blessing. This passage in the word of God was very much used in my own life when I came under conviction as to where the Lord wanted me to be. I wanted to get back to the pure truth of the word of God.
And what a wonderful passage this is to consider this for ourselves.
You know, they didn't have power tools in those days. That was a hard labor to redict the wells, but they didn't mind that because they needed that wealth. But then what do we find the Philistines? Do they strive with them? They say that's our water.
Years ago I found a book that was written for children and.
They commended Isaac for surrendering the wealth to the Palestinians. He was a man of peace.
I think they missed the ball. That is not the way to use this. Isaac should not have surrendered these wells.
But he did. But they kept on digging.
And then finally.
They found living water, and they came to the point that the Philistines did not contend with them about the world. And so there is progress in Isaac's life. At first we find Isaac is afraid of the Philistines, then we find the Philistines.
Envied him because they saw that there was real blessing in the life of Isaac. Then we find they hated him. Don't be surprised if those dead professors hate the real Christians. Don't be surprised. And I do not speak of anybody who truly loves the Lord Jesus as a Philistine. I'm Speaking of those who are merely taking a place of profession.
And are dead. They have no life. They don't have the spirit of God. But later on we find that they were afraid of Isaac.
They want to make a covenant with him because they realized how strong Isaac had become.
But the most wonderful part is when we read finally.
In verse 25.
Isaac built an altar in this place that speaks of worship, doesn't it?
He was a worshipper.
You know, if our getting into the truth of God does not bring us closer to God, does not bring us into a position of really appreciating what God has done for us and thanking him and worshiping him, have we really made progress? But he had an altar.
And called upon the name of the Lord.
And pitched his tent there.
You know he was a tin kuella. That speaks of being a Pilgrim.
The Pilgrim character is what the Lord looks for in us. Not only to be a worshipper that comes first, isn't it a wonderful thing, beloved Saints of God, that God has a desire in his heart that can be only satisfied by you and me?
God seeks worshippers the.
Father seeks worshippers to.
Tremendous. And you and I can give him that pleasure.
I sometimes, on Sunday morning, think what a joy it must give to the Father's heart to look down. And then he sees people in this world who love his son, who appreciate his son. And he has given us the capacity of appreciating his Son and present to him that which we have come to appreciate of his Son. That's worship. What's the difference between prayer and praise?
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And worship well, they gave that definition one time. In prayer, the soul is occupied with its needs, and we need that we need to pray because it expresses our dependence upon God. Praise is the occupation of the soul with the blessing.
Worship is the occupation of the soul with the blessed life.
Yes, Isn't that wonderful? One time we saw no beauty in the Lord Jesus. Now we see He's altogether lovely, and we have a capacity of enjoying Him and presenting to the Father that which we have come to appreciate of his Son and the work that he did not only for our salvation. Although that is wonderful, He did it for the glory of God. That's far more important than what he did for you and me.
You know.
The burnt offering.
Is the acceptance of that which the death of the Lord Jesus means to God. Is the basis for our acceptance before God and he lived in a tent.
And he digs a well.
Source of blessing and refreshment.
You know the devil would like to have us turn to wells that hold no water.
You know, but we have real wealth. We have the word of God.
Well, I don't want to go on. Others might have things to say, but I hope we will become, well, diggers.
And I like to suggest that the way we all have started in our Christian life is by benefiting from that which God has given to others who live before us. Isn't that true?
Most of what we bring, I'm sure Chuck will readily agree with. That is what we learned from others.
But the Lord might also give us something that we ourselves find in the scriptures.
That we haven't heard somebody else, minister, or that we have not read in some book of ministry, and that means a special blessing to our souls. But if he gives us something that we haven't heard or read someplace else, it will never contradict what he has given others that walked a path of faith before us. Let us be careful that we do not allow our minds.
To go wild, I trust you will agree that I have not forced anything into this passage, that it commenced itself to you. What I have suggested, the red digging of the wells, the Philistine influence, The danger that we face as Christians is that we are listening too much to the radio, to the television programs, you know, instead of.
Going to sound ministry that we have. That's why the general scriptural understanding amongst the gathered Saints is diminishing because there isn't a diligence and we go to bad sources are. Sometimes when I listen to a radio program, I'm more distressed than edified because there is truth that they bring, but then they also are bringing error. Don't rightly divide the word of truth.
You know the Lord has given the truth of God in this book. The word of God contained earnestly for the truth once delivered to the Saints, then it was lost. Then He has raised up men, even Martin Luther.
I'd be thankful for what the Lord gave back to us through Martin Luther. We better be thankful for that.
Justification by faith and the supremacy of the Word of God. If that would not have been given back, could anything else have been given back the supremacy of the Word of God?
But then when you read the history of the church, those after the Reformation.
God did definitely give an increase of light.
I have for years now when I sing a hymn that in our little Flock hymn book that I don't remember who was the writer. And I looked in the back and I find that some of the hymns were written long before God raised up brethren.
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God gave them more light than the reformers said. Should we not be thankful for that?
What about then the light that he has given to the Brethren?
We are responsible, beloved Brethren. For what the truth? What the truth that God has given to the brethren?
Are we faithful heirs? Are we valuing these things? Have we made these things our own, not just intellectually laying hold of it? You don't possess anything if you only have it up here. All truth enters by way of the conscience, and the heart has to be affected. The truth is to form our character, our very being.
And then when we live it.
And we possess it if we only know it intellectually. We don't possess a thing.
Truth is not given us particular intellect. Truth is given us to help us know our privileges and our responsibilities as Christians. So let's dig.
No. I sometimes tell the young people you excel in the schools of men. Many of you get wonderful grace that proves you have a good mind. And if you wouldn't have a good mind, you couldn't lay hold of anything, even the truth of God.
But your mind is only a tool. The power is the spirit of God, and there are different capacities. We acknowledge that not everybody is able to become a teacher. But that doesn't mean that you cannot come to enjoy the truth of God. You might not have much of an ability to pass it on.
But you certainly can come to enjoy it, so may the Lord encourage us.
That we make progress into things of God. If you do not make progress, if you stand still, you're going backwards. Because it's not expected that a Christian stand still. That we're going to make progress and grow into things of God. Come to a full understanding. Read the prayers of the Apostle Paul. What is his concern? Not so much that we're physically well, not that it is not to be.
A concern that we make progress spiritually, that we come to know and appreciate and enjoy the truth of God.
Could we turn please to the 24th chapter?
Of Luke.
Now I want to make some comments about this chapter.
But before I do, I mention to you in the Epistle of Peter.
I want to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance.
Even though you know these things, we need stirring up, don't we?
And these truths that I'm going to read to you are not new at all.
They've been in this precious book for 2000 years.
You probably heard them 1000 times.
But God wants you to get it in your heart to see what he has for you.
To give you assurance as to the position you're in.
Some of us talking this noon, finding out that certain ones are not sure.
Of the place they're in. That's sad. God wants you to be sure of that.
So I'd just like to read a couple of portions here in the 24th chapter of Luke.
Let's start with.
Let's see.
Well, we could read a lot here, but it's it's about the two who left.
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Jerusalem and went down to Emmaus.
Now you've heard this truth many, many times.
But how much of it do we take in? So I'm going to read all this. I just want to read the down here a little bit where he's they say.
Well, let's start it.
Verse 24 And certain of them which were with us.
Went to the sepulchre and found it even as.
Even so, as the women had said.
But him they saw not.
Then he said to them, O fools, and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
Ought not Christ, who has suffered these things, and entered into his, entered into his glory, and beginning at Moses?
And all the prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
And they grew near.
Onto the village whither they went and he made as though he would have gone further.
But they constrained him.
Saying abide with us, for it is it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them, and it came to pass, as he sat at me with them, that he took bread, blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
And their eyes were opened.
And they knew him, and he vanished out of their sights.
Why? Why was this? Why did he vanish out of their sight? Now I just suggest this.
They recognized that they were in the wrong place.
It was not the remembrance of the Lord, mind you. It was a feast there, or it was a meal there. And no doubt they saw his hands and realized who it was because they had asked earlier. They had asked. We thought it had been He who should have brought blessing. But it's now the third day and and all things are over and it's all gone. And they were discouraged and they left the center and went down to Emmaus. And remember if you leave the center and go down.
It's a long way back.
It's a long way back. You have to climb back again. Sometimes we find that there are those that can't do it. They never come back. They never see their true place.
But these truths here are so precious to my soul and I just thought I'd just like to mention these few things to you. See if I can't enlighten you a little bit. Notice here it says when the Lord Jesus, it says He drew near and he went with them. Now remember this, it tells us in the book of Hebrews.
He said. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
The blessed Savior will never leave anyone or forsake them, no matter where they are. These two were on their way down from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They're out of their place. But did He leave them alone? Did He forsake them? Did He say, Well, you're on your own now you go. No, He did not, Blessed Savior. He followed them, He went with them, and He does with you if you're out of the path.
He will never leave you. He never has and never will.
This is very, very precious.
Down here at this place in Emmaus.
It says.
Verse 20.
Verse 27 beginning at Moses and.
All the prophets He responded unto them in all the scriptures of things concerning himself.
Now this is interesting because it speaks here about Moses and the prophets.
And when they recognized him, they were down. They were away from the center.
When they recognized who it was, it said, Did not our hearts burn within us if you're away from the Lord?
Not at the place of his choosing.
Does your heart ever burn about it? Do you ever think about it? Do you ever weep over it?
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You should.
Because as we had before us today.
Got a divine record.
And if you're not in a place where he has chosen, you're in the wrong place.
So here he was with them, and they rose up the same hour.
And they returned to Jerusalem. Now we want to go on a little bit here and justice say a few more. I don't want to take up too much time here, but.
Notice what he says.
And they said verse.
Verse 32. And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us? By the way, has he ever talked to you? He talks to you every day.
How much do you talk to him? How much do you commune with him?
You know, prayer is a way of communion, isn't it?
The Word of God speaks to us and we have access by prayer to the sweet communion with the blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
Who died upon the cross?
Who suffered untold agonies that you might be brought into a place of blessing?
Precious seeds.
Well, here he says, while he yet talked with them in the way verse.
32.
And while he opened to them the scriptures.
They went back to the center, and the first thing he does is open to them. The Scriptures. You know, dear beloved Saints of God, God's desire is to open the scriptures to you. We had some of it today.
Scriptures are read. Do we ponder them? Do we pray about them? Do we meditate upon them? Or do we just casually read them and just put it down? No. This is what God wants us to ponder. He wants us to think, think upon these things. He wants us to meditate so we're precious. But that's not my point in all this. But it says, and they rose up the same hour, that same hour, and returned.
To Jerusalem, Why this was the true center at that time.
Jerusalem was the center. They had left that center and went down. Now they returned.
Because they recognized who was there with them.
They recognized him.
As he followed them.
Do you recognize the fact that no matter where you are, Jesus is looking after you? He's following you. You should. You should, because he never, He will never leave nor forsake his own. Well, that's I want to continue here, they said. They said they returned to Jerusalem and found the 11 gathered together, and them that were with them, they were now back at the center. So he says. And the Lord they they say.
The same. The Lord is risen indeed.
We didn't know this before. They were disappointed they were going away.
There isn't. The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
And they told what things were done in the way how he had made known to them the breaking of bread.
And that they speak, thus they speak. Jesus himself stood in the midst of them.
Verse 36.
When they thus speak, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them. That expression You don't get down at Emmaus, do you? He went with them, He followed them. He was with them. He never forsook them. But it isn't until they get back to the center where we find that expression. He's in the midst.
So we find two things here, principally. Now again I say these are, these are.
These are things that you've heard probably thousands of times.
But are we taking them in?
There are two things here. There's individual presence and there's corporate presence.
The blessed Savior is with everyone of us in this room if we belong to Him as some individual presence.
But are you gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus?
If not, you don't have His corporate presence. That's what we have here exemplified before us in these scriptures.
And then we want to prove the point on this a little bit by going over further to some of these scriptures. So much more could be said. But I just want to read here it says they.
00:45:13
And they were verse 37. And they were terrified and affrighted and supposed that they had seen a spirit. Well, it wasn't my thought to talk about that, But he said, his spirit hath not flesh and bone, as you see me have. There was no blood. He was his blood was shed. He was there in body, in a spiritual body.
But notice now just drop down a little bit.
And we're not going to read that portion, but.
Verse 44.
And he said to them these other words, which I spake unto you.
That all things must be fulfilled.
Which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets.
And in the sound Ah, why the sound?
Beloved Saints of God, I'll tell you why in my little thoughts on this.
Is the psalms of Christ how he felt Psalm 69 Psalm 22, Psalm 30 Psalm?
All through the Psalms we find this how he felt, the keenness of it, the sorrow, the sufferings that he went through.
Isn't that blessed and precious? But they didn't know that until they went back to the center where he was, and they were, and he appeared in their midst.
Ephesians 4-Unity of the Spirit, 1 Samuel 22-Our Head, Matthew 16-His Church
Open—B. Prost, D. Gorgas, R. Muir
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00:05:58
What I have on my heart this afternoon, I trust is.
Most of all, for the heart.
It's been on my heart even before I came to these meetings, but reinforced, I trust, by that first chapter of First Corinthians that we've had before us.
And that is particularly to speak for a few moments on the unity of the Spirit.
Could we turn to Ephesians 4 just to read the verses that bring that before us?
Ephesians chapter 4.
The verses have been mentioned in connection already with what we've had before us in the readings.
But let's read them again.
Ephesians 4 and verse one.
I therefore the prisoner of the Lord.
Beseech you, let ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering.
Forbearing one another in love.
Endeavoring, or perhaps more accurately, using diligence.
To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one spirit.
Even as you are called in one hope of your calling.
It's one of the most stupendous truths, isn't it?
That the Spirit of God is here on earth in this dispensation.
It was never true before in a permanent way, was it?
And so far as we learn from Scripture, will not be true again after the church is called home.
So that you and I live, as we know well, in a unique time in the ways of God with man, when the Spirit of God is here permanently, so to speak, until you and I are called home.
We know well, of course, that every true believer is indwelt with the Spirit of God.
After that she believed it tells us in this very epistle in chapter one.
Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, and so the Holy Spirit indwells every true believer to lead and to guide us individually and to make the things of Christ good to our souls.
But this is something else that we have here. It's the collective aspect, isn't it?
That which is so precious to the heart of God, that which was so precious to the apostle.
That when he starts to talk about it in chapter three, he digresses for a whole chapter and speaks, you might say, about the means of entering into all the things that God has brought before us.
And then he says, I beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
On the one hand.
It's something that I suppose we could never have imagined in our wildest imagination, that God would send His Spirit down into this world permanently, first of all to dwell within every true believer, and then to dwell collectively among believers as the House of God.
00:10:05
And what is so precious and has impressed my own soul, and I am sure yours too?
Is that God has made a unity of the Spirit.
There is a unity of the Spirit even today, and you and I look around us and we see Christendom broken up into all kinds of different groups, and you and I are part of Christendom. We shouldn't forget that we're part of the ruin. But yet this verse still, as it were, rings down through the ages.
There is one body and one spirit.
But it's often the case in the Word of God that God brings before us along with a cardinal truth.
The very thing that is most likely to be the means of our not walking in that truth. And so it is here.
In verse two it says with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring or using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
I remember well quite a few years ago in a meeting using the expression. I can't remember the context, but I spoke about breaking the unity of the Spirit.
And I was thankful that a brother came up to me afterward, and with a smile he said, Bill, where do you find that expression in Scripture?
Where do you find that? Thought I had to admit that it wasn't there, he said. No, you're right, he said it isn't there.
And that was a good lesson, because we can't in that sense break the unity of the Spirit, can we? No, there is a unity of the Spirit.
And we cannot in that sense break it. But we can fail to walk in the good of it.
I like Mr. Ballot's illustration if I may be permitted to use it, he said. The unity of the spirit is like a beautiful jewel in a casket.
And he said we are asked to keep.
The casket, which is the uniting bond of peace.
And he said, sad to say, the casket has been broken many times. He.
But not only exposes the jewel in all its wonderful perfection.
And exposes the failure of man in breaking the casket. I liked that illustration.
But now what about the practical side of it? I speak to my own heart.
What is the unity of the Spirit?
Is it agreeing on a certain set of truths or principles in God's Word?
Partly that.
Is that being in the place where the Lord is gathering to Himself in the midst? I believe it includes that.
Is it holding fast what we have been given as we get in the book of Jude earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints? Yes, it includes that.
But could I suggest to my own soul most of all, and to our own souls?
But it goes deeper than that.
I suggest that the thought of keeping the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
Goes beyond the mere fact that I can agree with you as to the principles of the Word of God.
Although it includes that, it goes beyond the fact that we gather together, we trust to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Know the expression, the uniting bond of peace.
Applies far more than that and strikes right home to our hearts, doesn't it?
May I be permitted to quote my late father-in-law, Albert? Hey Hope.
I can still remember many years ago now, his sitting in a reading meeting something like we have been having.
And the expression came up earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints.
He made a remark like this. He said, you know, I can contend for the truth of God in one of two ways.
I can do it from the point of view that I am right and you are wrong.
And I'm going to prove it if it's the last thing I ever do.
Or he said I can do it.
00:15:00
From the point of view that this truth is so precious to my own soul.
That I cannot before the Lord and out of love to Him and all that He means to me, bear to give up one iota of it.
And so I am going to hold onto it.
Oh, he said. I will contend for the same truth, but I will do it in a totally different way.
Oh, I remember how much that spoke to my own soul at the time.
I remember how much it spoke to me.
When someone in our written ministry made this comment, he said We are edified far more by one another's spirits than by what we say.
Very, very striking, isn't it? Does that mean, of course, that we give up something in order? Is the unity of the Spirit a matter of negotiation? Is it a matter of you give a little and I give a little and somehow we come to some form of agreement that we can get along? Oh no, that's not what the Word of God teaches. Is it a matter that we are willing to compromise in order to keep the peace? That wouldn't be the unity of the Spirit, would it?
But it's beautiful to see here the way that this is brought in.
Further down in the chapter in verse 13 it says Till we all come in the unity of the faith.
Oh, that's a beautiful expression, isn't it? The unity of the faith, The unity that you might say is embodied in all the revealed truth that God has given us.
But notice the expression in that 13th verse. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God.
Unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, or the Christ.
That's quite a mouthful, if we could say it reverently. Isn't it the measure of the stature, of the fullness of Christ? Which one of us would stand up and say, that's where I am, that's where I've arrived at, that's where I am?
Oh, I have to speak for myself and say, I don't think that that'll come true until I get to the glory. I don't think that that expression will be true of me until I get home to the glory. But yet God has no less a measure for you and for me than the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Well, then the question arises.
How can we walk together in the unity of the Spirit if we aren't there yet? How can we walk together if we haven't gotten to this point yet? Doesn't there have to be compromise? Doesn't there have to be allowances made?
Turn over to Philippians for a verse that we all know very well.
Philippians, Chapter 3.
Notice verse 15.
Let us therefore as many as be perfect. Be thus minded, and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Nevertheless, where until we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Oh, the Word of God leaves room for attaining, doesn't it? And I'm thankful for that. The Word of God leaves room for growth, for development. And so it says, we're unto. We have already attained. Let us walk by the same rule. Let us mine the same thing. The Word of God recognizes that some may not have gotten there yet.
I say it with all I trust humility. Should that hinder the unity of the Spirit? I don't believe so. The same thing in our chapter. If we aren't all at the unity of the faith yet, does that hinder the unity of the Spirit? It should not Why? Oh, because it says here with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. Why is that verse so needed?
I remember well many years ago now.
Speaking to a brother and he told me about a difficulty in an assembly far distant from where I lived.
00:20:08
And he had been approached by some brethren in that assembly, not as to dealing with the matter, but as to principles, and so on.
And he found that he did not see things the way they did, and did not view the particular application of the scripture that they were using in the same way they did, and did not see the solution to their problem in the same way they did.
But I'll never forget his remark to me as he told me about it. He said, Bill, when I left those brethren.
I spoke this way. I said, brethren, I don't see it the way you do.
But I will continue to pray, both about the matter and for you.
And he said, I want you to know that I keep an open mind.
Oh, that was a good lesson to my own soul. Why? Why was that a good remark? Does that mean that we should keep an open mind as to something that touches the person or work of Christ? That's not the point. The point is that there are many things that come up.
In our lives, both individually and particularly collectively, where the Spirit of God has to guide and lead.
I remember, if I may be permitted to quote another brother. This came from him, John L Arisman, whom many here will remember.
And he told about how in his younger years in the Assembly in Chicago, there there was a particular difficulty and he chased a bit at the amount of talk and going on that went on in the care meeting.
Dealing with the matter. And finally he told us that he spoke up and said shouldn't there be some scripture to tell us exactly what to do?
And he said immediately Mr. Potter, who was there at the time that was his home assembly, spoke up and said, no, Brother Arisman, the New Testament is not written that way. We have clear and definite principles in the New Testament, but they must be applied in the individual situation in communion with the Lord.
And he went on to say that that's why we need one another. That's why the loneliness and humility is so needed. That's why the forbearing one another in love is so needed. And that's why the diligence, the endeavoring, if you like, as it says here, is so needed.
Mr. Darby said that the bringing back of the truth.
Of the permanent presence of the Spirit of God on earth during this dispensation was probably the most significant truth that God had recovered through brethren.
But as a brother in our home assembly once said, and I don't think he'd mind my quoting him, he said that precious truth is at once our greatest potential strength, but our greatest potential weakness. Oh, what wonderful unity can be displayed if the Spirit of God has that liberty, and you and I are led and guided by Him. Oh, what wonderful blessing there can be. But oh, if the Spirit of God is grieved, if that unity isn't there, what a disaster it is because we can't go back.
As they did in the Old Testament and find chapter and verse for whatever situation came up. No, no.
But what a blessed thing it is that there is a unity of the Spirit, and I suggest to my own soul and to each one of us here.
That the truth of the one body and the truth of that one Spirit are intimately connected so.
So that we cannot talk about the truth of the one body without bringing in the fact that there is one spirit. We sometimes hear dear believers say, well, we're all members of one body anyway. I remember a dear brother who was no longer gathered to the Lord's name saying that to me once some time ago, quite a few years ago now. He said, well, I'm thankful that there is a unity of the body and God keeps that. We can't break it. I said to him, brother, that is blessedly true and I'm thankful for that. But the same verse that says there is one body says that there is one spirit.
And the previous verse exhorts us to use diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
Well, I have to hang my head when I read this verse. And yet would God tell us to do that which is impossible?
00:25:02
Would God if we could say it reverently dangle something in front of our eyes that is so impossible to walk in that we have to throw up our hands and say it can't be done? That's what men would say today. That's what some believers would even say today. It can't be done.
Does that attitude sometimes cross our hearts? Does it sometimes come home to us that it's hopeless we can't possibly carry this out?
Oh, before the Lord, let's never think like that. Let's never think like that. It's one of the biggest disgraces, if we could use the expression to the world around us that there is such difficulty and disunity among believers that there are such divergences of thought.
And again, I say it goes deeper than merely agreeing on the truth of Scripture, blessed although that is.
Because God desires not merely that we should agree on the truth of Scripture, but that there should be that, as it says here.
Keeping the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace, turn to Colossians 1 just for one verse.
Colossians chapter one and verse.
Well, we'll read verse 7 to get the connection, but thinking also of verse 8.
As ye also learned of Epiphros, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ, who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. Isn't that beautiful? We read in John's epistles about love connected with truth, and that is blessedly truth, but here it simply says love in the Spirit.
Oh, love is connected with truth, and true love will never compromise the truth.
Very important, that is. And we don't want to be dissociating the Spirit from the Word of God. No, no.
Someone has said the spirit without the word makes a fanatic and we can see around us in some cases the sad results of that.
But the Word without the Spirit makes a rationalist, and we can see the sad results of that too, can't we? But oh, how blessed to have the precious Word of God, but then to have that wonderful, that precious unity, that unity that was formed when the Spirit of God came down on the day of Pentecost, uniting those believers together. And that unity that God has called us to walk in, to use diligence to keep until the Lord comes.
Well, I speak to my own heart. May it be more of an exercise to our hearts. May it, shall we say it, be more of a grief to our hearts when it isn't so.
May it be more of a concern to us, may we be more on our knees about it. And may there be more, if I may say, speaking most of all to myself, of that loneliness and meekness that's seeking to for bear one another in love.
That diligence that will never rest as long as there is one thing that is not according to that blessed unity of the Spirit.
Oh, you say, we'll never have that down here.
It will never happen that way. Look at the Apostles day. Even in the day of the apostles, things like that happened. A Paul and a Barnabas had a dispute and departed Sunderly asunder one from the other because they couldn't agree on whether to take John Mark with them or not. And there are other things that show that unhappily those things can come in. But let's not assume that is normal. Let's never take that for granted. Let's never say, well, what can you do? These things happen.
Oh no, the Word of God never takes it for granted, but rather would say there is a blessed unity and may we have the grace even in these last days to seek to walk in it.
First Samuel, chapter 22.
00:30:05
And verse one.
David therefore departed. Thanks.
And escaped to The Cave Dulham.
When his brethren and all his father's house heard it.
They went down.
Thither to him.
And everyone that was in distress.
When everyone that was in debt.
And everyone that was discontented.
Gathered themselves.
Unto him.
And he became a captain over them.
And they were with him.
About 400 men.
Familiar passage that sometimes has been read to us.
I'd like to think of that just a bit in connection with two things which characterize the day in which we live.
That is this dispensation.
Two important things that we lose sight of sometimes.
The first is.
That.
There is a man.
At the right hand of God, who is the head?
There's a man at the right hand of God who is our head.
Having been raised from the dead.
There he is.
At God's right hand, the head. And that's not just a doctrine.
That is a practical thing.
The other thing?
Is that there is a divine person here on earth.
Indwelling.
The church.
Not just the individual believer, but the church, and that is the Holy Spirit of God.
And again, that's not just a doctrine that has practical consequences.
I was thinking the other day about.
The scene in First Samuel 22 and I was thinking who would want to collect together?
A group of men who were in debt.
Who were discontented?
And who were in distress.
It's not a very likely company to make.
Anything of is it?
But I think the key to it, and as I was thinking about this scripture, I thought what makes the difference here is that he became a captain to them.
You know, brethren, we're not much different from that little group that gathered around David.
What the distress that we had before?
We came to Christ.
What debt?
What discontent?
But what makes it?
What makes it precious to be connected to him?
Is that he is the captain?
He's the captain.
Beloved brethren.
I feel very strongly with all my heart.
That we need to be reminded again and again of the practical consequences of the truth.
That Christ is head.
He is head.
I remember when I.
Put in for conscientious objector status.
It seems like so many years ago now. I guess it is. It's 50 years ago.
00:35:06
I was the first one I think that in Jamaica, NY ever.
Put it out and put in for that status because they didn't believe me and they summoned me to come down and defend myself.
And they had given me a questionnaire to fill out.
I suppose it's the same today on which they were to base their decision. And one of the questions in that was who is the head of your church?
Who is the head of your church?
And I had been taught from a little boy on that it was the Lord Jesus Christ, and I couldn't think of putting any answer but that, so I put the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the chairman of the draft board said to me.
Don't play with us.
We want to know who is the real head of your church.
And again I said, it's the Lord Jesus Christ.
I couldn't conceive that you would put anything else.
Why would you put anything else?
It's a real thing. The Lord Jesus is the head. And so I said, well, let me show you a scripture and I took them. I read up there and my I had my Bible with me. I said here, Colossians.
Chapter One.
And verse 18.
And he who is that, that's the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the head of the Body, the Church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
If any of you have ever been to the meeting room in Lima, Peru, up on the wall on the side.
There's a little wooden text that says that in all things he might have the preeminence.
What a reminder, beloved, how we seek so often to have preeminence among our brethren.
That's a word for the conscience of everyone of us. He is the one.
Well, they finally said no sense arguing with you on that point.
And after a few more questions and trying to get me off the track they finally said well I guess you're sincere about it and I was granted non combatant status.
My brother came along later and took the same stand and they didn't even bother to talk to him.
He is our head, He is our captain, brethren.
And that applies when we sit together and talk about things.
In a care meeting as much as it applies.
To our sitting here and talking in these meetings about things.
He is the head.
Remember inviting a brother to.
Come to our meeting one time and he came and he kept looking around and looking around and he said, well, who's the head here? Who's the head here? Always a delight to tell him it was the Lord Jesus Christ that was the head.
Again, I say it's not just a doctrine. That's a practical thing.
With due respect, we don't say as we sit here.
Well, I wonder if Brother Heinz agrees with that or Brother Chuck.
It would be nice to know they do, but they're not the head.
One is our head, and it's the Lord Jesus Christ.
He became a captain to them and that little band.
Of distressed and indebted and discontented people brought together.
Became a band under his captaincy.
00:40:02
That made mighty and wonderful things.
During the years that David was.
Running away from fleeing from Saw.
He became a captain to them.
I just plead with your beloved brethren, just as our brother Bill has been bringing before us, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
Let us maintain in a practical way the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That in all things he might have the preeminence.
That in all things he might have the preeminence.
He knows what we need.
He knows the answers to the difficult things that come up.
In our discussions together.
It's been a joy to me sometimes to be sitting in a.
The meeting where we just don't seem to get anywhere. I'm talking about a meeting for the care of the assembly and we don't seem to be getting anywhere on a subject and all of a sudden a brother least expected to to.
Participate offers something.
And you recognize right away that the Lord is speaking through that brother.
And we submit to one another in that, because we recognize the Lord is speaking and we see his solution to the problem.
He is the head of the Body, the Church.
Now over in Ephesians again, where we were a few minutes ago, the.
I want to begin reading.
The verse chapter one and verse 17.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you, give unto you the Spirit of wisdom.
And revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.
That you may know what is the hope of his calling.
And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints?
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward, who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, in the heavenlies, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named?
Not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be.
The head.
Not here of the church only, but the head.
Over all things to the Church.
Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all.
I'm sure that.
We're tired of hearing about September 11Th.
But it is a kind of a turning point in our history and in our nation's experience.
And there's a little tendency perhaps in our hearts to think, yes, the Lord is the head of the church, but I wonder if he's got all things under control.
One of the things that has come home to my soul is that he does. He has all things under his. He's still on the throne.
My heart was very touched last night with the story that our brother Al told about the stewardess.
And I had just read a little paper by David Berkler.
Giving, saying so many good things that had come out of that whole.
00:45:05
Experience, and here was another one to add into it.
The Lord is going to be glorified. He's going to be honored.
And in the coming day, I think it's exciting to think of it that in that coming day of manifestation, we are going to learn lots of things that we have no idea.
That took place.
Under his head over all things through that terrible experience.
Just share one thing.
Well, I'm going to make it 2.
Brother Paul and sister, friend's son Stephen.
Was working in the World Trade Center.
And I'm not even sure that Paul and Fran knew this, but he had.
The Friday before and if I get the details wrong, the principles the same the Friday before it all happened.
He had been transferred over to Jersey City.
And he was not there.
Who was over all that?
It was the Lord.
The Lord.
Was with a trembling heart that some of us said, Is Stephen all right?
We didn't know, but what a happy thing it was to find out that the Lord had allowed that He was not there.
His head over all things.
To the Church, which is his body.
Do you accept that? Do you understand that? It gives peace, doesn't it? It gives great peace to know he's overall.
Still on the throne, He hasn't given it up.
Nothing's escaped his hand.
The other has to do with my wife's cousin.
Full powers.
Two of his sons worked for.
Otis Elevator and worked in the World Trade Center.
And Paul watched that building go down from a vantage point.
And he said my son's gone.
But he'd gotten out.
And the other son was over in Jersey City looking across the Hudson River. He watched it go down and he said, my brother's gone.
He is over all things.
Dear friend of mine Don Peterson.
Does some count? Did some counseling down at Keswick. He had been the president of a electric company in Newark and when he retired, as the newspaper said, instead of just writing checks.
To good works. He did the good work.
Went on short term missionary projects and he.
Counseled some of the men the Alcoholics down at.
He was on that plane.
That took a nosedive down in Pennsylvania into the earth.
Was God over that?
Sure he was.
Ruth and I went to the memorial service that was held for him. Over 800 people met, people whose lives he had touched.
And.
It was wonderful to hear the testimonies of those who said God was over all of that.
To the church he is the head over all things. And if he allows.
00:50:02
A Don and Gene Peterson to die in that crash.
I'll tell you, I'm knowing Dawn, I'll tell you. I bet he was standing there on the in the island saying you've only got a few minutes. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ while you can.
We'll hear about it in some coming day.
Are we practically holding the head?
There's a very great danger of not holding the head.
And all the confusion and disobedience and division that we see today.
Is from denying in a practical way the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And submitting to him.
May the Lord exercise our hearts, beloved brethren.
Not only to enjoy that as a truth.
As a doctrine.
But may it have a practical effect in our lives?
He's the head of the church and he's the head over all things to the church, which is his body. Hallelujah.
Loving brother and I had.
Had had it on my heart.
To read amongst.
A couple of other scriptures, those two.
Verses which have been just read to us.
About Christ being ahead.
So let's just read them again.
Ephesians Chapter.
1.
I don't want to repeat.
What has already been said?
But just a few thoughts on that and connected with it. Ephesians chapter one and we'll just read verse 22.
And let's put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body.
And then the verse, the other verse that was read in first chapter of Colossians.
Colossians chapter one and verse 18.
And he is the head of the body, the church.
Blessed part as Brother **** has been saying he is, but had no question about that he is.
And it struck me in the account that we read back in First Samuel.
That when it says in verse 2.
That David was the captain over them, it says. If we read it carefully, he became a captain over them.
It didn't say. It does not say that they made him the captain.
It doesn't say that they allowed him to be the captain or the head he became.
The Captain.
And I just thought of that.
In connection with our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if I could put it this way.
We cannot.
Expect that.
If we can, if we organize something in a scriptural way that we can then make him.
The head over.
That which we have tried to organize. No, beloved brethren.
He is the head. He is the head of his church.
And to go a little farther back in that direction.
00:55:03
Let's.
Go to Matthew chapter 16.
Because if he is the head of the church.
The question may be asked then, whose church is it?
Matthew, Chapter 16.
We better start reading from.
Verse 13. We won't comment on each verse.
But just to have the whole account, Matthew 1613. When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying.
Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, AM?
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias and others Jeremias are one of the prophets. And he said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona.
For flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my father, which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock.
That is his confession of who Christ was. Upon this rock will I build my church.
And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Just that expression.
I will build my church.
Oh, beloved brethren.
If you'll allow me to bring something.
Our hearts.
And I speak to myself. What?
What does the Lord think when we say?
As we so often hear ourselves saying.
Our assembly.
So and so came to our assembly, to our meeting.
Or we might hear each other saying yes, we have assemblies in India and South America, Peru, Chile.
You turn.
Brethren, do we have assemblies there?
God has assemblies there.
God has an assembly where he a local assembly, and each place where he has gathered.
Believers by his Spirit.
To the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Brethren, I'm not trying to nitpick about words, but let us be careful, and I say that to myself, that we don't.
Begin to think.
Vote that which we is so dear to our hearts as something that we.
Have organized or something that belongs to us.
The Lord Jesus Christ here said I will build my church, and it belongs to him.
The church.
Of God that includes every believer on the face of this earth.
A universally church Universally, as somebody referred to it yesterday, is his church.
And his alone.
And every assembly, local assembly.
As we were noticing yesterday in the first chapter at the beginning of.
Corinthians.
That actually the church in Corinth referred to every single believer in that city.
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And if we could put it this way, the church in Dorothy, NJ is comprised of every single believer in the town of Dorothy.
Whether they are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ or not.
So whether we are?
Speaking of the whole church, Oregon, the church as.
Every believer in a locality.
Or whether we are speaking about just a.
Small company of two or three or 10 or 15.
Believers gathered by the Spirit of God to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As a local expression of that assembly of the whole assembly.
The assembly in each one of those cases is his.
It's not ours or anyone else's. It's his.
Whoever the brother and I believe that if we.
Could get this more into our hearts.
And our thoughts.
Could I say we might have less of a problem?
In endeavoring to maintain the unity of the Spirit.
If we could realize.
Or that that which we the place that we enjoy being at His table, gathered to His name, if we could realize that it belongs to Him.
We would have.
A lot of things put in a perspective in the right perspective.
And so he is the head of the church.
It is his church. It belongs to him.
But let's just go to one more scripture.
In Acts chapter 20.
Acts Chapter 20.
And verse 28.
Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God.
Which he has purchased.
With his own blood.
Which he has purchased with his own blood.
Not only, not only.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ head of the Church?
The assembly.
But the assembly is his. It belongs to him.
And why does it belong to him? Because he has purchased it with his own blood.
How could we dare to say or to think?
Of it as our assembly.
When he has given his life.
And shed his blood.
To purchase that church.
His body and his bride.
It's his.
It's his assembly. He purchased it with his own blood and he is head over that assembly.
I trust, brethren, that I.
I'm not that nobody would take this as a criticism.
What I have just said.
But I believe our hearts need to be reminded.
Of these things we.
So quickly like to take credit to ourselves.
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Even in the things of the Lord, even in these precious things which the truths which have been brought before us these these two days.
We so easily like to take the credit to ourselves.
And think that it's something that we have done or that we have that we have organized or that something that I can take credit for, but I cannot.
It's his church.
Which he has paid for with his own blood.
And he is the head of it.
115.
And hope.
Bye.
Verse 27.
Ephesians 527.
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That he might present it to himself. A.
Glorious Church.
Not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So we pray.
Our God and our Father.
We bow humbly before thee when we think of our God, that Thou hast brought us in to be members of the body of Christ. Be part of the Bride of Christ, the Church, the first born to share in that glory forever. To be part of the Bride there at his side is spotless Bride, when we think our God, how we have failed in our testimony in this world.
Both individually and collectively, that thou blessed God in that coming day, that that church will be presented to thy Son whole, without blemish and without spot. Oh our God, we praise thee. What a foundation we rest on the precious blood of Christ, that He has done all the work. Our God, we ask thee that thou would help us to walk as in the dignity of the sons of God.
And members of the body of Christ, we thank you for the precious truths that have been brought before us in this meeting. And we just commend ourselves to thee, our God, that thou would sustain and bless for the balance of our day together here in the reading meeting and in the gospel tonight and in our fellowship between meetings, that it may be that which would encourage one another in the Lord. Thus we ask it and give thanks in Jesus name, Amen.
Jesus the Eternal Son of God
Address—C. Hendricks
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Need some water?
Let's see #61.
How wondrous the glories that meet in Jesus and from his face shine. His love is eternal and sweet. His human is also divine 61.
How wondrous the glory.
Let's pray.
Our God and Father we.
Have somehow wondrous the glories that meet in Jesus and from his face shine.
We desire to speak of him this afternoon.
And we ask thy help, Speaking of one who is.
Infinite.
And and and our Savior precious Lord Jesus.
We ask thy help. We ask Thy blessing in his precious name. Amen.
I was told about.
AI didn't hear it that I was told about a radio broadcast where a brother was.
I don't know if you'd call it a debate or whatever it was with a Muslim minister.
And the Muslim minister took the position that Jesus never called himself the Son of God.
Well, that's quite easy to disprove.
And I'm not only going to show this afternoon what he said about himself, but what others said as well.
Testimony is abundant, but the Blessed Lord He raised two questions concerning himself, and the first one is in Matthew 22.
In Matthew chapter 22, he said this time he was talking to the Pharisees.
Verse 41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ?
Whose son is he?
They say unto him, the Son of David.
Well, they were right. They were half right.
He is the son of David.
It's in the genealogy.
And he had to be of the line of David in order to be the Messiah.
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But the Lord then goes on, and He says to them. How then?
Doth David in spirit call him Lord.
Saying, And then he quotes the 110th Psalm verse, one which says, The Lord said unto my Lord, sit down on my right hand until I make thine enemies, the footstool of thy feet. Now David wrote that Psalm, and so he's He calls the Messiah, my Lord Jehovah said to my Lord, David says So the Lord says.
How then, with David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord.
Sit down on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David, then call him Lord, how is he his son?
They understood the human side of his person. They didn't understand that he was.
David's Lord. David's son. Yes, David's Lord. They didn't understand that, Didn't grasp that.
And that's an amazing truth, that in one person we have divinity and humanity, God and man in one person.
And humanity, God and man in one person we've just sung that the union of both joined in one form, the fountain of love in his heart.
Gallup made a poll once of Americans.
And do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, was the question. I think it was about 80% that said yes, they believe that. And then the next question was?
Do you believe that he is God and very few?
Maybe 2030% believe that.
There are those that think that he was the Son of God.
This one brother was talking to another and he said, do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? He said yes. He said, well, I'm the Son of God.
Do you think there's any difference between him and me?
Well.
No, not really, he said.
This brother said, Well, anyone that thinks there's not a difference between him and me doesn't know either him or me, for there is an infinite difference between us.
He is very God and very man.
And so this question, the Pharisees, the leaders, the religious leaders of the Jews, they knew that the Messiah would be a man the the Son of David, but that he is David's Lord.
That was a that was something they couldn't answer, and no man was able to answer him a word.
Neither dost any.
Man, any man from that day forth. Ask him any more questions.
Now he asked his disciples sort of a similar question in Matthew 16 and turn back to the 16th chapter. This question in Matthew 22 was asked of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, and they didn't know who the Messiah was really.
But in the 16th of Matthew.
Verse 13 When Jesus came into the coast accessory of Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man AM?
And those he calls himself here, the Son of Man. He doesn't say that Christ. If you look down at the 20th verse, it says he charged them that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. That testimony had been fully rendered at this point in the Gospel of Matthew. And now he takes the broader title, the Son of Man, which is a relationship he has with the whole human race, the Son of Man, not just the Christ, which is towards Israel.
But he asked them, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, AM?
And then later he says in verse 15, But whom say ye that I am?
What they answered was, well, some say you are John the Baptist.
Others, Elias and others Jeremias are one of the prophets. All of those fell far short of who he was and who he is.
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So he says. Whom say ye that I am?
Now notice this contention of this Muslim was that he never said he was the son of God. Well, we'll see about that.
Whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ.
That's what we had. That's what the Pharisees said in.
Well, the Lord asked the question, who is the Christ? Whose son is he? And they said Davids, that's his human side.
But then he has more than that. Peter says Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Now this is the only gospel that brings that truth. In the others that the question is asked, they just say the Christ of God. But here in Matthew you have a full declaration that Peter had.
Now does the Lord accept that?
Oh, look at what he says. Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee. But my Father, which is in heaven, I find that extremely precious. It's not that the Spirit of God revealed it to him. He could have, of course, but he says, my Father.
Jesus speaking my Father, the one who knows me as His beloved Son.
He revealed it to you, Peter.
How fitting that the Father him who he could call my father.
We sang this morning. Jesus, my savior, Thou art mine.
Well, it's very precious to be able to say my savior.
It's It has an intimacy to it than than to say the Savior.
Mary Magdalene said. They have taken away my Lord, not the Lord.
My Lord, can you say that? Do you know him in such an intimate way that he is your savior and your Lord? And as Thomas could say, my Lord and my God?
Do you know him that way?
There's no more precious knowledge than to know who he is.
These false religions do not know him. He's just another prophet along with all the rest. According to their view. Now he stands all alone. None can be compared with him. Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, and that blessing is yours and mine. Everyone that believes that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God, has that blessing from him who is the son of the living God.
He accepted that.
Flesh and bloodeth not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven.
When you get that in the very next chapter.
A 17th chapter.
Says he was verse two. He was transfigured before them, and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
And answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here.
If thou wilt, he makes terrible blunder here.
Terrible blunder. If thou wilt, let us make here 3 tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses.
And one for Elias.
While he yet spake, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
Hear ye him.
And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face and were sore, afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, arise and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man.
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Save Jesus only.
Is never to be compared with anyone of us.
That would be a signal dishonor to him and it would manifest that we don't really know him who he is.
God and man in one person, the Father. In his jealousy for the glory of his Son, he rebukes Peter, and he says, This is my beloved Son. Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. He says it both ways in the different Gospels.
Turn back to Matthew Chapter 3.
Matthew chapter 3. Here we have what the Father thinks about Jesus and who He is.
The father's voice.
We saw that in the 17th chapter.
And it was the Father that revealed that truth to the Lord Jesus, and he accepted it. He acknowledged it. He called Peter blessed because it had been revealed to him who Jesus really is.
Verse 13 of chapter 3 and Matthew then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him.
But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and cometh thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. And then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, And though the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him, And they, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son.
In whom I am well pleased.
But the Muslim didn't say anything about the father.
Owning him, but I find that just a greater testimony as the Lord saying it himself, Father said He was his beloved son, no question about it.
Did he ever claim to be that himself?
Well, turn to John Chapter 4, John's Gospel, Chapter 4.
Verse 25 The woman saith unto him unto Jesus, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ. When he has come, he will tell us all things.
Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee, am he Now that was the first confession that Peter had made. Thou art the Christ. And here he tells her, I am he, I am the Christ. Now turn to the 9th chapter.
In John's Gospel, and we have the blind man, there are two men. There are two people like one this woman, this Samaritan woman, and then one, this blind man who is blind from birth, to whom the Lord revealed himself to her. He revealed himself as the Messiah, the Christ, and to this blind man.
More than that.
You know, when we were born into this world, we were all born blind spiritually, just like this man. He was physically blind, and in this chapter he receives his physical sight and his spiritual sight as well.
Let's pick up the story. You know it well.
Verse 30 Verse 29 The Pharisees say, we know that God spake unto Moses, As for this fellow we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, While hearing is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do with his will him he heareth. Since the world began, was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind?
This man were not of God, he could do nothing.
They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us, They thought, that someone that was born blind was as a result of sin. Remember, the disciples asked at the beginning of the chapter, Who sinned this manner as parents, that he was born blind? The Lord said, Neither hath he nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
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This man were not of God, he could do nothing. He answered and said unto him, Thou hast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out in Jesus heard that they had cast him out. And when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? Notice the way the Lord answers that so precious. And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him. He hadn't seen anyone until his eyes were opened.
And he had seen the Messiah, He had seen the Son of God. Thou has both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him.
It's very clear from the Old Testament that to worship a creature is idolatry and absolutely forbidden.
The Lord Jesus received worship because he was no creature.
He was.
The creator of the universe, the infinite God, through an infinite grace became a man.
He receives worship and he acknowledges.
He tells this man who he is. You've seen him. I'm talking with you. I am he.
In the 10th chapter, in verse 36 he says to these unbelieving Jews, say, he of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemous, because I said, I am the Son of God.
The whole Gospel of John.
Was written to prove that truth.
Look at it in John 20.
John 20.
Verse 30.
And many other signs truly Jesus did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that she might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing he might have life through his name, Thomas had just said in the 28th verse.
My Lord and my God.
Owning who he is.
Not only is he the Son of Man.
He became that when he was Incarnate.
And.
He was always the Son of God That never had a beginning.
Eternal relationship that he had with the Father.
There's an expression that he uses in the Gospels, Very, very precious. He speaks of the Father as my Father. No one else did that. My Father.
He also speaks of him as my God on the cross. He did that. The Apostle Paul uses that expression. My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory. By Christ Jesus, that's very precious that Paul had had learned that truth. He said he'll supply your needs. The Philippians were poor. He said, My God, I know, I know he does. He supplied my needs and I was in dire straits more than once. And my God a personal God that he knew personally.
Shall supply all your needs, but the only one that uses the expression. My Father is the eternal Son of God, eternal Son of God. That was one. He was one that the Son knew from all eternity. There was no beginning of that relationship, no ending relationship which will always.
Exist between the Father and the Son. Wonderful to know these precious truths.
Now let's let's back up a little in the Gospel of John and I look at a number of verses where.
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His infinite, his intimate relationship with the Father is brought out. But before I do chapter one, and we want to get, we want to get John the Baptist's testimony as to who Jesus was.
And in chapter one, verse 32, John Bear records saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him, and I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water. The same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him the same as he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw.
And bear record that this is the Son of God.
This is the Son of God, the testimony of John a little bit later in John one verse.
47.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, in Israelite, indeed, in whom is no guile. And Nathaniel saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, When thou hast under the fig tree, I saw thee, Nathaniel answered, and said unto him, Behold.
Rabbi, thou art the son of God. Thou art the king of Israel.
The Lord had seen him alone with God in prayer under the fig tree. He tells him about it. I saw you there, and it brings out this beautiful.
This beautiful confession from Nathaniel, Rabbi. Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel. When the Jews called him the Son of God, or when he called himself, or when his disciples called him that, or John, or anyone else, they thought that was blasphemy.
Because they knew that he was claiming equality with God the Father. They knew that in the Western world, a Western mind considers sonship to be inferior. But sonship in the Eastern mind is not inferior at all. It's equal. Equal. You see that in the 5th chapter of John. Just turn over to the fifth chapter of John.
There is this man at the pool of Bethesda, and the Lord heals him and.
They asked him. Verse 12 Then asked they him, What man is that Which said unto thee, Take up thy bed and walk?
And he that was healed wish not who it was, for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
Afterward, Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, art made whole. Sin no more or less the worst thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus which had made him whole.
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay him, because he had done these things.
On the Sabbath day, now notice.
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto and I work. They were both working together.
My father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Therefore the Jews sought them more to kill him because he not only had broken the Sabbath.
But said also that God was his Father, his very own Father, who knew translation his own Father, making Himself equal with God. They understood. They understood exactly when he called God my Father, that he was speaking as an equal with the Father his Son, not an inferior.
Not on a lower level, but one with him.
My father worketh hitherto, and I work.
And they considered that blasphemy.
And let's read on that answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son, he's talking about himself. Of course, the Son can do nothing of himself.
But what he seeth the Father do, For what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
Those who are the enemies of the Lord will read a verse like that and use it to say See, he's not. He's not as great as the Father. He takes all his orders from the Father. All that verse does is magnify the infinite grace of the Lord Jesus, who though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich. He was in the form of God, assumed the form of a servant, and came down here.
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And took orders from his father, but he was one with his father.
But he never once he became a servant. Once he became a man and entered his own creation, he never did anything of or from himself. It was always in obedience to his father.
That doesn't mean he wasn't equal with the father. No, not at all.
On the contrary, it magnifies His infinite grace in taking a place of servitude that he took in order to reach you and me, in order to bring us into blessing. He had to become one of us.
God is too.
Distant and far off and unreachable for us to really know him.
So he came to us.
Came to where we were.
Became a servant.
While I'm on that point.
Turn to Philippians 2 very very precious chapter.
Philippians chapter 2.
Verse 5.
Let this mind.
Being you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
You probably all often heard that there are seven steps down and then seven steps up in this chapter. But it starts with the mind that was in Christ Jesus. He's exhorting the Saints to let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. What was the mind that the Lord Jesus had as presented here? Who being in the form of God?
Now you can't have a creature in the form of God that proves his deity, that he is in the very form of God.
Thought it not robbery, esteem, Did not an object of rapping esteem did not a prize to be grasped and held onto, and never relinquished. No, he didn't say I am God. I'll never consider being anything less than God.
No, he emptied himself. That's the next expression, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. Or he emptied himself.
He was willing to take a place lower than the one that was his from all eternity past in the form of God.
He assumed the form of a servant, that's what it says. He made himself of no reputation, literally. He emptied himself and took upon him the form of a servant.
Was made in the likeness of men. That's the unspeakable grace of God, grace of the Lord Jesus. His willingness to come down into his own creation, move amongst his own creatures, you and me, and reveal the Father, His Father to us down here is a man. You see, we can relate to a man because he lives in in our midst and.
Does the kinds of things that we do and speaks the words that we speak and all that we can relate to him. And so he came to where we could know him. John begins his epistle first. John, that which was from the beginning, that's Christ down here as a man, which we have heard. They heard him, they heard his words, which we have seen with our eyes. They saw him. He wasn't just a a passing vision. It wasn't just a.
A word for a moment from heaven, or a flash of light, know which our eyes have seen and we have contemplated. We have looked upon him. He was really here and our hands handled him, John, says. John, the one who lay on his bosom, who felt the very heartbeats of the Lord Jesus, the one who had lain in the bosom of the Father from all eternity. Now John lies on his bosom.
So that he could get the heartbeat of the Savior. That's how near he came to us.
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I always think of the book of Esther when a hesher was the king and Esther was told by Mordecai, you've got to go in and plead for your people. The addict had been passed that the Jews were going to be destroyed and she was a Jewish and she hadn't revealed her nationality and she said I haven't been bidden to come into the King's presence for this month.
If I go in and he doesn't hold out to me, the golden scepter, it'll be my life. Even the queen couldn't enter. Those men, those kings, those monarchs couldn't, couldn't be approached unless they invited you to come into their presence. Here's the here's the creator of the universe.
The creator of the universe.
Who comes to where we are?
That we might know him.
And introduces us as man to the Father.
To his father.
As he said to Mary Magdalene, we had that yesterday I ascend unto my Father, to your Father, to my God, and to your God.
Do you know him?
Do you know that Blessed One, Whom to know is life eternal?
John 17 This is life eternal. He says in his prayer to the Father that they might know thee, Father and Jesus Christ, whom thus sent life eternal, consists in the knowledge of the Father and the Son. You know him. You know who he is, very God and very man, Son of God, the Son of David.
Wonderful. There's no knowledge like it. And the better you get acquainted with this Blessed One and trace his footsteps in the four Gospels and and hear His words. You're hearing the Father's words and see His works. You're seeing the Father's works because all that He did and all that he said was given to him to do and say from the Father.
Now you know the Father, they said, Show us the Father, and it suffice it to us. Have I been in so long time with you, Philip? And yet hast thou not knowing me? He that hast seen me, hast seen the Father.
Some, I've been asked so many times. Will we ever see the Father? Yes. We'll be in the presence of that blessed man.
Who is the Father's Son? Who has revealed him in perfection, and will see the Father in him in perfection. The Father is the invisible God, but he became visible when he became a man, so that we could see him, touch him, see him, touch him, look upon him, and hear him.
And we're going to be in the presence of that one.
For all eternity.
Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself.
Took the low place. It says in Hebrews 5 that he learned obedience by the things which he suffered when he was in the form of God. He never obeyed anyone. He was the supreme commander. Everyone obeyed him.
Father the Son and the Holy Spirit Co equal in the Trinity and all obeyed them and him, but now he comes and becomes a servant.
He enters his own creation comes one of us.
And now he has to learn obedience.
By the things which he suffered.
When he died on the cross, he says. Therefore doth my father love me.
Because I lay down my life.
That I might take it again. No, man, take it from me. I lay it down of myself, and I have power to take it again.
This commandment to lay it down have I received of my Father.
So that was the supreme act of obedience on his part is to lay his life down as a sacrifice for sin for you and me, and for the glory of God.
Therefore, does my father love me? A fresh motive supplied to the father to love his son because he went that far in obedience.
It cost him everything. Will never fathom. We'll never understand.
What it cost God the Son and the Father to put our sins away. He'll never fathom that, never really fathom his person either. God and man in one person.
But we worship Him, We adore him.
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The Son of God.
Satan knows who he is.
Turn back to Matthew Matthew's Gospel.
Chapter 4.
I think.
Verse 3.
Says in verse one Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Verse three says when the tempter came to him, he said if thou be the Son of God, he knew he was. He's not saying he's not, he's saying since you are.
Do what?
Command that these stones be made bread he just fasted.
40 days, 40 nights, Tempter comes to him and says, Prove that you're the Son of God.
He knew he was again by making the bread out of the stones. Again in verse six he saith to him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down.
Chapter 8. Quickly look at a few verses.
Verse 28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gerga scenes, there met him too, possessed with demons, devils, or demons, coming out of the tombs, exceeding first, so that no man might pass by that way. And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee? Jesus, thou Son of God, Art thou come? Hit her to torment us before the time we have the Father's voice, we have the Son's testimony as to himself.
We have John the Baptist. We have Satan testifying that he was the son of God. We have these demons testifying that he was the Son of God. In the 14th chapter turn over to it of Matthew. We have the testimony of the disciples. They were in this ship. The Lord was found walking on the sea. Peter says, if it be, Thou bid me come to thee on the water.
And verse 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Behold, it is be of good cheer at his eye, Be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come, And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. And when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
And when they were coming to the ship, the wind ceased, and they that were in the ship came and worshipped him.
Saying of a truth, thou art the Son of God.
The Son of God.
And then we have that tremendous passage in chapter 16. I referred you to it at the beginning. The question Whom say men that I am?
And Peter answering thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And then the Lord says to Peter in verse 17, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona, Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock that person, that he had confessed the truth of who Jesus is, the Christ, the Son of the living God.
On this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The Church is called the pillar and ground of the truth. She is to uphold and maintain and sustain the truth, especially the truth of his person.
Have you ever noticed that first Timothy 315, she's called the pillar and ground of the truth? And then in the 16th verse you have the cardinal truth that she's to uphold and maintain. 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. That verse has God coming down.
And becoming a man. And it ends with man going up into the glory of God, gospel of the grace of God, gospel of the glory. And that's what we're to maintain and uphold the truth of Jesus, person and work.
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Is there anyone here this afternoon that doesn't know this wonderful person?
He is the.
Son of God, he became the Son of Man.
Why did they crucify him? Why did they crucify him?
Turn to Luke 22.
We get the answer.
Luke 22.
Verse 66 And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, Art thou the Christ Tell us?
And he said unto them, If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I also ask you, you will not answer me, nor let me go, hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Notice Now then, said they all, Art thou then.
The Son of God.
And he said unto them, Ye say that I am, in other words, a very strong expression in the Greek You have spoken the truth, You have said what is true of me. Yes, I am.
And what was the reaction? And they said, what needn't we any further witness? We've heard him ourselves out of his own mouth.
Now to prove what I just said, giving that interpretation to ye, say that I am turn over to Mark 14.
Mark 14.
Verse 60.
And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee?
But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the blessed? And Jesus said, I am.
I am, and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, coming in the clouds of heaven. The Son of the Blessed is a Hebrew expression, of course, for God.
And he says, I am, you say that I am turn to.
John 19.
John 19.
Where we have.
The Jews saying why they had to.
Have him crucified.
Verse 8 verse five of John 19 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, And Pilot saith unto them, Behold the man.
When the chief priests therefore, and the officer saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him, Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him, For I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself.
The Son of God.
Well, the truth is, he never made himself the Son of God. He was always the Son of God, and he made himself the Son of Man. That's the truth. They meant, of course, that he claimed to be the Son of God when he was on the cross, they said. He said he was the Son of God.
Co equal with the Father though he were son. Now let's turn to that Hebrews 5 very important verse.
This is such a vast subject and I have to apologize for jumping around because I can only turn to the passage that comes to mind at the time that it it's far more than an hour lecture to cover this subject of who he is.
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Hebrews 5.
Verse 8.
Though he were.
Son.
In spite of the fact that he was the son.
When he never had to obey anyone, yet learned, yet he became yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered, not as it would have to read, if he didn't become the Son until he became a man, as some have.
Very seriously taught in error. Then it would have to read. When he became the Son, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered.
No, He never became the Son, though he were the Son when he never had to obey. He learned obedience because of the place that he took in marvelous grace.
Now that's that's a takeoff and what we have in the.
In the 5th the 5th chapter where it says.
Now it's the first chapter. Well, it's also.
Let's turn to the first chapter of Hebrews for the passage that I want verse 5 and unto but for unto which of the angels said He, at any time thou art my son. Now here this is God the Father speaking to him. And he says, Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee, Thou art my Son, is his deity. He was always the Son.
This day have I begotten Thee is the incarnation. When he became a man, this day refers to a point in time. Thou art my son is what he always was.
Now that's also in the 5th chapter.
And I'm.
Yeah, verse five. I just. I just read through it. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made in high priest, but he that said unto him, Thou art my son this day, have I begotten thee, as he saith also in another place. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, when he's spoken of as a priest spoken of in his humanity.
And this day have I begotten. Thee, of course, is coming into humanity, but thou art my son, an expression of what he always was and always is.
Now turn back.
To the fifth chapter of John's Gospel.
John Chapter 5.
Verse 21.
Verse 20 For the father loveth the son.
And showeth him all things that himself doeth, and he will show him greater works than these that she may marvel. For as the father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, Even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.
To what end? For what purpose that all men should honor the Son?
Even as they honor the Father, he that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world, to dishonor the Son. To speak I'll of the Son, Not to receive the Son, is not to receive the Father. You cannot have the Father. You cannot know God without the Son and any religion that says that God doesn't have a Son.
Is blasphemy. That's the Muslim religion and the Jews.
Sometimes I think they're even more guilty because they had all the light of the Old Testament. They had the presence of the Son of God become the Son of man in their midst, speaking words that none other had ever spoken.
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Doing works that none other that had ever done, Manifesting the Father, calling him my Father.
An intimate relationship which never had a beginning and never has an end. He dwells in the bosom of the Father John one.
And to say that he's not.
The Son of God.
They crucified him. The Jews did, because he claimed to be.
The Son of God.
To them that was blasphemy, he says In John Five. He said, well, I'm right there and he says.
Verse 43 I am come in my father's name, you receive me not another shall come in his own name. Him you will receive and that will be the Antichrist. And that's the one they're looking for. They've rejected the true Messiah. You know, most of the Jews nowadays are nothing but atheists.
Said all the light of the Old Testament, Here comes the Messiah.
All that brings before me Romans 9. Let's read that I don't want to close without reading Romans 9. This was the cardinal truth of Judaism.
And I'll read it. Romans 9. I say the truth in Christ. I lie not. My conscience also beareth me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness.
And continual sorrow in my heart.
But I could wish, or I have wished, that as he had the passing notion that went through his soul, that I might be cursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. He loved them so much.
Who are Israelites?
To whom pertaineth the adoption?
Israel is my son, Jacob is my son. Israel my first born. And the glory, Shekinah, glory, marked them out, God's presence with them, and the covenants given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, beginning of the Law to Moses. They had all this and a tremendous advantage over the nation's roundabout them and the service of God, the priestly service, the sacrifices, and.
All that went with it and the promises. All the promises coming through Abraham and the patriarchs.
Whose are the fathers, and of whom is concerning the flesh Christ came.
Who is overall? God bless it forever.
Overall, God bless it forever. Amen. And where are they today? They're surrounded by.
All these Arab nations just read the 83rd Psalm. You see what they want to do to them. They want to just wipe them off the face of the earth. They hate them. It's a family problem. They're all related.
I hate the Jews. Esau, Jacob, Isaac, Ishmael, and on and on.
And why is that? They've rejected their Messiah. I was in a barbershop once and I was just leaving. I passed out some tracks and the man that was taking the seat, he said, why is all this coming upon the Jews? What have they done? And I said they crucified their Messiah. That's what they did.
And then I left.
His blood be on us and on our children. The Muslims haven't done that.
In one sense, the Jews are more guilty. More guilty? More guilty. What about Christendom?
What about the United States of America?
Those two towers in New York came down. What are they? Symbols of Tower of Babel. Symbols of man's prosperity, his monopoly of money and his success and all that. And there were two of them in the mouth of two or three witnesses. Every word is established and God in one five minute spell they came down.
This country has been so blessed.
So blessed.
What have we done with it? Turn our backs on him, this one little girl said to her mommy. She said, Mommy, what do the ungodly people in this country use for money?
01:00:04
Our money says in God we trust.
What do they use?
God Bless America.
We've turned our backs on him, spitting his face.
Don't want them in our schools.
Don't want to pray to him.
And God's to bless us.
You know, our founding fathers didn't think that way. They weren't like that.
This is the the the present generation, the now generation where you have to be politically correct. You can't say anything against anything that's evil anymore.
Where have we gotten to, oh God took down those two symbols of man's pride, America's pride. He took them down.
And he will take everything. The pride of man shall be humbled.
Glory of the Lord shall be exalted in that coming day.
Time is up.
39 give #39.
On his father's throne is seated the one they nailed to a cross.
Gospel
Gospel—A. Coleman
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We sing hymn #13 #13.
Man of Sorrows, what a name for the Son of God who came.
Ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah, what a Savior.
Bearing shame and scoffing rude in my place condemned, he stood.
Seal my pardon with his blood. Hallelujah, what a savior. Guilty, vile and helpless. We spotless Lamb of God was he full atonement? Can it be? Hallelujah, what a savior hymn #13.
Man of soul.
Shall we pray?
Our God and our living Father.
We're here tonight.
Because of Calvary's cross.
Of that precious work that thy beloved son did there on Calvary's cross.
That blessed one.
In whom was number sin, yet was made sin for us?
There, in those three dark hours of Calvary's cross.
That he bore our sins in his own body on the tree. And because of that work, that precious work on Calvary's cross, this wonderful news of salvation can go out to poor lost, fallen man. And we pray that tonight as it goes forth.
As we read thy precious words, that by thy Spirit that tonight thou would speak to any in this room who are still lost, and in their sins, that they might find in thee, blessed Lord Jesus, the Savior of sinners. And we pray this, and we ask thee for help as we open Thy precious word. And we give thee thanks for the privilege of being able to do so.
In our precious and worthy name, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
I would like to turn to a very well known passage in connection with the Gospel in First Second Kings Chapter 6 and 2nd Kings Chapter 7.
The events of the last two months.
Have.
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Exercised me tonight to take up these two chapters and we're going to see a little.
A little parallel between Second Kings Chapter 6 and the present day and these last two months.
Of what has happened to this world and the disasters that have come upon this world.
Surely I believe that God.
Is speaking to this world in a most profound way. And tonight he's also speaking to you. If you're still lost and in your sins tonight he is not willing that any should perish, that that all should come to repentance. He says, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turned from his evil way. And then he says, turn ye, turn ye.
For Why will ye die?
And so he's offering salvation full and free to whosoever will tonight. And that offer of mercy has gone out. This wonderful gospel message has gone out for 2000 years. And still tonight, by God's grace, it's still going out. And you have, if you're still lost, the opportunity tonight to accept Christ as your own personal Savior. And I must warn you tonight.
That tomorrow may be too late. Twice over in Ezekiel he says warn them from me. The gospel brings with it a warning, a warning of coming judgment for those that accept God's wonderful offer of mercy. And so I plead with you tonight, time is running out.
Time is running out. I know that your president said that not too long ago, President Bush told the Taliban in Yugoslavia that in.
Sorry, that time was running out and it is time is running out for this world. I believe that the Lord's coming is very, very soon. And everybody that you speak to in connection with this disaster that happened, they raised this comment that know the Lord as their Savior. I believe the Lord is coming and yes, I believe it is and I believe is very soon.
And maybe it will be this very night. But dear one, tonight, if you put it off and wait for another day, another moment, it's your eternal destiny. And where will you spend eternity?
For those that have not Christ as their Savior, have not had their sins washed away in the precious blood of Christ, it'll be forever too late for you. Second Kings chapter 6, verse 24. And it came to pass after this that Ben Haddad, king of the Syria, gathered all his hosts.
And went up and besieged Samaria, and there was a great famine in Samaria.
And behold, they besieged it, until Anasa's head was sold for four score pieces of silver, and the 4th part of a cab of doves done was for five pieces of silver.
And as the king of Israel was passing by in the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help my Lord, O king. And he said, If the king do not help thee, if the Lord do not help thee, when shall I help thee? Out of the barn floor, or out of the winepress? And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered. The woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. So we boil my son, and did eat him. And I said unto her, The next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him.
And she hath hit her son. And it came to pass. The king heard the words of the woman.
And that he ran to his clothes, and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth with the end upon his flesh. And he said, God, do so more also to me, if the head of Elijah, the son of Chaffetz, shall stand on him this day. Now I want you to look at these words. But Elisha sat in his house. But.
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Elisha sat in his house and the elders sat with him, and the king sent a man from before him. But ere the messengers came to him, he said to the elders, He ye how this son of a murderer has sent to take away mine head? Look when the messenger cometh.
Hold him fast at the door is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? And while he yet talked with him, behold, the messenger came down unto him.
And he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord, why should I wait for the Lord any longer?
Then Elisha said.
Hear the word of the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow, tomorrow about this time, shall a measure of fine flower be sold for a shackle, and two measures of barley for a shackle in the gate of Samaria. Then the Lord, on whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the whip Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof.
And there were four leprous men at the entering end of the gate.
And they said one to another wise that we hear and die. If we say we enter into the city, then the firemen is in the city.
And we shall die there, and if we sit there, and if we sit still here, we die also. Now, therefore, come, let us fall into the host of the Syrians. And if they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die. And they rose up in the twilight to go into the camp of the Syrians. And when they were coming to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear the noise of Chariots and the noise of horses, and even the noise of a great host.
And they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their ***** even in the camp as it was, and fled for their life. Then those lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp.
They went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried dense silver and gold and raiment, and went and hit it, and came again, and entered into the other tent, and carried fence also, and went and hit it. And they said one to another, we do not well, this is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace.
If we tear it to the morning light, some mischief will come upon us. Now therefore come, that we may go and tell the King's household. So they came and called unto the Porter of the city. And they told him, saying, We came into the camp of Syrians, and behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied and ***** tied.
And 10 says they were, and they called the porters, and they told it in the King's house within. And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry, therefore they are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they shall come out of the city, we shall catch them alive and get unto the city. And one of the servants answered and said, Let us let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain which are left.
In the city, behold, they are all is the multitude of Israel that are left in it. Behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed. And let us send and see. They took therefore 2 Chariot horses, and the king sent after the host of the Syrian say, go and see. And they went after them into Jordan. And lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels which the Syrians had castaway in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king.
And the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of flour was sold for a shekel. 2 measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. And the king appointed the Lord, in whose hand he leaned, to have the charge of the gate, and the people throwed upon him in the gate, that he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. And it came to pass, as the man of God has spoken to the king, saying, 2 measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel shall be tomorrow.
About this time in the gate of Samaria. And that Lord answered the man of God, and said, Now behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?
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And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, for thou shalt not eat thereof. And so it fell out unto him, for the people throwed upon him in the gate that he died.
When we were having our gospel meetings on the South Coast of Newfoundland this summer.
In between meetings.
The local townsfolk had built a trail along the water's edge in order to attract a little tourist trade in the town. And so I thought that for the afternoon hours when there wasn't much to do, that I would go along that trail and discover this trail and see what it was like. And a very beautiful trail, all gravel all the way along.
And beautiful rocky scenery, The waves crashing in on the South Coast of Newfoundland, which is very notorious for.
As a stormy weather and waves and many ships have been lost along that shoreline and to go along that shoreline one has to be at least a mile offshore before you're safe from any rocks that you would hit.
But there were some signs along this trail, and one caught my attention, and that was the sinking of the Despatch. The Despatch was a schooner.
And it was going along the South Coast of Newfoundland in 1880 and it was heading for Boston and it had 163 passengers on board this ship. And he had taken a sounding from Cape Ray Lighthouse. And he was, he apparently had calculated wrong. And that dispatch ran up on the rocks and I saw the rocks where that despatch.
Went up against.
And there was a very stormy wind blowing and the waves were crashing against those rocks. And there was this schooner with his nose up on the on the rocks. And the tail end was being smashed to bits by the the waves crashing against it. And 163 passengers were huddled together on the on the front of that ship and they were in dire straits.
They were in awful condition. They were about to be dashed into eternity and there was actually no hope for those 163 passengers that were on that boat. Now, dear one, tonight as this is the gospel meeting and I want to impress this deeply upon your heart tonight, that you, if you're without Christ tonight and don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior, and if you're not under the shelter of the precious blood of Christ.
You're just like those 163 passengers who were doomed for a watery grave.
But there was a young girl that was walking along the shore. Her name was Ann Harvey. She had a father by the name of George Harvey. She had a brother, a young brother, and she had a dog, a Newfoundland dog by the name of Hairy Man.
And this Ann Harvey saw the wreckage coming, coming on shore, and she realized that there was a wreck and she ran to her father and she said, father, get the lifeboat out.
And they got the lifeboat out and they got hairy man and the young brother.
Into that boat with the raves around them.
It was dangerous for them.
100 a hundred feet or so offshore was this boat.
And they rolled part way out to this boat. They couldn't go much farther.
And they put a rope in the mouth of hairy man and they threw him overboard and said, go to that boat.
And that dog swam and you know, an open land dog is a very powerful swimmer.
And that dog swam for that boat.
00:20:03
And.
Made it to that boat.
And they got that rope and they gave that dog another rope to go back to the shore. There was two ropes, one for one back.
And they put the oh, can't think of the name of it.
Sorry, it's a little chair. A breeches boy. They call it a breeches boy.
Attached to that rope and 163 passengers on that boat.
Were safely on shore.
What a great deliverance. What a great deliverance. Do you think they weren't happy with an?
Harvey, do you think they weren't happy with George Harvey and that Newfoundland dog? Oh yes, they were.
The George Harvey was given a citation by King George.
But what a wonderful deliverance was made for you at Calvary's cross. Have you ever thanked the Lord Jesus for dying on Calvary's cross for you? Have you ever done that? Have you ever come as a guilty, lost Sinner before a holy God? You know you've sinned against the holy God. No sins have separated you from a holy God, and you can't get to heaven with all low sins on you. But thank God that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. And that's the message of the Gospel.
Are you sheltered under the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ?
I am thank God I am thank God. I am that He saved my precious soul over 50 years ago.
What a stager, surely we can save as a hymn that we've just sang. Hallelujah. What a savior. Oh, what a savior that he died for me from condemnation. He has set me free, set free from all my sins, washed in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a scheme that we have here. Ben Haydad, he's coming here and he's just surrounding the city of Samaria.
Here his father and his grandfather had already attacked the city of Samaria, and they had lost 127 thousand men. And yet they come up against the city of Samaria again. And isn't this just like the God of this world? He never gives up.
And think of this, of the recent disasters that have happened in this world, that God is speaking to this world in a most profound way.
God speaketh once. Yeah, twice. Are you listening to what God is saying to you? Oh dear one, tonight. These are issues, the issues of life, your eternal destiny.
And we don't want to see you go out of this room unsafe tonight.
And we plead with you to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. You know our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. In the 7th chapter of the John's Gospel, it says in that last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried. If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. Oh, you know there's many thirsty people in this world. There's only one that can satisfy your thirst, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, won't you come to him? His arms are outstretched to you tonight.
If you're still in your sins, he said to you, come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. All those are beautiful words from our precious Savior, and he's pleading for you to come tonight. He doesn't want to send you to hell. He doesn't want to send you to a lost eternity. But if you reject this wonderful offer of mercy, he's got no other course. And so he pleads for you to come tonight. And so this awful scene, we find that these two women had boiled their son. What a terrible thing.
And yet what has happened in the last two months, Terrible thing happened over there in New York. Everybody all over this world was shocked at 5000 souls were dashed into eternity in a split second.
But what a world that we're living in.
The imagination of man's heart is only evil continually, and he's getting worse.
And then I saw. Unless we're washed in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus.
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That's the formula. That's the formula.
And so we have this awful scene.
And yet I paused.
You know, here's Elijah. He sat still in his house.
I think that's precious. I think it's just beautiful. Here is this awful scene, tremendous famine in Samaria, these two women, the king with sackcloth underneath his coat.
He didn't. He didn't want everybody to know that the hand of God was upon him.
And yet, here's Elisha, sitting still in his house. I think it's beautiful.
I want to see it this way. We can calmly face the future when the blood is on the door. I'll say that again. We can calmly face the future when the blood is on the dorm, in spite of all this awful scene that we are passing through and we have passed through and maybe we'll pass through more.
Of it more violence. In this world, we can calmly face the future when the blood is on the door.
And so we ask you tonight, is the blood on the door? Are you sheltering under the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he suffered, bled, and died for you in Calvary's cross for your sins?
He did that for you because he loved you, the apostle Paul could say. The Son of God.
Who loved me and gave himself for me. How wonderful that we can have this wonderful thing that the Lord Jesus and the 1St and the first verse of our Chapter 7 says, Elijah says hear ye the word of the Lord. You're listening. You're listening to what God is saying to you tonight. Even though it's feeble. You're listening to what he's saying to you. He's speaking to you.
What does he say tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.
You know the Lord Jesus is my tomorrow. He is my future. He is the one that I am going to spend eternity with through sovereign grace. He saved my precious soul and He is my tomorrow. I don't have to worry about anything else. My sins are gone.
All washed in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a Savior that we have to proclaim tonight.
And now next thing we see here and here is a man he says, behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, would this thing be here's a man that marks that marks that marks the grace of God. Oh dear one, don't mock the grace of God. Don't put off the grace of God. You know it says in.
3rd chapter, second of second Peter in the last days.
They're going to be mockers saying, where is the promise of His coming? Where is the promise of His coming? Oh dear one, tonight He is coming. The Word of God tells us. So by the authority of the precious word of God, He's coming. I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. And he also says, I am the way.
The truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father.
But by me what precious words of life you can come, knowing that he will receive you. He says him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Oh won't you come to him tonight and be richly blessed? Be saved in your soul. He wants to save you. But then what do we find next? We find 4 leprous men.
4 leprous men. And what a scene this is. There they are. They are sitting right outside the gate of Samaria. Now you know right Well what's going to happen should Ben Haydad come into this?
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Breathe at the gate of the city would be the heat of the battle, and that's where they were standing. And the next thing we find out is this. They were lepers. They were lepers and they had to stand off and pry unclean, didn't they? And what is leprosy? It's a type of sin. The word of God says in Romans 323, all of sin to come short of the glory of God. What a predicament they're in.
There they are.
They're lepers, they're right there at the gate of the city, and they're in a terrible, terrible place.
I say just like the despatch, if you don't know Christ as your savior, you're just like this, helpless, guilty.
Unable to save yourself it all The good news of the gospel is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, it says in.
Luke chapter 15 This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with him all. He'll receive you if you'll come to him as a guilty law Sinner tonight. He says in Acts chapter 17, God no command of all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day in the which he will judge this world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.
And so he wants you to repent tonight. What does that mean? To be sorry for your sins? Like the prodigal son? He came to his father and he said, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. I have sinned.
The publicans said, God be merciful to me, a Sinner. That's the sinner's prayer. And if you pray the sinner's prayer tonight, he'll save you. He'll save you right in your seat.
And what did they say? Why sit we here until we die? Why sit we here until we die?
If we do nothing about our sins, we'll die in our sins.
If we do nothing.
But if you come.
To the Lord Jesus, tonight he'll stay here.
But a savior? What a savior.
What had happened?
Verse six. For the Lord had made the noise of the Syrians to hear a great noise of Chariots.
The noise of horses, the noise of a great host. And what happened?
They fled. They fled. The whole army of the Syrians had fled.
I say, oh, what a deliverance, what a wonderful deliverance. And all I look to the Calvary's cross and I see the Lord Jesus there crying out on Calvary's cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me always in the count of my, my sins that he was there being the sin bearer for me. He bore my sins in his own body in the tree. And all I can say, what a deliverance, what a deliverance, what a savior. You know this wonderful Savior, you know this wonderful God.
Oh yeah, miss something if you don't know the Lord Jesus as your savior.
As I often say, you know, people sometimes think that it's a dull life to be a child of God. No, it isn't. It's the most exciting thing, the most wonderful thing to be a child of God, to know that my future is in Christ. It's in Christ. What a Savior, what a wonderful deliverance from our sins. Then he made this one. It says here the Lord had.
Made the host of the Syrians to hear the noise of Chariots.
Ah, now here's something else that I've been delivered from. Let's just for a second go to the 40th Psalm.
40th Psalm.
I waited patiently for the Lord, and inclined unto me, and heard my cry. Oh dear one, tonight has he heard your cry. You that are lost and in your sins, tonight I'm speaking to you. Has he heard your cry? He says, Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
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You know, if you're still in your sins, you're in trouble.
Will he hear your cry tonight or will you put it off? Hear my cry? What is he saying? He brought me up also out of an horrible pit.
And out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my going. And he hath put a new song in my mouth. Even praise unto our God. You know what it says here? Look in the margin. It says a pit of noise. He brought me up also out of a pit of noise.
You know this is a wonderful deliverance for you and I that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, that we've been delivered from an awful pit of noise.
The radio has got to be cranked right? Uptight. The boomers on as they as they go down the street, you wonder how their ears are doing.
I've been reading from all that, I've been redeemed from all that, I've been preserved from all that. I just say Hallelujah. What a savior he. He brought me up out of a horrible pit and established my going. He put a new song in my mouth, even praised unto my God. Oh what a wonderful person to praise, to thank him. We're going to be that doing that for all eternity to praise Him.
He's worthy.
Worthy of the highest praise that we can give him. All I say tonight, Hallelujah. What a Savior. Do you know this wonderful Savior, the Savior of sinners?
Then these lepers ate verse went to the uttermost part of the camp, and they went into one tent and did eat and drink. You think of this, here's these lepers. They were probably starving. There was a mass of famine there in Samaria.
And here they go into the camp there, and what do they find? They find they eat, drink, silver, gold, Raymond, five things. These are the five things that Rebecca was given in Genesis 24.
And all these are the blessings that belong to you if you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, it's my habit every day when I get down on my knees in the morning to thank the Lord Jesus for all the blessings that He showers upon me every day because they are more than can be numbered. The blessings that He showers upon us because we belong to Him. What a, what a, what a wonderful Savior.
And He's going to shower those blessings upon us for all eternity when we're when we're with him in that coming scene of glory. Oh, and I believe that moment is very, very, very soon.
Verse 9 Then they said one to another, we do not well, this is a day of good tidings and we hold our peace. You know that statement there is one of the most beautiful.
Statements that you could ever think of. We do not. Well, this is a day of good tidings. You know, in spite of all this world, this chaos and the sorrows of this world tonight.
We can say this is a day of good tidings. It is.
You know what the good tidings are? Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That's the good tidings. That's the good tidings for you.
That is the good news for the guilty lost Sinner.
September the 10th.
This year I was told this story by a man that I know and I had breakfast with the other day.
September the 10th, an American Airlines stewardess was given a Gospel tract.
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She read the Gospel tract.
And she inquired about it.
Of the giver of that tract.
And she accepted Christ as her Savior.
September 11, her plane went into the World Trade Tower.
God saves her.
God is not willing that any should purse but a God. What a God Do you know this wonderful God? This wonderful God that delights to save? This wonderful, wonderful God? Oh, if you don't know this wonderful God, you're missing something very wonderful.
We're going to spend an eternity with him.
And surely our hearts tonight would cry out Even so come Lord Jesus. But oh, we're burdened tonight for those that are still lost and in their sins.
You know there was a man here in this chapter that mocked the grace of God. Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be.
Elisha had to tell him, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, that he wouldn't partake of it.
He was there in the gate when all those people heard about food.
And there was a massive evacuation of the city of Samaria through that gate, and they trod upon him that he died there in the gates. He mocked the grace of God.
We might.
Dear one, tonight I say this to you very seriously. Don't mock the grace of God. Don't put off the question of your soul salvation.
Tomorrow may be too late.
Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold now.
Is the day of salvation, I say to you young boys.
You young girls here sitting beside your mother and father tonight.
There is a verse in the Bible that you know that you've memorized in Sunday school.
And it says, Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.
The time to come to Christ is when your heart is young.
And tender to receive Christ as your Savior.
Dear young boys, young girls here tonight.
Even though you're young, you have sinned against God.
And those sins have separated you from a holy.
Those sins need to be washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We sang together many times this summer. My heart was black with sin until the Savior came in. His precious blood I know has washed me white as snow. And in God's Word I'm told I'll walk the streets of gold. How wonderful, wonderful day He washed my sins away.
Thank God that tonight I can say I'm saved, I'm sheltered under the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, and I can calmly face the future when the blood is on the door. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. Shall we pray?
God and a loving Father, we do ask thee that tonight, if there's one.
Here still in their sins, that tonight they might come to thee.
And be saved. We pray earnestly, loving Father, for this, and we thank Thee for this time together over Thy word this evening. We ask Thy blessing on it in thy precious and worthy name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Gospel
Gospel—D. Hayhoe
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Could we begin our meeting tonight please by singing on our hymn sheets? Hymn #29.
A ruler once came to Jesus by night.
To ask him the way of salvation and light.
The master made answer in words true and plain.
He must be born again. Ye children of men, attend to the word so solemnly uttered by Jesus the Lord.
And let not this message to you be in vain. Ye must be born again #29.
A ruler once came.
We pray together.
Our loving God and our Father.
How we thank thee for the happy privilege we have tonight. I'm.
Being gathered in this way, our God to declare that message that thou hast given so long ago in the person of thy beloved Son, when he died on the cross for our sins.
We thank thee, our God, that the price has been paid.
That the way has been made open that man can receive back to thee in all the acceptedness of the person of the Bible, of its Son.
So that there's not a soul that needs to leave this room tonight without knowing their sins are forever gone. Oh our God and our Father, we plead with thee.
We ask you to strive with souls this night.
We pray our God that the enemy may not win tonight. We pray that the Spirit of God.
May take thy precious word and use it in blessing to each one. May there be joy in heaven this night.
Over any souls in this room are our strangers. Thy love begin the work. Our God, oh our God, we feel perhaps that has already begun the work even long ago, but may it be finished this night. Our God, we asked the We plead with thee that Thou would use Thy word for Thy glory as we give thanks in Jesus name. Amen. One more hymn #3 My hope on nothing less is built.
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Then Jesus and the blood he spilled. I dare not trust the sweetest friend, but wholly lean on his blessed name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All the ground is sinking sand #3.
My hope Annoyed.
Me. So now I want to go.
Would you turn with me please for?
Couple of verses to start off with in the book of Jeremiah.
Chapter 18.
Chapter 18 and.
1St 4 verses.
Jeremiah 18 and verse one.
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying.
Arise and go down to the Potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Then I went down to the Potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the Potter.
So he made it again. Another vessel.
Has seemed good to the Potter to make it.
I must say I enjoy going to a Potter's house.
I don't know how many of you folks have ever gone to a Potters house.
But I love to watch them at their work.
It's a beautiful thing to see the ability of these people as they work at making things with their hands. They take the clay and they have it so soft and pliable, and then they shape it as the wheels going around into exactly the way that they want it made.
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And God spoke to Jeremiah here and he said, Jeremiah, I want you to go down to the Potters house.
Because he had something he wanted to teach Jeremiah.
You know, dear friends, I want to talk about this because here it speaks about making something once and it was marred in his hand, and then it was made again.
And I want to turn from here back to Genesis chapter 2.
Genesis, the 2nd chapter.
And the seventh verse.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.
And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
And man became a living soul.
If you went to a Potter's house.
And you saw him at work with his hands as he got so near to that clay. You'd see him form that vessel into exactly what he wanted it to be.
He could move his hands around and shape it exactly as he wanted.
You notice how this verse says and the Lord God.
Formed man of the dust of the ground.
Dear friends.
It's a marvelous thing when you think of God making man and placing him here in this earth.
When I look into the faces of you folks and you look into my face.
And I see you boys and girls, you young people.
And I see you in the energy of youth, and you see sometimes a little baby that's just being born. I think of a verse like this, that God formed that person and not just the body.
But the personality and everything about the person.
Is our God. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
And he took man.
The highest?
Part of the creation and he put him in this world.
He formed man from the dust of the ground, and man.
He breathed into his nostrils. You see how close God got to man?
The breath of life.
And man became.
A living soul.
You know, I've had to have some medical treatments because of a medical condition that I have had and it's got me reading some books.
That have told a little bit of the human body.
And I read this in one book and then I read it in a second book. And I don't know if if actually this is something that I don't know much about medical things, but this astounded me.
These two books said that in the human body, the average human body.
I'm going to ask you.
How long do you think if all the blood vessels in your body were put together?
How long do you think it would be?
They were all taken 1 by 1 and put together.
I think you'll be astounded at the answer, but I've read in these two different books 60,000 miles in each person's body.
Now, I'm not I'm saying I've read that in two books. I don't know how they've come up with this exactly, but that's what I've read in two books.
Now that is over twice around the world.
And it is pumped by a heart that is about the size of my fist.
Who made that?
God made it.
Your heart, my heart, and the blood that flows in our very veins. And dear friends, I believe that God made man in such a way, with such a body that he could live forever in this world.
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He did live for many men lived for a 900 years, but they stopped living and says and they died because of sin.
But God made that heart and those blood vessels and the breathing and all of these things.
So that man could live on and on in this world, if sin had never entered this sea.
Who but God could make your body and mine?
You know, you think of the evolution of the car.
And you think of how Henry Ford started with the Model T about 100 years ago.
It's got better and better and better.
And 100 years later.
It's certainly an awful lot better than it was the first one that was made. But dear friends, when God made the 1St man and he placed him in the garden, He made him perfect.
No one but God could do that.
And God, foreign man, you know, it's interesting to see the different personalities of people.
You see the different nationalities of people, you see the different cultures and the the characteristics that that belong to different nationalities.
Who did that, friends? Oh what a God that he has made man in this world.
He formed man of the dust of the ground, and man became a living soul. And then he took that man and he put him in the Garden of Eden, a beautiful garden, like there's no other garden that's ever existed in this world.
And gave him everything that his heart could desire as far as.
As needing in this world.
And God looked down from heaven, and he watched that man Adam, and he not only looked down from heaven, but he came down from heaven, and he walked with the man that he had made in the garden.
And he saw his heart beating.
And he saw what he desired.
And he saw that there was something that was missing.
And he said notice in this chapter.
Same chapter 2.
Verse 18 The Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone.
I will make a helpmeet for him.
Now I'd like you to notice the next two or three verses.
And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam, to see what he would call them. And whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found to help me for him.
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof.
And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her under the man.
And Adam said this is now bone of my bones.
And flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of a man.
You know, I like the way, oh, it's beautiful to me to see that God as he looked down from heaven and he saw that man as he walked in that garden, the only man in the whole world.
The only person in the whole world.
All the animals, the beautiful creation and he saw the stirrings of the emotions that he had made in this man.
And he said it's not good that he be alone.
I'm going to make a help meet for him. You know, dear friends, God wants your eternal happiness. He wants your eternal joy. He knows what makes your heartbeat. He knows the secrets of your heart. He knows your aspirations. I have particularly before me tonight to talk a little bit about your soul.
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Because your soul is the seed of your affections. The soul is a driving force that leads you on to this life.
And the devil is after your soul, and God wants to win your soul.
The heart goes after things, but the soul to me is like the adrenaline that drives the person on in this world. And there are two people that are bidding for your life tonight.
Well, the Lord God saw this man Adam as he was in the Garden of Eden.
And it says it is not good that he be alone. But then you notice the next couple of verses.
It kind of it's interesting to me.
Where it says.
It changes sort of Indiana the 19th verse. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them.
And whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof, And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found. And help me, how long did that take?
How long did it take for Adam, for God to bring all those animals one by one and to have the name and give them their names?
And God had noticed beforehand that Adam was alone.
And so Adam would give them a name. The tigers, the lions and all these different creatures.
The different birds.
Beautiful to see there. They were. No sin in the world, no wild animals at that time, no danger.
But God has Adam in his mind, and there's not found to help me for Adam.
Oh, dear friends, why is it that God tells about Adam being alone and then he puts that period of time? Did it take a day? Did it take a week or two weeks or whatever for all of those different animals, those preachers to be brought to give all their names? Did it take more than that? I don't know. Why is it that those verses are put in between?
Oh, I'll tell your friend what I feel in my own soul.
You know what it's a picture of? It's a picture.
Of the Son of God in heaven.
And God wanted he had a son there in heaven, God the Son.
It is not good that the man be alone.
And how long was he alone?
God placed that man in the garden, but God had a plan from a past eternity.
That he was going to have a bride for his beloved son.
Who is invited to that wedding? Friends?
You are invited to the wedding.
Come for all things are now ready. I'm getting a little ahead of myself here.
Not good that the man be alone and then the picture right away in here where it says.
Notice there in that second chapter, oh, you know, it's so beautiful. God can't help himself. He wants to take and tell man immediately what his plan is. He wants from the very outset of the Bible to tell that he has a plan of redemption for man. He knows that man is going to fall.
And so it says here in verse 21. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, brought her under the man.
Oh what beauty. The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fallen Adam, and he slept.
And then the Lord took a rib from the side of him.
And form the woman made the woman.
And brought her under the man.
I'm going to take a couple of liberties here. This is a gospel meeting, but I've enjoyed this, dear young people. You know, there's a lot of young people here that are reaching the age where they're thinking of getting married. They'd like to get married.
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And you may not have have anybody yet. You don't know who to marry.
Now you know Adam could not make a mistake.
Because there was only one girl, and God brought her to him.
And he brought her to him.
And dear young people, I want to say something to you. God wants your blessing for you as the same as He wanted it for Adam and Eve.
And you pray to the Lord, and he will bring someone to you.
Let's go on with the Gospel meeting.
Lord God caused this deep sleep to fall in Adam.
I guess it was kind of painful for anime.
No, dear friends.
And you know when God, when he took that?
Can I take liberty here maybe to say that God cut it open and took the rib and closed it up?
And I think that afterwards there wasn't a mark left. I don't think that there was any stitches that had to be put in.
Oh perfect God, we have.
You know, you remember when Peter cut off the year of the high priest and it says the Lord put his ear back on? I remember a brother spoke to me after a meeting one time and he said an old brother and it was down in Saint John and in New Brunswick years ago. And I don't even remember the name of the brother. But he said to me, I don't think that there was any marks left, scars left. But dear friends, it's a picture of the cross of Christ.
God caused a deep sleep to fall on him, and he slept. But all friends, what it cost the blessed Son of God to come into this world?
And die the death there on Calvary's cross, To take away all my sins and bear them in his own body on the tree.
And when that soldier took and plunged that spear into his side.
And the precious blood of Christ flowed at the cross.
And it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Are you washed in the blood of Christ this night? Do you know that your sins are gone?
You see the picture that we have back here in the second chapter of Genesis.
And, dear friends, someday you're going to look into the hands of that blessed man who was crucified on the cross. You're going to look at his side, and you're going to see the spear mark in his side. Whether you're saved or you're lost, you're going to see it all.
That blessed man.
No incision that has been taken and sewed up, friend.
He bears the marks for all eternity and the only ground of salvation.
The only way as has been mentioned in the meeting, and I was thinking of the verse when it was to be mentioned.
When the blessed Savior was here and he went to the garden and he prayed there in the garden, he said, Oh my Father, if it be possible, remove this cup from me.
Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.
When he thought of what it would cost to put away my sins and your sins, friend.
If there was any other way that God could have had me in heaven?
Would he not have found it?
What was loved was wondrous love, the love of God for me.
It brought my savior from above to die on Calvary.
I just want to.
Look at the third chapter for a second and then I want to go over to John 3.
You see, this is the first where man was born, and when we go to the third chapter of John, we find where he's born again.
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It took a mighty God to put man to build the 1St man.
And it took a mighty God.
To build a second man.
So in the third chapter of Genesis, we all look just at verse 6.
You know the story of how God, how there was this, there was a person who was watching God make that man. He watched God make that woman. He watched them as they were in the garden, that garden of delights that God had made. And so when he when Eve, when Satan came as a tempter to deceive.
In the garden, it would almost seem, Let's read from the first verse and verse. I'll read the whole verse. Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yeah, half God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden.
He said unto the woman.
It seems to me.
That the serpent waited for the moment when he had Eve alone.
And now notice verse 6 and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food.
And that it was pleasant to the eyes in a tree to be desired to make one wise. She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. Now in the garden of Eden Satan pulled out all his arsenal.
You know, you think of those people over there in Afghanistan at the power that they have faced in connection with the enemy.
Of all the forces of particularly the United States, it has been, it's been a situation, I suppose, that those people didn't realize that they were going to get into when you think of all the arsenal that they face the bombardment.
Now, dear friends, there's Arsenal that is far greater, that is against your soul than is against those people in Afghanistan.
I know it's not supposed to be the people, it's really the leaders that they're after there. But dear friends.
Satan pulled out all his arsenal, and that was the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, and he brought those he chose the moment.
He got the moment when he was going to take that man down.
By one man sin entered into the world, and he chose his moment, and he did it again with Judas. He chose the moment, he entered into Judas for Judas to betray the Lord. And dear friend, he's the one who is the enemy of your soul.
And he's a God and the Prince of the world, and he's painted the world up in such a way to attract your soul, to get your adrenaline flowing, to go out to the things in the world.
To have all your friends here, to have all of your, all of the entertainment here.
I am astounded when I look at the newspaper and I see it at the sections in connection with the Hollywood stuff today.
Pages and pages.
Why is it that there has to be so many different movies?
Because you know what attracts one person doesn't attract another person. And Satan pulls out all his arsenal and he puts it in front of man.
But, dear friends, it never satisfies the heart.
There is only one who can satisfy you, it is Christ. God has made your heart.
So that it can only be satisfied with Christ.
And sin has left a void in your heart.
And Solomon tried it all.
Tells us all the rivers run into the sea and the sea is not full. And you can try it all like Solomon did.
You go to an old folks home.
You meet older people. Oh, it's so sad. Some time to meet them.
And.
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No joy, no happiness.
And without Christ.
And you talk to some about Christ, and you would think that they've tried it all.
And they would immediately turn to Christ.
The grace of God that ever saved my soul.
I marvel at and how about you tonight?
There's a bidding that's going on for your soul. You know, there's a brother that I love in the Lord so much named Jean Brunel back in back in Toronto. He was in Quebec. He was saved in Quebec. I can't tell you the story. You should hear from him sometime. He broke down, cried every time I asked him about the story of his conversion. He was deep into it, friends.
He had he was under the effects of different things and frankly I can't even remember them now, but some of the mysticism and in university and this sort of thing.
And the bidding, this struggle that went on in his soul.
And finally, he said I just went.
And let the Lord commit.
And he just broke down and cried, You know, what is it that keeps you away from the Lord tonight?
Do you want to? Do you want to taste this world any longer?
Have you tried it enough?
Are you ready, dear friend, to give in to the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you willing to acknowledge that you're a Sinner before Him and see that He died for you on the cross and that His precious blood is available tonight to wash your sins away? It's the only way.
Will you have them tonight?
Well there we have all the arsenal now my friend, I want to take you over and show you the arsenal that God has for you. Turn with me, please, to John 3.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews. The saying came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher. Come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with them.
Jesus answered and said unto him.
Fairly very send to you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Who is Nicodemus?
Nicodemus was a religious leader.
He had, he had the Bible, he had the robes. But dear friends, deep down in his heart there was something missing, and that was Christ.
But he heard about Jesus, he knew about Jesus, and God placed the void in his life.
So the moment came when he sought the Lord Jesus out at night time. And some have struggled with this a little bit, but dear friends, I, I, I really feel in my own soul that there's only one reason why He came at night. The fear of man bringeth a snare.
And.
He didn't want the other religious leaders to see him to go to Jesus.
But he went.
He went.
Same came to Jesus by night.
Will you come to him?
Why did the Lord say this to him? You know, look at the way that Nicodemus he says, We know thou art a teacher, come from God.
You know Nicodemus, I think when he was saying that we know they were to teacher come from God, he didn't know what to say to the Lord.
I mean, he wanted to get into the subject with him, but he didn't know how to go about it. So he says, we know you're a teacher, come from God. For no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with them. And the Lord goes right to the point. He says, Nicodemus, you got to be born again. And then Nicodemus starts saying, well, how can a man be born when he's old? Can't get her the second time his mother's womb be born.
No.
But he needed a new life. That's what I believe the Lord was saying. Nicodemus, your robes.
Your good works. Everything that you can do is.
Filthy rags. It's no good, you know, This was this was. Must have hit him pretty hard.
It must have hit him pretty hard.
The Lord said he must be born again and then down verse seven again. Marvel not that I sinned it, ye must be born again.
00:40:06
The Lord enforces it. He gets the point across. You've got to be born again.
You know.
It was a greater work.
In the second born again than there was in the first being born.
It was, can I say it was nothing for God to make your body and mine.
Your heart, your hands, your eyes, your ears.
Oh, the mighty power of God.
The glory of the microscope is just as great as the glory of the telescope.
The intricacies of the body and the and the largeness of the creation.
Expose really the majesty of the person who made it all.
But what did it cost?
That you and I might be born again, friend.
In the first we read in Genesis one we read in the beginning God created.
And then we read in the book of John at the 1St in the beginning of the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him and for him.
And without Him was not anything made that was made. The glory of His person is brought before us. And it took just as much the glory of the person to make the worlds and to make you and me as the glory of the person to do this plan of salvation, that you and I might be born again. Do you want to be brought into the family of God tonight, my friend? Do you want to have Christ as your Savior? Or do you want to go with the dam for all eternity in the lake of fire?
I know what the answer is to that question. There's not a person here who wants to land in the lake of fire. But dear friends, don't put off your salvation.
Because tomorrow might be too late.
Christ is coming. The signs are around. He's coming so very soon. We've talked quite a bit in these meetings about those towers that were in New York.
You know, there's a track that Harold Smith wrote in Ottawa.
Is any tower safe anymore?
The name of the Lord is a strong tower of the righteous runneth into it.
And is safe.
Oh, safety for all eternity. It's only found in Christ.
He died. He loves you, friend, and he's beside you tonight. He's listening to you. He wants your ear. He wants your heart. He wants your soul.
You know, we were thinking of this soul, I think of the apostle Paul when he got a glimpse of the Lord and he found out that everything they had what what it was worth nothing. And then he followed the Lord in his life. And it says this one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth under those things that are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The things that are seen are temporal. The things that are not seen are eternal.
Do you want the world tonight? The dazzle, everything else? There it is before you, with all the confusion that goes along with it.
Or do you want Jesus, friend?
The world rejected him. They don't want him. Would you let him come into your heart tonight?
Would you decide for him tonight? Don't put it off. Our hour is coming to the close.
Tomorrow may be too late in order land in the lost eternity. Did you ever let your mind think of what it's like to forever and forever and forever? You see, when it says that God made man a living soul, it separates him from the animal creation. You had a beginning, but you'll never have an ending. Never. You're going to land for one of two places.
In one of two places forever, either when heaven and glory or lost in the lake of fire.
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Come to Christ, won't you? Come tonight, Don't wait.
Jesus Christ, trust Him. He's worthy of your trust.
He wants you.
Receive him to.
Tonight, let's bow in prayer.
O our God and our Father.
We're so helpless to give out thy word. We think of Lord, thy love, it goes out to this world. We ask thee, our God, for boys and girls, for young people, for older ones in the room.
Who perhaps have not closed in receiving Christ, Bless thy word tonight we ask, we give thanks in Jesus name, Amen.
Redigging the Wells
Address—H. Brinkmann
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Christ the Center
Address—C.E. Little
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Blessings Revealed by the Resurrected Christ
Address—C. Hendricks
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Turn with me to John 20, John's Gospel chapter 20.
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early.
When it was yet dark.
Unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them.
They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and.
Came to the sepulchre.
You see, Mary didn't understand the resurrection.
She did not interpret.
His.
His absence.
You didn't understand.
She sees the stone taken away.
She assumed that someone had come and stolen away that body.
She didn't understand the resurrection yet.
But she had such deep affection. This is not Mary of Bethany. She understood the resurrection.
This is Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast 7 demons. She had been under the complete power of the enemy. The Lord had set her free.
And she was so attached to him.
That to have lost him to her, for her, was to have lost everything.
They've taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they've laid him.
Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, which was John the writer of this gospel, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together, and the other disciples did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying yet when he not in.
Then come a Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie.
And the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
Then when in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed, for as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
That's interesting, isn't it? He had told them repeatedly that he would rise. Son of man must suffer many things and be killed and.
And then rise. They didn't understand that.
That's a truth which is beyond the natural man to grasp truth of the resurrection. They went on, then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw and believed. What did he see? What was the compelling evidence that he saw? When they prepared the body for burying, they wrapped it in linen clothes. They wrapped it, and they wrapped it and they wrapped it.
Now the lie that was concocted by the Jews.
That the soldiers came, and while they the disciples came, and while the soldiers slept, they stole the body.
Well, if they had done that, there would have been a scattering of the clothes. They would have had to unwrap it all.
Because the clothes were still there, but the clothes were in a perfect form, like a cocoon in which the body of the Lord Jesus had lain, and he rose right out of that. And the napkin had been taken off and laid in a place by itself, completely different than if they had heardly come in and unwrapped the body and stolen it and left the.
Grave clothes inside.
You remember when Lazarus was called by the Lord? Lazarus come forth, John 11 He came forth bound hand and foot in grave clothes.
And then they the Lord said, loose him, take them off, and let him go.
The Lord didn't have to be loosed from his grave clothes. There they lay in the tomb, and he rose right out of that.
And John saw, and he believed.
And then the next verse is sad.
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Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
But not Mary.
She did not have a home.
He was her home.
And she had lost him. She had lost everything. He was everything to her. She's not marked by intelligence in the resurrection, but by affection for the blessed Lord. And she was rewarded.
For that affection that kept her right there at the very place where she had last seen him laid and placed. And now he was gone. They've taken away, my Lord. I know not where they've laid him.
But Mary stood without it, the sepulchre weeping. John and Peter went to their own home.
And yet John saw and believed.
They were lacking something.
That she had that deep affection we can preach to you.
Until we run out of energy to preach.
And tell you to love the Lord.
It can't make you love the Lord.
How do you love him? You get to know him.
You study Him, you read the Scriptures, you read the four Gospels, You trace his steps, you hear his words, you see his works, You see the compassion and the love of his heart and the severity of rebuke that He administered to the Pharisees and the Scribes.
You see the perfection of a man. They sent officers to take him and they didn't bring him. Why have you not brought him?
Never man speak like this man.
He didn't speak like the Pharisees. He spoke with authority and with a tenderness and a compassion for the the down and outers, the bruised Reed He would not break and smoking flax He would not quench. Precious Savior.
To know him is to love him, and Mary must have known him quite well.
Because she loved him with an intensity that exceeded that of the apostles.
Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping. Verse 11 And she wept, and stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher.
And she saw something which Peter and John didn't see.
She sees 2 angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.
And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?
She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord.
Not the Lord. Oh no, that wouldn't have done my Lord.
Is he your Lord? Can you say my Lord?
Have you made it personal?
Do you know him that well? That you can say, My Lord, she could say that.
They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. Still no thought of the resurrection.
Ignorance, yet deep affection.
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back.
And she saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus. Maybe the tears had blurred her vision. Maybe it was still dark.
And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Same thing that the angels had said, but he adds.
Whom seekest thou?
He knew who she was seeking.
He knew and that meant everything to him.
She's supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. That would have been something for that woman to have taken that body away.
Her affections were so strong.
That was the expression of her heart's desire.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary.
He calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out.
He was about to lead her out of Judaism, out of her Jewish thoughts. She wanted him back as Messiah.
He says no, Mary, you can't have me back that way. I'm risen now and I'm going to bring you into a new order of blessing that you've never heard of before and know nothing about. But you'll know and understand it one day.
00:10:05
Larry she turned herself, and saith unto him her bone eye.
Which is to say, master.
And then he says touch me not.
Don't handle me. Don't cling to me, Mary. You can't have me back the old way.
I have entered into a new order of blessing and the head of a new creation. Now there is in Christ. Paul says it this way, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature or there's a new creation. All things are passed away, all things have become new, and she had now to learn of him in a new way.
In the power energy of the Holy Spirit, but he gives her a revelation because of her deep affection. He says, touch me not, I'm not yet ascended to my Father. You see, Christianity begins on the other side of the cloud when he enters the glory and sends down the Holy Spirit. And then we have the Christian testimony beginning.
It hadn't begun yet when he spoke these words. But the Gospel of John is the Christian gospel. It tells us Christian truth before it came to be, in fact, in history.
Tells us Christian truth, coming of the Holy Spirit, finished work of Christ. You read John 17, his prayer. He is in spirit beyond the cross. He says I finished the work which thou gave us me to do. He said that before the work was finished, but he was beyond the cross in his prayer. So as we read that prayer, we're reading what is true after the work was done and he's gone back to the Father.
Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Father, keep to thine own name, those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, and so on.
Touch me not, Jesus saith to her, For I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren, what a revelation, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and to your Father, to my God, and to your God.
Notice he puts my father first.
Because he was always his Father. He's the eternal Son.
He never ever became his father.
Jehovah's Witness translation. Very serious error. Others have followed them. In that thou art, you are my son. Today I have become your father. No, no, no. That's not right. That's not correct.
He never in time became his father. He was always his father, but he did become his God.
Thou art my God, even from my mother's belly.
He wasn't his God when he was in the form of God in the deity from all eternity passed, but he was his father. But as a man he was his God.
When he became a man.
And so he says, I ascend to my Father, and to your father. I'm putting you in the same place that I am in, as man before the Father and before God.
My God and your God.
Tremendous revelation. That's truth. Christianity that goes so far beyond Judaism. They never had any truth like that in Judaism. They couldn't go to call God their Father. They didn't know him in that way. And he says, he calls us my brethren. He says, my brethren.
So she goes back to the disciples, and she says, Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord #1 she'd seen the Lord, the risen Christ, and that he had spoken these things unto her. What he said? To what did he said to her? What did he say? He said, You go to my brethren and tell them, I ascend to my Father, to your Father, to my God, and to your God.
Tremendous, tremendous truth.
Something we know so well. Do we enjoy it?
The most privileged people on the face of the earth.
This truth, God being Father to us as he is to him, and a God to us as he is to Him.
The Epistles, the prayers and the Epistles are blessed be the God and Father of whom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Highest place of blessing possible for the creature to be in. Better than that of angels? Far better.
They can't call God their Father.
They're sons of God by creation, but nothing more.
00:15:00
The same day at evening, verse 19, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, King Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. That's the fruit of his redemptive work. He made peace by the blood of his cross. Now he proclaims that the risen Christ to the assembled disciples, Jesus in the midst, and he says, Peace be unto you.
He showed them his hands and his side, the evidence of his sufferings.
And then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord?
Then said Jesus to them again, peace be unto you, this time not for themselves, but that they might carry the message of peace to a lost world, Peace be unto you. As my Father had sent me, Even so send I you. And so he has left us here. He's commissioned us to go forth with this message of peace, the message of reconciliation. Second Corinthians 5 He's given to us the ministry of reconciliation. How that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.
Not imputing their trespasses unto them. And we can now can tell men and women and children, God loves you, He wants you back. Come, come, come. He's arms are outstretched. He is a reconciling God. Peace has been made. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. As my Father had sent me, Even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them.
And saith unto them, receive you, the Holy Ghost.
Only one other time in scripture did God breathe on his creature and that was in Genesis 2 when he breathed into Adams nostrils. The breath of life and man became a living soul. Here you have the same person, Jehovah God become a man, a risen man.
The risen Christ breathing into his disciples the breath of his resurrection life in the energy and power of the Holy Spirit, with a message to proclaim the reconciling the grace of God. What a what a chapter, what a picture.
Whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins you retain, they are retained. The authority, the administrative authority to admit, to remit and to retain sins. We see that carried out in the Book of Acts.
The Book of Acts.
But the resurrection life of Christ has been communicated to us.
In the energy and power of the Holy Spirit.
It's a risen life. It's a life beyond this world. That's why Christians are are a heavenly people. We are associated with a man in the glory. He is the the head of this new creation and we're a part of it. New creatures in Christ. All things passed away. All things have become new.
Hey, God bless his word.