Dorothy Conference: 2003
Table of Contents
Open Mtg.
Open—M. Payette, R. Bauman, Dave Spence
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He is a.
Desert.
Rice lightning flourishes where the where he's where he's where it is, where he's live, where he's in the where he's in rice gone.
Please praise us. Praise recounting.
Us with him all our Father.
And our Lord.
Salvation.
And.
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It never failing long.
Chapter 7.
Loop 7.
And verse 40.
And Jesus answering, said unto him.
Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.
And he says Master say on Zechariah chapter 10.
In verse 4.
Zachariah, 10, and four out of him came forth.
The corner to read the cornerstone.
And out of him.
The nail.
And out of him the battle Bow.
And out of him every oppressor together.
When the Scriptures speak of the cornerstone, we know who it's referring to, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one from whom everything takes its perspective.
I understand that the cornerstone, when they were building something, they would lay the first cornerstone and put that in position and all the rest of the building was lined up from that stone.
For the Lord Jesus, He is the chief cornerstone.
Also the only foundation that can be laid.
The apostle Paul says that First Corinthians 3 No other foundation can any man lay say that which is laid.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the foundation is what you build on and in the scriptures we have.
The church presented as a building, the House of God, and it's seen there as built on that cheap cornerstone, that foundation, on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And it's it's built up, you might say. So the base is there and we built from there.
But in our verse here we have one who is the chief cornerstone.
And one who is a nail.
And this is what struck me and has been brought before me from Isaiah 22, where we read this morning.
Let me just go back there for a moment. Isaiah chapter 22.
I just like to go over these verses quickly, don't want to take too much time.
Isaiah 22 and 20 And it shall come to pass in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Akaya, and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and will commit thy government into his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the House of Judah. And the key of the House of David will I lay upon his shoulder. So he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open.
And I will fasten him as a nail in a short place, and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Father's house, and he shall hang upon him all the glory of his Father's house, and the offspring, and the issue all the vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups even to the vessels of flagrons.
In that day, saith the Lord of Hosts, shall denial it is fastened in the short place, be removed, and be cut down?
And fall, and the burden is one, as upon it be cut off, for the Lord had spoken it.
Well, I'm not sure I understand all that's in these verses here, but I've understood that the nail that was going to be cut off and removed was Shebna, who spoke enough earlier. Verse 15 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, go thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say any reproaches toward Shevna, and he's removed, and I believe Eliakim replaces him there. And as you've remarked, those remarkable verses.
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And that the Spirit of God brings before us in Revelation chapter 3 connected with that person of Eliakim. His name means God will establish.
And the son of al Qaeda means al Qaeda means the portion of the Lord. I like that the Lord God will establish a portion.
Of the Lord. It's wonderful to consider that you and I, dear ones, were the portion of the Lord. We belong to Him.
And we've been established by the Scriptures on this sure foundation. That's the Lord Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross.
But what I'd like to put before your souls and mine this afternoon is this thought of the nail.
Because the foundation, everything is built on that. It rests on the solidity of that foundation, and nothing's going to move that.
But when you think of a nail, it tells us here, everything is hanging from that nail. It's from the top down. It's not from the from the basement up, it's from the top down. Everything is hanging from that nail.
And that presents to me a thought.
Of dependence.
What was hanging on that nail, you don't know. One that is presented here in type or prophesied of is the Lord Jesus who is nailed to that cross, who had those nails in His hands and in his feet. And He was nailed on the cross for you and me. And because of that, because of his finished work, you and I have been brought into eternal blessing. We have a foundation for our faith, the work of the Lord Jesus. Blessed person, a finished work, wonderful thing. And this very one. He's in the glory right now. He's in the heaven.
And if you can, consider what it says here that he will fasten him as a nail in a sure place.
Well there's no surer place for you and I than heaven, where the Lord Jesus is for you and me. And that's where we're going to be shortly, because He's there. This is a sure place that you and I have.
I remember once I was moving a fridge with someone and.
Couldn't take it out the stairway because the stairway was finished after they brought the fridge into the house.
They plastered the walls and everything and when we went to take the fridge out it wouldn't come out anymore.
And there was number stairs outside. There was just a balcony.
So I decided it wasn't very smart, but I thought if we put a nail into one of the the posts of that balcony there and we could tie the fridge to it, we could probably lower it down and get it to the bottom.
And it was a pretty big nail.
But it wasn't strong enough. It bent and it fell loose. And I thank the Lord to this day because it had that rope around my hand. It just slid off.
And it fell down in the stairs and nobody was there. Nobody got hurt.
But my nail wasn't strong enough. But this nail, this nail, oh, nothing can pull it out and nothing can bend it. Everything hangs on that. The glory of the Father's house, the Lord Jesus, the glory of the Father depends on Him. Did he fail in anything? No. And will he fail in anything? No. Do we fail in many things? Yes. And I believe we fail in many things, Dear ones, I'm the first one because for lack of hanging on Him.
For lack of dependence. Because when we depend on him, will he fail you? If you trust him? Never.
Will He fail us if we trust Him together? Never. When we come together in Bible conferences like this. Will he fail us if we wait on Him? Never. He can't.
So I just enjoyed this portion here and they shall hang upon him.
All the glory of his Father's house. Well, that was Eliakim's father. But we know what it's talking about. Is God our Father. Everything depending on the Lord Jesus. Oh, this is the God our Father wants you today to depend on him and to trust him. I'm sure he does. Well, he wants you to be grounded and looted and know for sure many, many things. But I see your practical life day after day. He wants you to depend on him. You depend on him.
Do you walk with him?
Is he your usual companion? You talk to him and listen to his voice.
When was the last time you heard his voice speak to you through the scriptures?
Let many of us read the Scriptures. When you read the Scriptures, do you hear His voice? Does He speak to you? Is there an obstacle in your life that has marred your fellowship with the Lord Jesus and you're not hearing His voice anymore? You can read the words, you can understand the doctrine, you can preach it, you can tell everybody else about it.
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But are you enjoying his fellowship and you're dependent for your happiness on this one, that God has established the ruler of the world. He's going to come and rule this world. You're going to let Him rule your life. You're going to run it yourself. Well, you know, it says here that all the little things here, all the glorious Father's house, the offspring and the issue. I thought that to mean that the descendants and their offsprings.
We had that in the meeting this morning, the suggestion of passing these things on to our children and that they would be established to well, they're only going to be established if we're established, and we're only going to be established if we depend on the one that has been established for us to depend on.
And the vessels, and the cups and the flagons, all these vessels. You might say that you and I are, that God has.
To use in his house for different things to bring refreshment to bring.
Ointments to bring.
Healing to other ones around you. It's only going to be effective if you're hanging on that one. Who's the Lord Jesus?
Does that nail fixed in a short place that can't be moved?
Just one more thought in Ecclesiastes.
The last chapter of Ecclesiastes.
Chapter 12.
And verse 11.
The words of the wise.
Are as gold.
And as nails fasten by the masters of assemblies.
Which are given from 1 shepherd.
So you have nails here?
You know, if you're going to have a strong nail and you're going to put a heavy load on that nail to hang something from it.
Well, you're probably going to just go and go Wham once and then it's going to go in and be tight. It's not going to be like that because if it goes in that easy, it's probably going to come out just as easy.
So if you've hammered nails as many of us have, you know, you have to repeat, you have to repeat hitting the nails over the head and then they go in and the bigger the nail, the harder the wood, the more hits you have to to give it. But then when it's finished, it's strong and it's well fastened. Well, it tells us here that the words of the wise are as nails fastened. And I just want to encourage each one of us. Oftentimes we, we hear things repeated to us and perhaps we go over things again and again and we say, oh, I've heard that before. Well.
It's necessary for us to hear things over and over again because as we hear them, perhaps they sink in a bit deeper every time and they become our own, and then we become established. I'm sure many of you would remember as young believers. Anyway, it was my case that I knew the Lord is my Savior, but I wasn't sure that I'd never lose my salvation. I was afraid, I was concerned. I didn't have, I hadn't laid old yet of all these wonderful scriptures that assure us that the work of Christ was all that was needed to satisfy the heart of God forever.
But after reading here and reading here and hearing from 1:00 and another as the Word of God was expounded, well, I got grounded and rooted in that truth. And I'm enjoying it today as many other things and I'm sure many here. But this is how it comes to you and me a little bit by little bit, and it gets deeper and deeper till we trust that it's well fastened in your soul.
Now the goats, it's a bit different. The goats, you know, they use the goats to prick the oxen. So they.
They would walk, you know, and we need that we need and the word of God to prick us, they might say, and get us moving and get us out of the situation and get us to to adopt habits and conformity of life to the word of God. But it's the words of the wise given by 1 shepherd. Oh dear ones, this morning we had the privilege of sitting together and having the word of God open before us. And I say many wise men.
In this room, men of God with much history in the things of the Lord and life experience from which we can learn, and I'm sure we do every time.
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But I would just like to remind each one of us that it says here given from 1 shepherd.
That one, who's the nail? Who's that? That firmness for our souls, up in the glory You can trust in everything now, forever. That same one cares for you today, and for each one of us. And He has for us exactly what we need. Each one.
And he will give it to us.
On one condition should I say I might be corrected on this.
That we depend on him.
And you'll give it to us.
I could stay here this afternoon and talk till 5:00.
And I could give way to many more gifted brethren that could come up here and talk till 5:00. But what I desire in my soul, and I trust this is what each one of us desires in our souls, That what we are getting is what is coming from that one Shepherd that will attract our hearts to Him, that our foundation would be Him, and that would be dependent on Him and growing the knowledge of Him and be more like Him. So dear ones, each one of us, those of us who are listening and those of us who are talking.
That we would be in that dependent attitude. Everything is hanging on him. You know, like to be hanging, but it's nice to be hanging on him, to be dependent on him and to trust Him that he is faithful and He will come in for us every time.
Let's see Chapter 5, Song of Songs.
Solomon wrote 1005 songs. The Spirit of God chose one.
To put it right in the heart of the Word of God.
It speaks of the bride.
Could be used, of course, primarily as the Jewish pride, the children of Israel.
But it can also be used as the church today.
But I like to use it as individual ones belonging to Christ.
As Paul said to the Corinthians.
I'd love to remember how he said it. I I present you as chase virgins to the Lord. I believe that's the thought. It's second Corinthians 11 verse two. I won't take time.
Chapter 5 Song of Songs Now one thing to remember.
In the Song of Songs, nothing's mentioned of sin.
Because.
The Lord sees us in all the preciousness.
Of what he's made us by the Holy Spirit. He doesn't see us as sin. There's a mention of failure.
Which is not the thought there of sin. She gets away, she grows cold, like you and I do sometimes.
But the Spirit of God brings Christ right back to our hearts. So chapter five, I think I'll just read a couple verses to start verse two, I sleep this second time she failed. He restored her both times. He loves, you know, he loves to bring us back it. It's really the fourth verse I think of Psalm 23.
He restoreth my soul.
That means he brings me back when wandering.
You know he paid too much for each one of us to let us go too far. He brings us back.
Isn't that nice? Even those we love have our own family. Maybe who have laughed.
We have confidence he'll bring him back. Well, that isn't the thought here. But she this second time she failed. Little sleep, little slumber, little folding of the hands.
And travel.
Will come upon you, Trouble shall come upon you. This is for her. But my heart awakened, my heart wakeneth. It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh open to me. My sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled. Notice that.
That's the word of the Lord, and a term used that's reserved for the time of failure.
You're still his undefiled.
We were talking about that, you know, loving them in spite. That's the Lord. We'll go on my undefiled, for my head is filled with dew. That means blessing. Heavenly blessings for her. That's what he wants for all of us is filled with dew. In my locks, with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat. This is the bride speaking back. How shall I put it on? You know, it's pretty sad.
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When it comes too hard to put on a coat to meet the Lord, that's pretty sad. She's in a bad state of soul, she says.
I have washed my feet. How shall I defile them?
Too much to put on her slippers and go out and meet the Lord. Isn't that something you know? There are some that are that cold in their soul. The only thing that will restore them is what you've got in your hand, the Word of God.
That's all. The Spirit of God will use it and restore. Well, she's in a bad state now. Let's go on. Let's see. My beloved put his hand by the whole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
You know, she's thinking this. I don't know if this actually happened. It doesn't matter. This is what she's thinking. He's getting close and she's beginning to be warmed up in her heart for him. All right. I rose up to open to my beloved and my hands drop with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the locks. Myrrh is bitterness.
You know when we remember the Lord it's with.
Joy and sorrow mingling the sorrow speaks of the murder, the sufferings and death of Christ. And so she was thinking already what He had done for her. He had restored her. That's earlier in this book. But what sweet smelling myrrh? That's a little different, isn't it? That's the result to her.
Of his sufferings and death is lovely. Isn't there a sweetness in the breaking of bread? That's our portion. Of course there is. That isn't the main object, of course. But you can't help but have a sweet, smelly myrrh. I open to my beloved. All right. It was his himself that brought her to this point. You know, it's like the two on the way to Emmaus, the Lord.
Acted as though he would leave. Why?
He was exercising their soul, testing their heart.
And they said, come home with us, you know. So here she says, I open to my beloved. But my beloved had withdrawn himself. Same thing as the two on the way to Emmaus. He was gone. My soul failed when he spake. I sought him. I could not find him. I called him, but he gave me no answer.
She's out of communion, of course.
You know he'll speak once and twice, many times. Whom the Lord loveth, He chasten us.
Never forget that.
He chastened us. Why? He loves you. You're members of his family.
You don't chastise the boy next door, but you do your own children, don't you? You love them. Well, this is a thought. Here he's exercising her soul. He had just wondered about the little foxes that spoil the fruit of the vine. There's no fruit for her now. The first time she failed, she was in the city on the broad road, and he brought her back so beautifully. But here is the second time now, the Watchmen verse seven that went about the city found me.
They smote me.
They wounded me. The keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
You know this time there was damage to her, right? There's always a loss when you get away.
And you know that is not made-up.
There's the years the locusts have eaten from some who've been gone maybe 20 years, 30 years. I've talked to them. When they come back, they don't get it back, but they're on fire for Christ to be back at his table. That's lovely. All right, let's see where I was.
They they wounded me and the keepers of the wall took away my veil. She doesn't have any testimony left. That's what that speaks of. You have no testimony if you move into this world.
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And make your place on the streets in the Broad Rd. That's where she is. No testimony, we'll read on.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, women of the city.
If you find my beloved, tell him that I'm sick of love.
I wish I had that water supply by chair.
Thank you.
I'm sick of love. What does that mean, you know?
We use it this way when the boys and girls are gone.
For a week, sometimes maybe to a nice camp, they get homesick.
All day homesick. And that's a real sickness. But this is different than that. It's the same idea. She was love sick. She was sick from being away from her wars. It's a wonderful thought. I'm sick of love. What is verse nine? What is my beloved? What is thy beloved more than another beloved? The women of the city said, oh, thou fairest among women. What is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou does so charge us.
Wow, you know what? The Lord has given her a chance, an opportunity.
To testify to this world, even though she's gotten away.
I think that's some of the sometimes the way he restores our soul.
Gives you an opportunity.
I've had it happen when I'm in a bad state of soul. And there's something about this, that opportunity puts you on flame again for him. All right, she's got an opportunity. They said what? What is I beloved more than any other beloved we got? Why are you so charging us? And then she said, my beloved 10 is white.
Of course, that's his first son.
Holy.
Pure and Ruddy, that's his work for her.
The blood shed is so beautiful. How she described him right away. Cheapest among 10,000. There's none like him, she said. This is my beloved. There's none like him. Now I'm not going to take time for her descriptions. Whenever the bride describes the groom, she uses 10 features because 10 is the number of responsibility individually to God and she meets her responsibility.
But I'm not going to get into it. But in the 7th chapter he describes her and whenever the groom describes the bride 7 features only because that's the number of heavenly completion she Caesar and all the completeness of himself. But I won't get into that. OK now she describes his eyes and then she says they're they're doves eyes. It's not lovely. I won't get into that. Sounds so beautiful by the rivers of waters.
His cheeks.
And his hands are as gold rings set with a barrel.
You know, she starts that way and let's see. Yeah. His head, verse 11 is as the most fine goal. And now down here it says his hands are as gold. Now at the end, she says 15, his legs fine gold. What is she saying? That my beloved, is righteous from head to foot and throughout. Now, I'm not going to greet the others because there's no time. All right?
Verse 16.
His mouth, that's the word. His word. His mouth is most sweet. Doesn't Peter say taste and see? That's it. Most sweet. Yay. He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved. This is my friend. Oh, daughters of Jerusalem. What a beautiful testimony she gave. Even in a bad state of soul. That's going to restore her.
It's going to restore her, but before she gets restored.
The Lord gives her a rebuke.
I'll read it. Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women?
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Whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with you? They couldn't imagine that she left him describing someone like she did. And if you describe Jesus Christ to your friends and neighbors, they wouldn't even think you'd ever leave him. They didn't think she could ever leave him. He had to leave her. Whither did he go?
Isn't that a rebuke? That's a hard rebuke. Well, it hit her and she began to speak. Wonderful things. My beloved is gone down into his garden. You know what she learned in being away and all the beauties of being brought back.
He has an assembly.
That's where he is to where he loves to be. The garden in the Song of Songs speaks of the assembly.
To the beds of spices to feed in the gardens.
She knows he's got now many assemblies. Isn't that beautiful?
This is I'm Speaking of one like you and I.
The bride of Christ in that sense.
And he's gone down to gather lilies. You know, he told her in the second chapter, if you're a Lily, that's her new name. Once she became his, that's your new name, Your lilies. They're beautiful. I think it is. So he goes down to feed and among the gardens and to gather lilies. I think that Salma 116, I'm not going to take time because someone else can have this podium.
But that says Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints.
When he takes one of you home, that's precious. I know we don't mourn or sorrow as the world does. We miss him, of course, but we know he's taken a Lily for himself. And that's the beauties of death for a believer. I love that part, don't you? So she said. I am my beloved. My beloved is mine. He feedeth among the lilies.
This is a very high note in the song, but if not the highest, I couldn't take it to the highest.
But there's two more steps to reach the highest. But here it is. He feedeth among the lilies. I want to tell you today, tomorrow and Lords Day, he'll be feeding among the lilies and what we say and what we think because he reads the heart. The sisters have a part in this and he feeds that way. I'm going to just finish with the last verse in the Song of Solomon.
All right, I'll read 13 and 14. I'll take my seat. Thou that dwelleth in the gardens. She's learned the height. He dwells among the assemblies and in them, where two or three are gathered together under my name. There am I in the midst. He dwells here in that beautiful Thou that dwelleth in the gardens. The companions hearken to. Thy voice caused me to hear it. I hope that's your desire always.
That became her desire. Caused me to hear thy voice.
Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to the role or to the young heart, for the mountains of spices. So ends the song of Songs. She feverishly looked for her beloved return. And what about you?
That's the thought.
The last verse we read together, brethren, struck a chord.
He dwells in the garden.
Sometimes we've sung that song. I come to the garden alone.
While the dew is still on the roses.
And the voice I hear.
Falling on my ear.
The Son of God discloses.
A wondrous presence.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is indispensable to the believer.
As we go through this life.
Christianity is not.
A legislation of rules and regulations.
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And to condemn us when we get out of the way.
No, it is a person as we know, beloved.
A person to satisfy the longings of our hearts and to be set before us, as our brother brought before us earlier as an object for our hearts.
A foundation for our lives. For no other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
The foundation that this world knows nothing about.
And they live from day-to-day just hoping everything is going to change and everything will cure, everything will get better.
And it gets worse.
Brother reminded us the other day. Evil seducers waxing worse and worse.
Deceiving and being deceived and the enemy is busy deceiving souls today, and even the hearts of God's people.
Suggesting that there is something out there for our hearts, something better than Christ.
In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And that blessed One. Does he not want to dwell in my poor heart?
That has been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
And thinking about that, could we turn to Second Samuel chapter 6, just for a few verses?
Second Samuel chapter 6 and verse 12.
And it was told King David saying.
The Lord hath blessed the House of Obadiah, and all that pertaineth unto him.
Because of the arc.
Of God. Notice that phrase Because of the ark of God, the presence of the Lord, Obadiah had experienced the blessing of the presence of the Lord.
David in his earlier life knew the value and the indispensability of his presence when he was a shepherd boy out on the hills taking care of the sheep.
That is what prepared him as he slew the lion and the bear.
Because of the presence and strength and the glory of the Lord in his life, that is what prepared him to go against.
An enemy of Israel, the giant Goliath, and he was nothing in his eye because of the presence of the Lord.
The Word of God tells us even our faith, which overcometh the world. There is no resource we have, beloved. There is no resource that David had in himself or in this world or because of his abilities.
It was he became enamored, occupied with, filled with the necessity of walking with God in his life. May we as Christians, no matter what age we are, may we have that serious conviction of soul and spirit. There is no way that we can get through this world for the glory of God except to understand and to depend upon and value the blessedness of His presence.
And David, just prior to this, you read the whole chapter, had sought to bring the ark of God.
Back to Jerusalem.
By a method that was not according to the Word of God. He valued the presence of the Lord. He knew that he needed to be in the presence of the throng in Jerusalem. That was his place. He had been in the center of David's heart and life, and he knew that he must be in the center of the throng at Jerusalem. The problem was.
If you turned, I believe it's First Chronicles 13. I I'm not sure of the chapter, but it says that he consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds and the leaders of Israel as to how to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem.
And they brought it back. They sought to bring it back.
But as we read in verse seven of the same chapter.
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Verse six of this same chapter.
The oxen shook the cart, or the ark of the Lord. It was put on an oxen cart.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Azza.
As he sought to stabilize the Earth.
And God smote him there for his error, and he died by the ark of God, and David was displeased.
Because the Lord made a breach upon us.
And so forth. We can understand in all the sincerity of this.
The heart of this king, we can understand how he felt displeased. He sought to do something right in a wrong way. And beloved, we have oftentimes become discouraged, perhaps because we have sought to do something right, but not according to the word. I know I have, and I've gone away very heavy hearted and very burdened.
But David searched the matter out, and he found out the truth, that the ark must be born on the shoulders of the priest. Two things The priests must carry it on their shoulders.
And he went to get the ark from the House of Obadiah.
Verse 12 Again. So David went and brought up the ark from the House of Obadiah into the city of David with gladness.
And we learned that the House of Obadiah prospered. Beloved, if the Lord Jesus Christ is given a place in my poor heart and in your life, he's going to bless your life.
That Christ might dwell in your hearts. Ephesians chapter 3.
That is his desire to dwell there.
Is it yours and is it mine in the power of the Holy Spirit?
To make his love so real, A love that passes understanding.
A love that will fill your heart and mind so that you will not go after the poultry and I will not go after the inferior things of this life.
Or Oban Eden's house prospered. The truth of baptism is that it shuts out the world in our homes.
But the consequences then is, that brings God's man in, when my heart is judged as to the things of this world, and I reckon myself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God.
He has paid too much for his beloved.
He owns that body of yours, young people.
He owns your mind.
And your hands. And your feet.
He has bought you with a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirits, which are His.
He is jealous of that sin in your life.
He is jealous of that wrong relationship. Our brother referred to 2nd Corinthians Chapter 11.
Where it says, I have espoused you unto one husband, as unto a chaste virgin in Christ.
For as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so also your hearts and minds should be corrupted through.
The simplicity or the single eye for Christ, He will seek to rob you not only of your joy, but keeping your eye fastened, fixed upon Him as the object, bright and fair to feel and satisfy our hearts desire. This was David's object.
He corrected the problem. He brought the ark up from the House of Obadiah on the shoulders of the priests.
And to go on verse 13. And it was so.
That when they that bear the ark of the Lord had gone 6 paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
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And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was girded.
With a linen ephod. And I know there are some in Christianity Today who say that.
It's appropriate to dance because David danced. But, beloved, we know better, do we not?
The true hours come when the hours come when true worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Not in dance, or by the sultry and by the symbol and by musical instruments. It's true we may have a heart that dances.
The bride and the Song of Solomon that we referred to. Her heart danced, no doubt, when she was restored to him.
And he said to her, Thou art beautiful. He did not say, shame on you.
Look where you went, look what you did. Is it not the same with Jesus when he looked upon Peter? When Peter failed so miserably, he looked upon him?
With a broken heart.
Wounded love.
And Peter wept bitterly.
He remembered how much he was loved and when we failed. Beloved, there is nothing that will restore our hearts.
Like that sense or feeling how much he loves me and look what I did to contribute to his suffering upon the cross.
David danced with all of his might and beloved, you know the answer why?
Young people, do you know why he danced with all of his might?
And he even had on a linen ephod. He had set aside his kingly robes and all of that honor that was his.
Because as the ark moved closer to the center of the throng.
It was like the Lord Jesus Christ being all to our hearts.
And we lay down those things which have brought shame and dishonor upon his name. As he moved closer to Jerusalem, David danced.
He took upon him that priestly character, and it says in the word We know the Scripture. Hebrews 13. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise.
Continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name, and as he moved closer to the throng, it caused David to sacrifice.
As He moves more towards the center of your life and mine, it will cause us in view of His coming for us. Beloved, we belong to Him. He owns us, we're His. He's jealous of our love, He's jealous of that sin, but it will cause us.
To see how.
Wretched those things were that I have been occupied with.
That made me feel so empty that I thought would make me happy.
And they didn't, not only did it dishonor Him, and He's so patient with us, the longer that we live, the more we realize how much He loves us. Whom the Lord loveth, He chastens only out of love, to bring us back, to fill us with Himself. Looking diligently, it says in Hebrews chapter 12. Lest any man fail of the grace of God, may we look diligently during these meetings. Beloved, I speak this to my own heart because I am so vulnerable. The enemy is a powerful folk.
And he will not stop with one tactic, He will continue with tactic after tactic in order to rob your soul of that joy. Jesus said these things. Have I spoken unto you?
That my joy, my joy serving the Father, walking with the Father in the will of God.
That my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. When you have that fullness of joy, Let me tell you, beloved, what it will do to you.
Everything that you go after in this life, once you've tasted of that wondrous wine, of the joy of His love.
You will count everything inferior and secondary and loss compared to His blessed person. It will cause you to sacrifice. It's not a matter. Christianity is a matter of giving up this and giving up that and doing this and doing that, and maybe then pretty soon you will arrive at having His fellowship.
00:55:05
Jesus said, As the Father hath loved me.
Even so have I loved you. Continue he in my love.
As I have kept my father's commandments.
Even so, keep my commandments. He that keepeth my commandments will abide. Abide in my love. That's normal Christianity, and I allow things to come in to destroy and to affect the joy of His love.
May we be as David and take this example, beloved.
To move him more to the center of our lives, to see Him as the center or in the midst in the assembly.
And rejoice in the grace that has brought us to that place in our lives.
To give him that place of sitting on the throne of our hearts.
Revelation 3:6-8
Reading
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What is?
Your life.
Oh my.
God.
We all belongs to God.
Divine right here.
00:05:47
Our loving God and Father, we again thank Thee for bringing us together here and for this meeting. Now we're about to open Thy word.
We asked that there might be of waiting on thee and everything that's said, especially that Thou would direct to the portion that we should take up, at least for this reading, perhaps for more. And that we may ever remember in the Speaking of the truth, that there are so many young people and children here, that we may be simple and direct and speak faithfully of Thy word.
That those who are desirous of learning may learn.
There would be an incentive to learn.
And so we ask thy blessing that each one of us may be attentive, help us to keep alert and to learn without have us to learn as the word is brought before us. And so we just thank thee for all this and, and, and the precious name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
That's all it is. It's up to my brethren. But I'm in a I'm in an assembly now that is out of the way for news and I don't hear things till I get to other assemblies. I read the bulletin boards, find out what's going on, but I didn't get an invitation to this conference. So I called Ruben, found out. I knew it was near the time the president forgives the Turkey, but I didn't know when it would be. So anyway.
I'm here.
And I looked for the first time on the invitation at Columbus, OH and I noticed there was only one verse.
Quoted in that invitation, and that's been on my mind ever since.
And the Lord, I feel, would like to have us take advantage of that verse. It's Ephesians. I'm sorry. It's Revelation 311 and I'm going to read it. Revelation 311.
Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. You know that's a real verse they put on that invitation.
Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man takes thy crown. I want to turn to 2nd Corinthians.
Chapter.
Let's see Second Corinthians.
And I'm going to find it here. It's false statement of A.
Thank you, Corinthians.
Where he said there's a crown, I think it's Corinthians, a crown waiting for me and not I only, but for all them that love is appearing. Anybody going to help on that?
Thank you. Sorry.
It's a senior moment, but.
I'll get there second, Timothy.
Foreign aid, thank you.
This is the verse that came to mind too. Two Timothy 4:00 and 8:00.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me in that day, and not to me only, but also, but on to all them also that love His appearing first, His coming. Brethren, we're all looking for that.
But do we love His appearing with us in this place when he seeks to reign and take His rightful place? That's the wonderful moment. Well, back to this point. This is what came to mind. And it will still be Revelation 3. That's the crown I believe that we're going to receive. And back to Revelation. I'll be quick.
00:10:17
So.
This is my thought, I just leave it with you.
It has come to my mind that both Philadelphia Truth and Laodicea Warning are needed today. I really feel it. And so we could look to this portion. I suggest three, beginning with six and to the end. But there's five meetings.
And so I doubt it will take the five meetings to go through this. I would suggest chapter five complete if there's time. You mean three, don't you? Five, I said 3/6 to the end. And if there's time, five complete. That's my suggestion.
Revelation 5.
Yeah, but you wanted Revelation 3/6 to the end.
Verse six, Should I go over it again?
Hours to the end of Revelation 3 and then if they're time 5.
Why don't we read the whole of chapter 3 that includes Sardis two? Or don't you want to start there?
Well, I didn't want to, but you can.
I'll evaluate that if you want it, but I don't think it's needed.
We know there's Protestantism and there's Catholicism, but this is what we need. Philadelphia ground.
Will have a crown. I really feel this, but they may be wrong.
So we start in chapter 3, verse 76.
6.
Up to my brethren, I I'm ready for anything. Why don't you read it? I'd be glad to.
Revelation 3, verse 6.
He that hath an ear.
Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, by the way.
I was parked in a lot coming this way, and next to me was a Hummer. Not a sign on it, just five men. And I was parked next to them and I asked them if they liked that Hummer. I shouldn't take much time. They love it. 9500 I said I couldn't love something like that. OK, Then they asked me, they noticed the signs and they asked me what church I belong to. And I said, if you're a believer, I belong to the same church you're in.
They were Baptists.
Of course, it starts a discussion and they quoted some verses here, believe it or not, to support their position. Paul went around establishing churches. They said, I said, I'm sorry, but the translation that's correct says assemblies.
No churches. So that's enough of that. We had our He was a Baptist and a nice fellow, you know. But I said assemblies. What did he call those churches if he established them all over?
He couldn't answer that.
He didn't know they were assemblies in Ephesians and assemblies. Well enough of that, but here we are.
6.
I don't want to take too much time. I will come under the Oh, sorry. He that overcometh. And the same shall know. Oh yeah, And to the Angel of the church family in Philadelphia, right these things sayeth. He that is holy, he that is true. He that hath the key of David. He that openeth. And no man shutteth. And shuteth. And no man openeth. I know thy works.
Behold, I've set before thee.
And opened the door where no man can shut it. For Thou hast the little strength, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name. Behold, I will make of them, make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not.
But do lie, behold, I will make them to come and pay homage before thy feet. Right translation, and to know that I have loved thee because thou hast kept the word of my patience. I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
00:15:27
Behold, I come quickly.
Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Pardon me, him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem.
Cometh down out of heaven.
From my God, and I will write upon Him my new name.
He's at half an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit say is under the assemblies or churches and under the Angel of the Church of the Laodice of Laodicea, right?
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the of the creation of God. I know thy works, and that thou are neither cold nor hot. I would that thou work cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot.
I will feel thee out of my mouth, because I'll say it. I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. And no, it's not that thou art.
Wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked, I counsel thee to buy of me gold Tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.
And with and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. And anoint thine eyes with I sails, that thou mayest see as many as I love. I rebuke and chase it. Be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door. Knock.
If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him.
And we'll stop with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throat, even as I also overcame, and am sat down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
I.
In chapter one.
Verse 19 We read right to things which thou hast seen.
And to things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. I think that's a key to what we have in this book.
What he had seen is the person of the blessed Lord in chapter one.
The Ancient of Days and then that which is is what we have in these seven churches. It's a prophetic picture of the Christian testimony from Pentecost until the Lord comes to take us home and our brothers exercise is especially to pick up these two last churches.
And what we have to be on our guard against beloved Saints is that we don't think that we are Philadelphia.
Mr. Darby said if we say that we are Philadelphia, that proves that we allow this year I'm rich and increased with goods. There's nothing wrong of desiring to be a Philadelphian, but I do believe that this movement began before so-called brethren came into existence, the Philadelphian movement. All you have to do is read your hymn books.
00:20:20
And look who wrote some of these beautiful hymns that we enjoyed. They were written after the Reformation, some of them even before. But I'm saying is Saints came into the enjoyment of two way beyond what was given to the reformers. Sardis is not the Reformation. Sardis is Protestantism, that which developed.
When the Reformation was allowed to be used for political purposes, that's why you have that. They have the name that they are.
Alive but are dead. Name that thou art live in but are dead. And so you have Protestantism in Sardis, but I believe the Philadelphia movement began before.
The Lord raised our brethren. I do believe it is part of that movement, but we better be careful that we do not in a sectarian way, speak of ourselves as Philadelphia. And what about the rest? Those who live before the Lord raised our brethren, who came into a fuller understanding of truth and, like I say, read the hymns and look who wrote them and when they were written.
Beautiful. The Lord let Saints after the Reformation into a fuller understanding of Christian truth without raising up the reformers who gave us the truth of justification by faith and established the supremacy of the Scriptures. What else could have been recovered? The supremacy of the Scriptures is the basis for it.
And the Lord could lead Saints on beyond what the reformers enjoyed. We very much appreciate what God did to the reformers.
Thank him for it, but there were others raised up afterwards that came into a full understanding of scriptural truth, and we ought to be exercised.
These testes, Sardis, Tayatya, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, go on to the end because the coming of the Lord is spoken of in all four, so we ought to be exercised to be a Philadelphian.
To be personally characterized by what is characteristic of a Philadelphian without making presumptuous claims.
The Lord is not limited to believers, nor to those on Philadelphia ground.
Right here, he'll use who we will so check in the hymns in the back is not always the answer. Who wrote them? He'll use them as he used Nebuchadnezzar, he used the devil, he'll use who he will. But I'm talking on this portion about the desire and the whole brethren that were on Philadelphia ground. I didn't say we are Philadelphia. I never would be an awful thing, wouldn't it? Pride. But we are hoping to be on Philadelphia ground.
And that's all I say. He said nothing against the Philadelphia Saints, did he? No, Only commendation. We seek that because we want to please our Lord. Isn't that the whole purpose of our being here? To please our Lord?
If it isn't, we're wrong. That's it. Only two things did he ask of Philadelphia, and only two things he asked of gathered Saints today. Not that were Philadelphia, but he says keep my word and not deny my name. That's not too much, is it? But that's everything to our Father. Everything.
The way the Lord presents Himself to Philadelphia.
Not taken from the first chapter.
It's what he is morally, He that is holy, he that is true, holy one and true, and he that hath the key of David, He opens, and no one can shut, and shuts and no one can open. And when the time came, for there was a time in the history of the Church.
00:25:16
Philadelphia.
When it was time that all the truth should be brought out, I believe that was in the 1800s. And it wasn't just Mr. Darby that he was the instrument, Yes, but wherever he went, there were little groups that were meeting outside of the systems of men and they saw that there was deadness there and and they just gathered out.
According to the light that they had from Scripture, when you say Philadelphia and ground, I would rather say it's the same thing. The equivalent is scriptural ground because what he commends to of the Philadelphia is how has kept my word. And when we keep his word, we are on scriptural ground. Are we, if you talk about scriptural ground or a Philadelphian ground? But the Philadelphia means brotherly love.
But it isn't about the brethren or the assembly so much. It's about him. He that is holy, he that is true, he presents himself according to his moral qualities. He that hath the key of David. That of course is, is more administrative and governmental. But.
It it's to this assembly that that the whole truth is.
Committed and upheld. And he doesn't find any fault with the second one from the first, which is Smyrna time of great persecution. And he doesn't find any fault with Philadelphia, but he doesn't find anything good about Laodicea, just the opposite. In Philadelphia, Christ is everything. In Laodicea, S is everything. And it's that's the difference between the two.
And we see.
Umm.
Never, I can't. I always read these signs in these schools and you read some of them and they are self-centered. You can do it if you set your mind to it. While the Bible says that it can be done if He does it, all things are through Him. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, not because I have the power in myself, but it's Christ that gives me that power.
And that's Philadelphia and anytime we make anything of ourselves.
We are in our spirits and our thoughts off of Philadelphian ground.
Philadelphia Brown makes everything of Christ and Laodicea. We get down to Laodicean ground, or the Laodicean State, when we get occupied with ourselves. I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. Now knowest not that thou art miserable and poor, and blind and naked. What an indictment against Laodicea. What is Laodicea means? It means the people's rights. That's the meaning of the word. And Philadelphia means brotherly love.
And the way we show true brotherly love to one another is to be Christ like, isn't it?
Have Christ everything, and that's the difference between these two assemblies.
Brotherly love, how do you know your faith? The Lord gives us tests, many tests, proofs I should say, that we're saved and dwelt by the Spirit of God. But the one I love is in first John chapter 4, maybe 5, but I'd buckle and turn to it. You know, hereby we know.
We passed from death of the life. Why we love the brethren. That's a test. God gives it to us. I just love brethren. Don't you go around in every place I go There's brethren doesn't matter if it's overseas or here Canada, United States doesn't matter brethren and I think that's precious. But notice in 7th verse he that is holy and true. Let's for Philadelphia ground.
That's it. That's the ground of it. What did he say to Laodicea? Let me look He that is the Amen and truth. That's different.
00:30:00
That's his command. God commands all now everywhere to repent. Amen. All things that are promised us by God are Amen in Christ.
Let's see are yay in Christ and Amen. All right, but so this why, holy brethren, we are holy people.
Lord said, be the holy as I am holy.
That's the highest thing you can do, where priests will be. So Lords Day, don't you cherish that privilege to be a priest? Not just a priest, but a holy priest. The Lord's Day, we couldn't be at the table if you weren't.
I think it's so precious, this portion on Philadelphia.
And I'm not trying to say we're Philadelphia. I know it's always brought up. No one thinks that. I never heard any brother in the Lord think that, nor say it. I have. Well, you're different tonight.
Well, there are those that are ignorant and might have made such ignorant claims, but humility behaves us and the emphasis is not even on us being holy. That's true. He is the Holy One and we are associated with the One that is holy and is true. And we better keep that in mind if we want to be a true testimony today.
We better keep in mind that we are associated with the one that is holy and is true. That's why holiness becometh mine house thine House of God forever and in our day that is being ignored. You know this unconditional love business.
Suggests to throw your arms around anybody, no matter how they live and how they carry on. That's not what we learn.
From the scriptures and we have to always consider that He is the standard for holiness and He is the holy and the truth, and in grace we are associated with Him.
The Delta love, brotherly love gives us a perspective from the Lord because it's his love. He says love me, we love each other how he's loved us, but we love the brethren, which are the brethren that he loved or he loves all these things. That includes all my brothers and sisters wherever they are in the denominations too. And that will give us large hearts, wouldn't it? So that gives us a scope for who we should love. That's all those that are redeemed of the Lord, They're our presidents of the Lord.
What he says in this very chapter as to not denying His name and keeping His word, and that will bring the restrictions in as to who we can go with and have fellowship with. So they are a company of those Saints that are loved of the Lord that have the privilege.
Of being gathered to his name and not to be Philadelphia, but to be responsible to act in that character. And I was thinking brother referred to Psalm 133 this morning. I think this is a good verse for us who feel the Lord wants us to be together around himself. It sends Psalm 133, the first verse.
It says, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. So of those that are the Lords, the Lord has brought us to dwell together.
It's good and pleasant, and I just like to suggest this thought, brethren.
It's good for us, whatever happens, to dwell together, because when we dwell together, if there's flesh in you, there's flesh in me. There's things that need to be addressed. You're going to help me and I'm going to help you. It might not be pleasant, but it's good. But if we dwell together in unity, that's pleasant because those things that need to be judged and are going on together are addressed because we're in the presence of the Lord and these things have no place between us or in His presence. So we'll have this.
The completeness of this verse, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
I just mentioned a brother, but I think that's a beautiful portion. I like the last two versions of that especially, but that's that's the fruit of it both for the Lord and for us. But at any rate, the brother said the holiness is Christ and not us. But you know, the Lord did say in first Peter one, I think 20 be thou holy as I am holy. And I think that means us. And I think, brethren, we don't think of that enough.
00:35:10
In one Corinthians 11, there's only two verses that let me know this is very important, verse 28 and 29.
But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Lorde body. You know, brethren, before you come to that table, and I'm speaking to myself.
Have it out with God and with your brother to her sister. If they're that involved with your failure, don't come with that on your conscience.
To remember the Lord, He is holy. And Philadelphia does mean brotherly love, you know, Take care of it right away. Don't quench the Spirit.
The word holy is the same word that's translated St.
Paul and the other writers writes to the Saints at Corinth and so on. The holy ones when the when Satan owned him and the demons, thou art the holy one of God. That could have been translated the Saint of God. It's the same word. So we are all holy positionally and then we're to walk according to that. I wanted to read a couple verses. One is in John 14.
Where the Lord is speaking and he says, But that the world may know that I love the Father, even as the Father gave me commandment, Even so I do so. The proof of love is obedience. He proved His love for the Father by doing what the Father told him to do. He did it perfectly. And he says of us, this is my commandment.
That she loved one another as I have loved you.
How do we prove that love to one another in first John 5 verse 2? By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. So if we say we love God and walk in disobedience.
That is not love to God. That's not true love, is it? It's false.
If we really love Him, we will obey Him. The Lord proved His love to the Father by obeying Him in perfection as a man. And that's how we prove it to our brethren. Not going along with them if they're in a wrong path, but showing them from the Word, the path that God has marked out. If you are in, if I am in, if we are in the path that God has marked out for us in His Word.
Then the way we show that is by obedience to Him and not by departing from it.
By walking in that. And that's how we show our love to our brethren, isn't it?
You can even apply that.
To family living and to relationship of children and parents.
How do you prove that you love God, that you love your parents? By obeying your parents. Children obey your parents. That's the order that God has established. And in obeying your parents, you're obeying God. And you prove that you love not only your parents, that you love God. Children are in the audience here. Notice this.
You prove that you love God.
And if you love your parents by being obedient to your parents, what a privilege it is to grow up in a Christian home. I did grow up in a Christian home. My grandparents were already devout Christians. What a privilege that is. But what responsibility you know? Don't ignore this. Avail yourself of the privilege and open your heart to what?
00:40:07
You hear and what you're exposed to.
And it will be a blessing for you. And it's so much more wonderful to never drift into the world, to be saved early in life and they never learn to love this wicked, evil world.
And the grace of God can accomplish that in each society.
I think that's an important principle for the Heinz in first John four and verse 20.
It says for man's sake, I love God and hateth his brother. He's a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And I, I thought of that as a, as a principle you could put obey in there. If a child doesn't learn to obey his parents whom he can see, how will he ever learn to obey God whom he cannot see? And that's certainly a word for parents to see to it that.
They they instill obedience.
In their children.
When we say we love the brethren, we don't mean.
The brethren that aren't going on, we don't mean that we we love what they're doing. We love them in spite of what they're doing. Don't forget that we all fail often. Thank God they still love me. But there's some that have Satan has taken mighty advantage of. But we don't stop loving them as a brother in Christ or a sister in Christ.
We pray for it and we take every advantage to help them come back. God would have that always. But that isn't the same love. I mean, we love them, but not like what they're doing. Let's never forget that principle. We can't help loving them.
That's the thought even when the need of discipline arises. But it isn't a family or in the assembly.
Hopefully it is love that prompts the parents to discipline the child. He that hates his son spares the rat, the scripture says. So it's necessary that discipline be exercised in the family and to be exercised amongst the Saints. And this is God's order and hopefully it will be in love. I know that it is dangerous.
For a father to lose control of himself in disciplining the child in anger, you know, But love ought to be the motive. And when I look back upon raising children, we had a number of them, 10.
One thing that I think I could have improved on would be that if I needed to or when I needed to discipline my child, sit down with that child.
And bring the scriptures before the child, what the scriptures teach, and what scripture they had violated, to exercise them, not only by punishment, but also by the Word of God. And love ought to be the motive. Even when it comes to discipline. You know the flesh comes in.
Unfortunately, too often.
And that foils things you know, and brings across the wrong message. But the Lord can give grace.
That we even learn by the mistakes that we make sometimes perhaps, and that we can learn to do it in a more scriptural way.
Father Chuck mentioned that.
Holy and St. are very close in the root word. Yeah, they are the same. Yeah. And we often call ourselves. We like to Christians, don't we? Or believers or brother or sister or brethren. We love those names. How often do you consider yourself a St. We don't often do that. Say it, isn't it? I'm Saint Paul. I don't care what you think of me. I'm St. Bob.
And you know what Satan means? I think the best way to show you would be number six, and I won't say much on it, only one or two things. But number six, a Nazarite, he's holy. We love them with the same love I love you with. But we in my family, seven children, I love them all.
00:45:13
But I don't like some of the things they do, they don't like some of the things I do, and so on. But that's another subject, that's another matter. We mustn't confuse what we are in Christ and with what we are practically in our lives. To sanctify and to sanctify all of one, we read in Hebrews chapter 2. Sanctification and holiness are interchangeable words.
You know, so the sanctifier and the sanctified are all of one. One in holiness. You know, we stand before God.
As perfectly as his son.
Through the work of Christ, that's what we are positionally but.
Why do we need to be chastised as children in order that we might become partaker of His Holiness? Practically, You know, that's why God the Father has to chastise us. Child training, It's not punishment for much, but dealing with us as with children, to bring us practically into position what we are positionally in the sight of God.
And he has a lot of work to do in US, doesn't he? We have to admit that there's a lot of work that he still has to do. And he wants us all to be just like his son. That is his purpose, that we be conformed into the image of his son. You know, when we were standing, We will be standing before him in that coming day.
Previously all just like his son, like a brother has said he had one son and he loved him so much and he said I'm going to make many just like him fill heaven with them. The grace of God has brought that about positionally two of us already. But what a wonderful thing that will be when we stand there only according to what the grace of God has made us to be in the flesh be gone.
You know, and we'll be brought into full conformity to his Son, even outwardly, you know, receive a body like unto his body of glory, and then we will spend eternity with the one that loved us and gave himself for us. That's the first thing that's mentioned in verse seven. These things saith He that is holy, and he's made-up the same way.
Holy He that is true, and we should always speak truth with our neighbor. We shouldn't be characterized by lying or falsehood or misrepresentation of facts. He was the true one, the holy One, and true our hearts in thee confide. But then it says he that hath the key of David. What's meant by that?
He that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth. There's a key he's talking about. That key opens, that key shuts. And what's it? What's it referring to?
The King's treasury, right? I like that. That's good.
There came a time in the history of the church for all these precious things that had been lost through the ecclesiastical rubble of the the the church world to be brought out. And he opens it and he brings it out. And that's what we enjoy.
You think that it includes too the the full revelation of the partition between what belongs to Israel and the Church, dispensational truth absolutely very important recovery of those that that translated the King James did not understand dispensational truth.
They talk about the headings in the Old Testament over psalms and prophets, the church this and the church that. The church didn't even exist then, didn't exist until the day of Pentecost when the Spirit came down. Isn't it true that that that's what the recovery of the truth began with?
That Saints got an insight into prophetic scripture and then they wondered what about?
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What fits in in the between?
At the present time, he's obviously not dealing with Israel.
That became clear and Daniel's 70th week will pick up again with their people. So actually that is what the Lord exercised Saints about and then the truth of the Church was fully recovered and we can be thankful that we live at this time when that has been recovered. The question now is, have you laid hold of it?
That's a challenge.
For everyone of us to lay hold of what God in His grace has recovered.
Not intellectually only.
But let it penetrate into your heart, into your very being. The truth of God has given us to form our character, our very being. And if we understand our heavenly calling and to position that we have been brought into the position of the church today as pilgrims and strangers and all, what an effect that we'll have on our lives practically. I remember 1 Lord's Day morning at home.
Every hymn we sang in our worship and praise of the Lord was written by a sister, Mary Boley, and she was a member of the Church of England, I believe. I couldn't believe the light. I can't. The light that she had, the understanding that she had. You would be almost positive you'd say, well, she was definitely was with brethren, but she wasn't in spirit. She was, but not physically.
Godly or sister, I don't know.
That every hymn we sang was one of our hymns. No, And she wasn't gathered to the Lord's name. Amazing. Well, the key of David have a thought too, of of governmental power and authority. He's going to sit on the throne of his father, David.
And.
Taking the key of David, he's the one to whom all power has been committed in heaven and earth. And when it came time for the truth to be recovered, he opens all the doors. And really, in the lands where we've seen the recovery of the truth, there's really been no governmental opposition, so to speak, against the truth. We've been free to meet, to be gathered to the Lord's name and to meet in the way that we do, and for the truth to be spread.
In the end of Paul's life, it says there in the end of Axe, he dwelt for two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came to him. No man forbidding. And in this time of the recovery of the truth, I'm saying generally speaking.
There has been no one to forbid those who are seeking Paul, those who are seeking that which Paul would represent to us in the Scripture. Paul's doctrine, that which the Spirit of God is exhorted through by the Lord Jesus, is exhorting Philadelphia to hold fast to.
New Testament truth. There hasn't been opposition to those who wanted Paul, who wanted to lay hold of that truth.
That prophesied in Isaiah 22. Yeah, go ahead.
Isaiah 22 and.
Verse 20.
Come to pass in that day that I will call my servant Eli again, the son of Al Qaeda, and I will fold him with thy robe and strengthen him with thy girdle, and will commit thy government into his hands. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to the House of Judah, and the key of the House of David. What I lay upon his shoulder. So he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut and also open, and I will fasten him as a nail in a short place, and he shall be.
For a glorious throne to his Father's house, and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his Father's house.
This was a type, isn't it, of the Lord Jesus? Yes. In connection with that, those verses and what Steve said, I want to add, I've been asked how long will we be allowed to meet like we do now, like when we do now that the government that's over us allows us to meet like this. The answer to that is as long as he who has the key of David keeps the door open, as long as he keeps the door open for us.
We'll be able to meet this way if he shuts the door. We can't. And in some countries, he shut the door. You look at Turkey, you look at Asia Minor, that's where the apostle Paul did all his laborers and all the churches in Asia Minor. And they've been, they've been shot.
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And it's Islam there in that country. He said to Ephesus, he will remove the Candlestick. He's done that in those parts of the world. But how long will it be in this country until he would remove the Candlestick here? If this country keeps going the way it's going, it may not be very long. We don't know because we are. How long is God going to allow us to spit in the face of the Son of God? I when I say us, I'm talking about America.
And Canada and Western Europe, how long is he going to allow that where all these precious truths that we took, we were talking about in Philadelphia have been recovered and now man has turned his back on that in England, 6% of the people in England even go to a church.
And many of those don't even go to a Bible believing church. How many are really in the truth? Well, it's just such a small number. It's set. And that's where the truth was recovered. And we're Jim Hyland told me this and it it struck me.
That Europe is worse than Canada, which is worse than the United States.
In moral departure, moral depravity and bringing in things would have just against the word of God. It's it's blatantly right out the open in Europe and pretty much so in Canada, not quite as much and not near as much in the United States. When President Bush was elected to president, I said I got on my knees and thank the Lord you haven't completely given up on the United States yet. The fact that there was a man there.
There is a man there. You couldn't even consider that in Canada or Europe that fears God. That is a true believer.
And yesterday he went to Iraq. He was 2 1/2 hours in Iraq silently. How he ever got in and got out without being discovered is protection of God. And he talked to the troops and came back and even ate with them. The the supreme commander of the armed forces, he was trying to assure them.
That they were back being backed by the United States government, well, that's all in the political realm. We're not in that.
But that was big news yesterday. Big news indeed.
Well, it's important, I believe, to have all this in our souls, because it's a real encouragement to us, isn't it?
I've enjoyed the scriptures that our brother Michelle read from Isaiah 22 because there it refers to a man by the name of Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah. And he too lived in a difficult day. He lived in a day when Israel was failing. He lived in a day when God was having to deal with them governmentally. He lived in a day when it was very difficult for him to follow the Lord. But the Lord gives him that tremendous encouragement.
And points him to the one whom, as it says, has the key of David. What does that say? Everything that we have had before us the treasure House of God as to the truth, if we could use the expression, the vision of God's ways with man, where everything is displayed from 1 eternity to the next. And as our brother Chuck has said, the power of God in ordering everything as to circumstances in this world.
I don't believe that we will ever have truth given to us in the word of God. That I have to say, because of the condition of things in this world, I can't act on it. No, I believe that this is the force of this here, that if God has given to you and to me a recovery of that precious truth that he gave at the beginning of the church's history, there is one who has all power, who says.
And I will make a way for you to be able to walk in the good of it and express that practically all the way to the Lords coming. Well, as their brother Chuck has pointed out, there are countries where that at the moment is very, very difficult. And yet God makes a way. He makes a way for dear brethren to gather to the Lord's name in a country like Bhutan, where they are frankly and totally forbidden by law to do so, they do it anyway.
01:00:02
And I know they do it in Muslim lands and in other places where if the government could get hold of them, they would stop it. But they can't stop it. Their brethren meeting in India gathered to the Lords name and many other Christians were not centering out those gathered to the Lords name.
There are faithful believers around this world, faithful believers in Communist China, to the light that God has given them. What's holding them up? What's helping them? He that opens the door and no man can shut it, well, he can shut the door too, and no man can open it.
But it's a wonderful encouragement to us, and I believe we can take this to heart, that he that has the key of David is over everything. Not visibly, not openly, that waits for a coming day, but he's doing it behind the scenes for us even now, isn't he?
Go ahead. Just listening to a statement the other day made by her brother, beloved brother AC Brown.
He said that the breaking of bread meeting.
Is God's primary institution in this world. I thought that was a wonderful statement. That is the door that is open to us, beloved brethren. We often think of it as a door of service in evangelism, and that may be true in keeping with the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus Christ in his person and work to go out with the gospel, but is a wonderful thing, is it not?
To think of coming together by the Holy Spirit gathered around the Lord Jesus Christ through that open door that He has kept open for us and remembering Him. And to think of it as God's primary institution, if we could use that word in this world and to be part of it. What a wonderful blessing it is. Is there any greater privilege that we have on the face of this earth than to answer to His request? This due in remembrance of me.
And justice to say a word concerning.
The love that was brought before us, the importance of love. Perhaps one of the most important words in Scripture is love. And that's why the Lord said this new commandment have I given unto you that ye love one another. Very important. And love covers a multitude of sins. But her brother brought before us many years ago something I never forgot.
He said. What is the primary fact that unifies believers today if we were to ask that question in circles all around us?
The Saints and the believers would say love, love unifies, love is what brings us together. Love covers a multitude of sins and they would misuse that scripture perhaps.
But is that the primary unifying factor that brings the Lord's people together by the Holy Spirit? No, he said. It is separation from evil.
Separation from evil, Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Brethren, that is not a popular thing. And that is what happened in the Philadelphian period is the Saints begin to see the necessity, not showing love and just going on with their brethren in places where there were doctrines that were held that were inappropriate. But it was separation from evil. And they came out by the Holy Spirit gathered to the precious name of the of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Into a clean place where He is in the midst. There is a place not far from where I live.
That there are about 5 or 6000 members in a church.
That got together recently for revival, and they had a speaker from various institutions to show this kind of love that covers a multitude of sins, as they say. Even though they differed in doctrines and different practices, they all came together to express love. That is the ecumenical spirit all around us today, and it's going to grow perhaps into, as our brother AC Brown used to say, the United Church of Christ.
And we know what it says in Revelation chapter 18 concerning that the religious Babylon. And that's what will be left behind. Of course, many faithful brethren in circles like that that don't know what we know, beloved brethren, that we have been taught by our fathers through the Holy Spirit. But I just say that love is important, but never to cover the doctrines that are inappropriate and discordant with the truth of God's Word.
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And Scripture gives us both, doesn't it, Brother Dave? And I think it's important to see that, if I may be so bold as to mention this, but back in his early life, a brother back in the 1800s wrote an article, Separation from Evil, God's Principle of Unity. And some years later another brother ran the article in a periodical thinking it was very good, which of course it was.
And the author of the article.
Noticed it there, and having had his maturity, or rather his thoughts and other, how shall I put it, his spiritual maturity had increased by the time. And so he wrote in to the editor of the paper without identifying himself. I think the editor knew who he was and he said, Mr. Editor, you have admitted a paper to your journal, which I find, and I think the words he used were one sided.
And then he wrote another article, Grace, the Power of Unity and Gathering. You can read them. They're available today right at the end of volume one of JD writings. And we need both. One is -1 is +1 without the other will not do. Separation from evil without the emphasis on grace and love will produce sectarianism and harshness.
And all the rest of it. Love without the separation from evil will produce looseness and indifference to Christ. Both are wrong because both are one sided. We need both. And I know, Brother Dave, you'd thoroughly agree with that.
Well, I never felt I could give a definition of the key of David. I still don't. But of essence, I know what it is. The same with eternal life. There's no definition that it works, but in essence, I know what it is to know God is Father and Jesus Christ as Lord. You have it. That's a definition of of eternal life. Now as far as the key, I think it's the Lord.
Is Nokia David David had faith no matter what happened to him. He never lost faith in the Lord and I do believe that's the key faith today in the one who's able doesn't matter the situation we're in. That isn't the point. The key of David is this I would that my joy be in you and your joy be full. That's the key of David.
You know, it didn't matter what it was. What is the joy that the Lord has? And He wants us to have Hebrews 12/2 who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross? What joy could He have in that awful cross?
Doing the father's will, that's the key of David.
I said, well, I've always felt I know the time is up, but.
Having spoken of love and grace.
I like to suggest that in our prayers we do not just pray for the gathered Saints.
That we pray for all the Saints. Sometimes our prayers concentrate on the gathered Saints.
I think at the bottom of it there is a wrong thought. We are falling short of God's thoughts concerning His people. He ought to pray for all the things, and we are to love all the Saints, and when you meet one.
That loves the Lord. What a joy it is. We are the same family.
Brothers and sisters in Christ #264.
264.
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I know, I say all day, we.
Feel.
Like last night.
Lord, Father and I.
Loving God our Father, we thank Thee for what we have had before us this morning.
Surely, our God, it humbles us that we have been privileged to live in a day when thou, Lord Jesus has used that key to open unto us.
All those treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
We thank Thee for this blessed Savior. We owe Him before Thee how little we avail ourselves of all that Thou hast given to us.
But we thankfully.
That Thou canst open a door and no man can shut. And we pray that that door may remain open to us until Thou dost come. We pray for our own part, that there might be the heartfelt wish in our hearts to follow after Him that is holy, Him that is true, to keep thy word and not deny Thy name. To hold that fast which we may have.
For our God and Father, we commend it all to thee.
Knowing that the power is not in ourselves, but that Thou would direct our hearts and our eyes to that Blessed One.
And not to us. So we pray for thy blessing upon us and upon Thy word that has been given out, and give thanks in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 3:9-11
Reading
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OK, no way.
He's lying.
I die when.
I.
00:05:15
God our Father, we need fresh grace for this meeting before us. We pray that Thou will help us by Thy Spirit, that it might be for edification and encouragement.
Comfort to Thy people and if need be, that our consensus might be touched and that we are willing to accept whatever comes before us, and we pray that Thou will help us to rightly divide the word of truth.
Keep us from presenting things in an unbalanced way. Help us by our spirit we do.
Pray for breast being upon their word wherever it is threat, and wherever it is proclaimed. This very day. We do pray that thou wilt remove from our hearts and from our minds whatever is a hindrance for the truth to penetrate, that thy spirit might be able to make it good.
To our souls we ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus, and for His glory. Amen. Amen. Amen.
309.
All are going to meet them of the Senegal statement or not what they lie. All I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Thou has kept the word of my patience. I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God.
Which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And I will wait upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit set under the churches.
And under the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans right these things, that the Amen, the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou art cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew the out of my mouth, because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.
And knoweth not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich and and white raiment that thou mayest be closed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. And anoint thine eyes with Isaac, that thou mayest seek as many as I love, I rebuke and chase.
Zealous therefore, and repent, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice can open the door, I will come into him, and will suffer him, and be with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also over.
One of the churches.
Wanted to comment.
The last reading didn't get to it.
Sardis.
Represents the recovery of truth in the Reformation and what that settled down to.
The failure of that movement was when they went to the earthly governments to help them against the power of Rome.
And they didn't progress beyond that. They looked to man and to the earthly governments to.
Be on their side against the Romish system.
00:10:05
In Philadelphia, they don't do that.
They they realize that the Lord has the key of David and he opens, and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens and they they leave everything in the hands of the Lord. He's in control and they look beyond any earthly government to help them. Should the enemy attack through man, they don't go to man for their resource.
But they they just rest upon the Lord Himself and that's basically the difference in why the full truth was revealed to them in Philadelphia, not to Sardis, which is the Protestant Reformation. They recovered 2 tremendous truths and that is that the Bible is all sufficient as the authority and justification by faith apart from works wonderful truths.
But they didn't go to the full point. It says of them in verse one of chapter 3. They have to say He has the seven spirits of God, that he has the full power of the Holy Spirit to lead them into all the truth. But they stopped short by going to earthly governments to be protected against that harlot system that they had escaped from.
Well, that's always wrong. When we, when we look to man to protect us against the enemy, we're not looking to the right source. And I believe when it speaks of the Lord having the key of David and in control of all governments and everything of that nature to go to him and to confide in him. He's the only one that can keep the door open and he's the only one that can shut it. And when we see it's that way, if the door gets shut, we don't look to man, the one that might, might have been the instrument that shut it.
But we realized that the Lord is in control, and I believe that's the secret of Philadelphia.
They're totally cast upon the Lord and not upon man in any way.
And is at that same principle, Brother Chuck, that is brought before us in this ninth verse that we started with because in the Old Testament, the Jews were God's chosen people and they had two roles in the world. They were those that, according to Romans, received the oracles of God. And so they were to be a testimony to this world of what God had given.
But also they were entrusted with the sword to go out and settle matters in this world in a very practical way. Well, of course, that is not our place in Christianity. And as our brother Chuck says, that was the mistake made by those that followed the Reformation in that they appealed to the governments of this world and consequently they lost their testimony. And I suggest that what is brought before us here in talking about those that say they are Jews but are not undue lie.
Are those, and we speak, we trust with all kindness because the tendency can be in our own hearts, those who, as believers, on the one hand, have departed from the precious revelation of Christianity and have gone back to Jewish practices. But perhaps even more than that, they have attempted to take up God's, you might say, rather not God's, but Israel's position in the earth by getting themselves involved in politics and in the ways of this world to try and settle things.
And that happened very shortly after the apostles had left the scene and it looked like the right thing to do.
After all, what better thing is Constantine thought, than to have Christians in government with a right view of things and right principles and uprightness and honesty is part of their testimony, and to impose that from the top down? But we know what happened. It ruined their testimony and eventually ended up with the church being ruled by the world and practically losing the sense of their heavenly calling and all of the precious truths that are.
Opened up by the key of David. And the Lord has some pretty strong language here. It's his language, not ours. He says that is a synagogue of Satan. And it's possible for a true believer in that sense to be connected with what the word of God calls a synagogue of Satan because it tries to take a place in this world that does not belong to the believer. He's called as a brother has just brought out to be separate from all that.
00:15:20
To rely only on the Lord, to be an ambassador here, to look for the coming of the Lord Jesus, to take him home because he's a heavenly citizen. But the denial of all of that is what has caused some in principle to say. They would not say it in so many words, but in principle they are saying they are Jews. And it's very tempting perhaps when we see things going wrong in this world, to take up matters in that way.
But God's wisdom is better than ours, and the church is far more effective speaking out as an ambassador than in trying to get involved with the world and trying to straighten it out. Ferga must is really where the marriage of the world and church took place.
And the entire tiara? That's idolatry introduced into the church.
And Sardis was delivered from the era of Thyatira, but they were not delivered from what took place in Pergamus. You know, there were still the government and the church. It was not just that the church turned to support.
To the Princess, but the Princess also were allowed to use the Reformation to free themselves from Roman yoke.
So, so that was unfortunate that that work fell short because they were not delivered from the error that came in under the Pergamus period. But Philadelphia was necessary, that testimony was necessary to be raised up because Sardis fell short. And so it's wonderful to see the difference in these various churches.
And it's wonderful for us to know that we are pilgrims and strangers, that we are citizens of heaven, and that we should not allow ourselves, as Doctor Dobson and others, well meaning try to tell us that it is our responsibility to see to it that good people are in government. We should get involved in these affairs. Well, that is still the error of Pergamus.
That it's been that started marriage of church and world. But what a wonderful thing that the Lord in his goodness has brought in more than what was recovered in Sardis. Yes, they were delivered from the evil of Tyrah idolatry, but they were not delivered from the evil that came in in Pergamus.
It's interesting to notice that in the ninth verse of the second chapter and the ninth verse of the third chapter, the one in the second chapter is Smyrna was a the church that represented the the great persecution that broke out against the church and ninth verse and the third chapter is Philadelphia. And both of those two verses mentioned, I'm going to read them.
The synagogue of Satan and the Jews, which say they are Jews, are not in two nine. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty Here they were being persecuted, much tribulation, and they were poor in this world. But he says thou art rich. Just the opposite to a Laodicea, who who said they were rich and were not, but here they were poor in the world, but rich in the Lord, and I know the blasphemy.
Of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. And notice the order is different in the ninth verse of chapter 3. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews. In two nine it says which say they are Jews and are not but the synagogue of Satan. But in three nine it says, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie.
I will make them to come and to worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee. That's very, very precious in our chapter 39.
00:20:09
That those who are Judaizers and in contrast with the assembly of Christ, the Assembly of God, they are characterized as being the synagogue of Satan instead of being Christians. They say they're Jews, and that's what they're saying in the in what they're promoting.
The Judaizers is where they're trying to Judaize the church. Well, that was true in the beginning that Smyrna. It's also true in the end. And that's Philadelphia. And that's the one thing that the Philadelphia doesn't submit to. And neither did the those in Smyrna. They, they, they resisted that. And so he doesn't call anyone in Smyrna or Philadelphia to repent because they were going on well.
But I wonder if anyone has a thought on why it's in a different order in the in the the one we're looking at. I will make we'll make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not. I'd say the synagogue of Satan is in contrast with the Assembly of God and Jews are in contrast with Christians. Christian is not a Jew. I mean, a Jew may be a Christian, but a Christian is.
Is not a Jew. He's a Christian. And he may have been a Jew, or he may have been a Gentile, but now he's a Christian.
And once you're a Christian, you can't be either a Jew or a Gentile anymore because you've been taken out of that and you become a Christian.
Three kinds of people in the world, Jews, Gentiles and the Church of God who are Christians.
I've heard Jews give their testimony they've been converted to Christ and then they spoil it at the end by saying I'm still a Jew. Well, they're not.
They're Christians. They're not Jews any longer. They're Christians. The apostle Paul, he made a couple of mistakes. He wasn't perfect.
When he went to pay for the Nazarites vow and so on, but God intervened and didn't allow that to be carried through. The second case he made mistakes. When he went to Jerusalem, he was told not to go there by the Spirit of God, but his intense love for his brethren after the flesh.
Let him there and he made, he made mistakes. He stood before the Jews and he said I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisees. And for the hope and resurrection of the dead I am accused and so on. I just think of it. He's saying I'm a Pharisee. He was a Pharisee, but not any longer. But.
His love for his brethren would to God that when we failed, we would fail out of a pure motive. He had a pure motive, didn't he?
He loved his brethren after the flesh, but there's something higher than that and that's obedience to the word of God. Obedience to the word of God. And and he made a mistake. Well, Peter made a mistake. He had to be rebuked by Paul the apostle and I I love to read in. I think it's in Acts 21 when Paul is really down. He'd he'd he'd made some mistakes. He had he had set up the high priest. God shall smite thee, thou lighted wall.
Speaketh so so against the high priest. I didn't know it was the high priest, brother, For it is written, thou shalt not speak evil against the ruler of thy people. He had to apologize. But.
The Lord was accused the same way. The high priest commanded 1 to smite him, and he said, if I have smoked an evil, bear witness of the evil. But if well, why smite is thou me? He was perfect, and all of the servants of the Lord are imperfect, every one of us.
We make mistakes and even Paul made mistakes.
So, but it's it's, it's beautiful to see the Lord stands by Paul and he says, be of good cheer. Paul, you, you've testified of me at Jerusalem. You're going to bear witness at Rome. But he went there as a prisoner. I've always thought of the synagogue of Satan more in a spiritual sense.
Then in the worldly sense of politics, although they do get mixed up with politics as we've been told, but I think it speaks of this. You know, the Laodicea went on at the same time as Philadelphia. They both are parallel and I think the synagogue of Satan has the the thought of Philippians. Let's see, Philippians chapter 3.
00:25:05
And the end of verse 2.
Beware of the concession.
Really it's Judaizing Christianity. It's only partial cutting off of the flesh, consecutive, and so they leave the flesh in there for works and for other things, and they still are under the banner of Christ, Christianity. That's what I've always thought of it for we are of the circumcision, complete cutting off of the flesh. Now I know practically we do have the flesh among us.
And active sometimes. But that isn't the role because it's just two things, you know, you've kept my word, not denied my name. That's the thing we're commended for.
If we're on Philadelphia ground, I'm sorry to use that expression, but I like it all right. It says we are the circumcision, which worship God by the Spirit it should be and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. That's the thought. And that goes right on to the end, whereas Laodicea goes on beyond the end.
Those that are real are taken out of Laodicea to go with us and all who are believers to glory. So I do think it means more spiritual than getting mixed up with politics, with even gathered Saints do sometimes. I don't think it's so much that, although that the ultimate result if you're letting flesh move. But I think it's Judaizing Christianity. Yeah, that's what it is.
Judaizing the church? Yeah. I just wondered in connection with that thought, brother.
In the second chapter, it doesn't say that they were lying as to being Jews. So in the early years of the church, there was persecution from actual Jews, but they weren't Jews according to the heart of God, so he would call them. They're not really Jews. They're the synagogue of Satan. It used to be the synagogue of God, but now that the synagogue is sick. But in time it appears like we had British Israelis in the 1900 I think, or 1800 where people that aren't even Jews in the flesh.
We're claiming descendants for the 12 tribes and trying to apply to Judaistic principles now to what's called Christianity. And they were lying because they weren't really descendants of Abraham. They were Europeans and that's what they they call themselves Jews, but they were lying. They were in the synagogue of Satan. I just enjoyed that, that thought where you think that valid. Well, in Romans 2, the apostle says he is not a Jew, which is 1 outwardly, but he is a Jew, which is 1 inwardly, whose circumcision is not of the flesh but of the heart.
In other words, there was reality there. And though those that that call themselves Jews and said they were Jews, a Jew means one who praises God. I think that's the meaning of the word and whose praise is not of of of men, but of God. And that that's a true Jew. And that's what Paul talks about when he says at the end of Galatians 6 upon the Israel of God, the true Israel of God were those who were real really safe among the Jewish nation. But I still think the synagogue of Satan.
Refers to the Judaizing of the church.
Part of that, part of that is that the Jews are looking to run the world will tell at this time. They asked the Lord in Acts chapter one and why does it go on and say, because thou has kept the word of my patience. The Philadelphians are patiently waiting for the time when the Lord will tell us set up the rule. They will not get involved.
In politics and trying to change the world, the word of my patience I believe is we are waiting till he comes and straightens out the mess in the world. We will not try to do it. So I believe that supports what we have said previously, that we are not going to be allowing ourselves to be involved in politics and trying to set the world right. That's not the responsibility of the Christians.
In the Philadelphia period, that was what was still not understood inside us, but it was understood in Philadelphia and they kept the word of his patients. He is patiently waiting till that time when God will send him to set things right, and so we are willing to patiently wait with him. Comment Hyde's comment on the last part of verse 9.
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Behold, I will make them to come and worship.
Before thy feet, not worship them, but to worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Give your comments on that.
Well, I think that is in that coming day, not now. I think we will reign with him over the earth and he will share that coming day of glory with us who now have patiently waited. Is that correct? That's true. And and I was thinking also of.
I'm bringing in other scriptures now the epistle of Jude, where.
They turn the grace of God into lasciviousness. And that's one of the charges that you had against the Christian, the Christian promoting of grace is that, well, if it's all grace, then you can do whatever you like and.
Here he says, I will make them to come and worship at thy feet, to know that I have loved thee, that he was backing up and supporting these Christians that were promoting grace and not the law. They Jews were pushing the law, weren't they?
Because that gives a place to man after the flesh. And that's that that feeds man's pride is what it does. Grace. Grace deflates your pride completely because it's all of God and nothing of you. And that's, that's where we have to come to, isn't it? I believe it should read. I will make them to come and pay homage before thy feet, because God or the Lord would never make anyone worship us. Oh, that's right, they'll pay homage. That's a different thought altogether.
Worship, give honor to. Yep, that's all. Well, that we will not have to flesh within us. And when they come and give homage to us, it won't stir up the flesh. We won't have it anymore. When we appear with him, you know, it won't do us any harm. It won't pop us up.
Would it have anything to do with the?
In connection with the first part of the verse where we said the Jewett Judaizing principle in this case is going into politics and using that as a force and getting Christians in power. And they may look at us now and say we're slackers, We don't vote, we don't get involved in these things. And they look at us as though we're we're not even good Christians because we don't do that. And the time will come when they'll have to acknowledge it. Would that be the thought there? Yes, I've enjoyed it that way. Brother Tom that.
God will make manifest what was pleasing to him, won't he?
But I like Brother Heinz comment because it won't be with the sense of saying, see, now I told you, no, there won't be any thought of that. It'll be all for his glory because that's what we wait for. And in that sense, I think it's important to recognize that we are not in this world, if I might use the expression simply as duds that never do anything or never have any influence.
Sometimes I speak to my own heart, but there can be thoughts of wealth. This particular person is, to use a common expression, making a difference. He's making a difference, he's doing something, he's getting involved. And so many times the believer has to say.
I can't with a good conscience get involved in that. That would compromise, that would ally me with the world.
And the moment I work with the world, I have to work on their principles and on their level. I can't introduce the principles of the word of God. They can't operate on that level. I have to come down to their level. But can we be effective? Let me ask a question coming from Canada. Does the ambassador of the United States.
Have clout in Canada? Indeed he does. Why does he get involved in politics up there? No. Will he go out and take part in a protest March or whatever? Not even if he agrees with it. Will he do that? But does he make a difference? Yes, because he speaks with the full backing and authority of the government of the United States. And I like what one brother said when someone asked him a question on a particular issue, a moral issue that the country was facing it. Where do you stand on that issue?
What are you going to vote for? He said. Well, I'm just an ambassador here, he said. So I'm not going to vote. I'm a Christian.
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But he said, I'll be glad to give you my government's position on the matter. He took out the word of God. I submit that if the believer is really walking with the Lord in the power of the Spirit of God, there will be much more influence, much more making a difference in this world than if we try to take part in affairs according to the way they would like us to. And so the believer does make a difference and the believer that is walking.
Morally like Philadelphia?
He doesn't have to try to make a difference. He does because he has, if we could say it, all the power of the Spirit of God behind him. And that is what is God is calling us to do to make a difference in the world today. So it's not as if we draw back and say, well, I'm just going to withdraw into a corner and not say or do anything and let the world do what it will. No, what did they say about the apostle Paul when he came to a place? Oh, they said those that are turned the world upside down have come here too.
Well, would to God there were more of that that were applicable to us, that when we moved and lived in this world, they would say, oh, here are the ones that turned the world upside down. Well, the Christian, I submit, does not have and can't expect to have the collective power of Pentecost today. But it does say thou hast a little strength. And that little strength is because Philadelphia seeks by the grace of God to have all the characteristics and attributes that the church had at the beginning.
And so there is a little strength. There isn't the corporate power that existed in the early church, and it would be a mistake to expect it. But I believe that that little strength is meant just what it says. It's if I can use an expression without being irreverent, it it means that it's a chip off the old block as we sometimes use. It's the reality that God gave at the beginning, not because of what we are, but because of what he is. And it does make a difference in this world.
The quiet testimony of a godly St. probably carries a lot of weight that we don't realize, because who do they come to when they need some prayer and they're in deep difficulties? They they know where to turn.
Well, the Scripture speaks about let every man have an answer of the hope that is within him. And Brother Bill, you gave something, I assume you were speaking about the issue of abortion there, although I don't know.
Actually, that did happen to be what I was speaking about. Well, can I ask? You know, we all face this and we.
At times where people say specifically ask the question, why don't you vote, can we ask that there for some help as to specific answers that we can give for that question well in Daniel.
We can turn to Daniel and get at least part of the answer.
The most high rules in the kingdoms of men, and he gives it to whomsoever he will, and He gives it to the basest of men, the lowest kind.
We do not know and God has not given us who to vote for if He would tell us to vote for the best man.
Brethren have said then we would be judges, you know, but God does not tell us to vote for the best man. Would anybody a Christian have voted for Adolf Hitler for Starling these wicked mass murderers?
But God put them into the office, you know, and he gives it to the basis of men.
When somebody might say why did he do that when Hitler was started out, he wasn't such a bad fellow. When Hitler started out, he came across as a pretty nice fellow, didn't he? Well, to help the people economically. But I asked, I made a Jew once in California and he said when he saw my hurt, my German accent.
He knew I was German. And he said Adolf Hitler served the purpose. Yes, I said he served the purpose. Oh, he said, you're the first German. That tells me that Adolf Hitler served the purpose. What purpose do you think he served? Well, I said if you would know the Scriptures, you would know that there would be a nation in unbelief in Israel, and the Holocaust served the purpose to make the nations that had the power to do it.
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To seek to it that Israel would have a homeland, he said. That all happened at that time. Well, I said, read the Scriptures. There's even going to be a temple again in Jerusalem.
A sacrifice has been brought and so on. I encourage you read the Bible and that way you know what is going to happen. So, but we are not to join.
Organization.
To fight homosexuality or whatever evil by our example, like our brother indicated. We are the light and the salt of the earth. By the way, we live not by forming organizations. That is not what the Lord expects of us. But when the Lord does take us out of this world, there is the restraining influence gone. The Holy Spirit is gone. The Christians are gone.
We learned that from Second Thessalonians. There will be the full display of evil after the church is taken away by our example. We are the light and the salt of the earth. But to answer your question, David, the Lord said My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight? He also prayed to the Father. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
He also said if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. And then we're also called ambassadors. An ambassador doesn't take part in the politics of the other country to which he sent. And all of those scriptures are clear, aren't they?
One man, I said to one man, the man I want to vote for, his name isn't on the ballot.
The synagogue of Satan is the religion of the flesh that I have Satanic origin.
When the Lord.
Was looking over Jerusalem, he said. Your house is left unto you desolate.
Earlier he had called it my Father's house, but the glory was departed, and they were soon to put the person of the Son of God in Calvary Cross. And now he says it's your house. And it became the religion of the flesh, the religion of outward ordinances, and a boast of antiquity and of priesthood and garments and stained glass and music and all these other things. But the Lord has said to.
The woman of Samaria, they that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
And so the true worship is in spirit and in truth, and not in all those outward things. That's just the religion of the flesh. And in the recovery of Ezra and Nehemiah's day, when they went back, the first thing that was done was that the altar was set upon its bases. Before even a stone was laid upon a stone in the building of the temple, that which was God's portion was rendered to Him in worship.
But to maintain that Nehemiah came in and a wall was built, and the enemies of the truth said even if a fox were to go up against this wall, it would break it down. Thou hast little strength in the eyes of the world. It's nothing. There's nothing to attract the flesh.
And the testimony of Christ in this world today, but the enemies of that little recovery set let we want to come and help. They said desire. He said you got no part or lot in this matter. The flesh has no part or loss. And the true worship of God and the building of that temple and the sacrifices that were offered there. And we had earlier that Philistine invention that the ark was carried on a cart. That's how the Philistines thought to carry the testimony of God drawn by oxen.
The flesh steady by the hand of man. God made a breach upon it. It cannot be that the flesh can carry. And further, on the testimony of God. It must be on the shoulders of the priest, that is, it must be head and shoulders above ourselves, and it must be according to His precious word. Thou hast little strength. Thou hast kept my But these judgments are going to be severe.
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You know, and we feel sorry for the people that will be exposed to these judgments, but they have rejected the Lord and especially Israel, Jacob's trouble that they will go through, you know, all because they rejected their Messiah, his blood come upon us and our children. They will experience God's judgment and through these judgments.
The earth will be made fit for the glorious rain of Christ, and we do not only look for that blessed hope.
We also look for the glorious appearing. Titus teaches that you know we look forward to the day when the Lord Jesus will have his rightful place on the earth. But what a sad time it will be when the power of temptation comes the tribulation and how many judgments and how severe they will be upon the western world, the so-called Christian world especially.
And the whole world.
Will suffer, but especially the Christian world and Israel. Jeremiah 30 verse 7 called it the time of Jacob's trouble, not the time of the church's trouble. No time of Jacob's trouble. And we find more detail in other parts, but one place is Zechariah where it speaks about 2/3 of the people will die and I will pass the other third.
Through the fire.
So that it's the time of.
Israel's trouble, particularly the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin or Judah, the ones that were in Jerusalem, because they are the ones that said away with him, crucify him. And the most awful statement I think there is in Scripture, His blood be on us and on our children, and they will pay that price, that penalty then.
As they've been paying it all through the ages governmentally, but notice, notice carefully the reading of verse 10. He says because thou hast kept the word of my patience. That is these in Philadelphia, those that characterize Philadelphia keeping the word of his patience is waiting his time, not trying to take things into their own hands, not getting involved in politics or world governments in order to effectuate anything.
But waiting on him, he says, because you kept the word of my patience, I will keep thee from the hour of temptation or trial. New Translation says trial, which shall come upon all the world to try them. Who to try who? Them that dwell upon the earth? Who are they? Apostate christened them, that's who they are. After the rapture takes place and takes us home, When He keeps us from that hour, He'll call us home, and then those that are left.
Are those that are dwelling on the earth, they're earth dwellers. They preferred earth to heaven. And we don't, we prefer heaven to earth. And this, this judgment will come upon the whole apostate Christian world, especially them. And you get that expression over and over again in the Book of Revelation. And that dwell on the earth, then that dwell on the earth, that's apostate Christians, apostate Christians. We are not earth dwellers.
And.
Our portion is heavenly and we're called to that.
And that's what he's talking about. And Philadelphia, true Philadelphia, is one that waits his time, patiently waits his time, and then he'll take us home. And then the judgment will fall upon those that are left. Who are the real earth dwellers. Speaking of the earth dwellers, it's good just to read the chapter 8.
And verse one and the last verse and when he had opened the 7th seal.
There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. I don't think anybody here has ever had absolute silence for a second outside of 1/2 an hour, But there will be because of the awesomeness of the judgment that's to come. And that silence was broken in verse 13 by 1 Angel flying through the midst of heaven.
And this is what the Angel said with a loud voice. Woe, woe, woe to the inhabiters of the earth, Earth dwellers, by reason of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels which are yet to sound. The dwellers on the earth is what J and DI think has instead of inhabiters, earth dwellers. The woe is for them but today.
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For those that still have time, woe to them, says Jude, who have gone in the way of cave religion of men.
That's what we've been talking about today in the way of Cain. Man's thoughts and ways are not God's ways nor thoughts.
Time is one thing that God uses to test, doesn't He? And I was wondering in connection with that expression that has kept a word of my patience, I had a question or comment on for a second. Peter 3.
Verse 14 and 15 Wherefore, beloved, seeing him look for such things, be diligent, that he may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless, an account that the long-suffering or patience of our Lord.
Is salvation.
I was wondering there as to the patience of our Lord being salvation.
If the test of time that we are submitted to the Lord has restored the truth and given us to know the value of being added to His name, and that we have in our hands blessed word, we hear His voice through it, we get instruction through it, Yet time goes on and there's decay and there's falling away. And what is the Lord calling us two is to keep on, to keep on, and that when He comes.
That he would find us going on from the way that's pleasing to him, but he sat there to those of the synagogue of Satan that they will know that I have loved thee. That's a that's a future scene. It's something that's going to happen in the future, but it speaks of his love in the past tense as to his loving us now is having pleasure in US going on together now.
Honoring his name and keeping his word.
And if everything else falls apart and society decays and the world gets darker, that's not going to change. He's not going to change. And I heard His name nor His word, and I was wondering if we couldn't connect that with keeping the word of His patient. That is our salvation. That keeps us knowing that He's going to come and that's what He wants when He comes.
Had he come 100 years ago, none of us would have had a chance to become part of the Church of Christ, the pride of Christ. So what a wonderful fact it is that He waited and they are apparently still people to be saved. Otherwise He would come and take us home. But I thought too, as to earth dwellers in Colossians chapter 3.
A warning is given for us Christians.
Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth, I heard it said by brethren, there is such a thing as worldliness, but there is also such a thing as earthliness.
You know, to be just thinking of things connected with these natural light and things connected with life on earth. Now there are things that we can enjoy even as Christians.
You know, connected with this natural life, a marriage life, families, and so on, but our affections must not be centered on that which is passing. Our heart's affection should be set on the things above, blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Somebody quoted that already at this conference, and we ought to remind ourselves.
There are mercies that we can enjoy connected with this earthly life.
And can thank the Lord for but our blessings, our real blessings are eternal and they're above, not on earth. Well, we enjoy our wives, our families, but how long will that relationship last? Until our partners, you know?
But our relationship with the Lord and the blessings that we have in heaven, they're eternal.
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We're thankful for the mercies that He allows us to enjoy, but we must never forget there is something higher than that and that is all above.
Sad detrimental effect, A brethren of not believing. Revelation 3, verse 10.
Does occupy us with earth and the problems and the trials, the tribulation that's coming. I work with a man who if I ask him about the coming of the Lord, he says, oh, he said, but we have to go through the tribulation first.
The effects of that brethren are so profound and affecting our happiness. The Scripture says looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. It has always been the hope of the church for the coming of Christ and not to pass through the tribulation. It does not keep the through the tribulation.
Very clear here and it's a good one for the young people to memorize. To answer the post tribulation theory, it says I will keep thee from the hour of tribulation. But just think brethren for a moment, If we slid into that kind of belief or unbelief that we were going to go through the tribulation, how would it affect our joy in the coming of Christ to remove us out of this world before that day of wrath comes?
I believe that.
Out of the hour of temptation is changed.
East rendering even clearer. That's even clearer, yes.
I believe that's why Brother David mentioned here, particularly in connection with Philadelphia.
We know that there is no select company of Christians that are going to be kept out of the tribulation while others have to go through it. But it says here, because thou hast kept the word of my patience. That implies, I believe, that the enjoyment of these things, and the practical living in them will, I believe, as a result, mean that I have the sense in my soul of the Lord, as it says in the very next verse, Behold, I come quickly.
As you say, it becomes a present living hope. The things of this world, they don't mean that much to me because I'm looking for the Lord to come. And if somebody says, well, but don't you have to get ready for the tribulation and so on. Oh no, I say that's, that's not something that I have to go through. That's as Brother Tom said, that's the time of Jacob's trouble. That's the judgment for rejecting the Messiah. But I'm not going to have to go through that and so.
It's the one who enjoys what Philadelphia enjoys, the one who keeps his word, who doesn't deny his name, who holds fast what he has, and who walks in the good of these things. He's the one who has the enjoyment of that in his soul. Every true believer will be caught up when the Lord comes, and I love to think that some are going to be very pleasantly surprised, and that's wonderful. But how wonderful to be able to live in peace and rest as Second Timothy gives us.
In the knowledge of this ahead of time so that I'm not in a mighty Stew and I see things heading the wrong way in this world, or think that suddenly the tribulation is on top of me. Rather, it's only an indication that the Lord's coming is getting nearer. Could the Apostle Paul have that as his hope when he said we which are alive and remain the coming of the Lord? He didn't say they. He could well have if he'd known it was going to be 2000 more years almost.
But he was looking for the Lord's coming evidently in his day, and when he said, We which are alive and remain at the coming of the Lord.
There's one other remark too that we could make here, and that is that I don't believe that God allowed the church.
To see the prophetic significance of these seven churches here in Revelation until right at the end of the dispensation. Otherwise the present hope of the Lords coming would have been destroyed. I don't believe that even the Apostle John understood that they formed a panoramic history of the various epochs of the Church. He no doubt was exercising believers as to their condition of things. But God didn't allow the Church to see the prophetic significance of them until right till the end.
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Now you and I by grace have seen all of that, and we know that the Lord's coming is very, very near. So how wonderful the Word of God is to present these things in that way so that, as you say, the present hope of the Lord's coming was always something that a believer could properly look to and live in. The enjoyment of what you're saying is if you were living in the time of.
Thyatira And you knew the prophetic history, you'd say the Lord can't come. We've got to go through Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
Until he comes. But we're now, we're right in Laodicea in times, so we're right at the end.
And we understand it. Can you explain, Chuck, how anybody could take?
And drop us off our crown.
So that's what we have in verse 11.
Behold, I come quickly. Behold, hold that fast which thou has that no man take thy crown. Well, if someone got got you to believe the the error of what we were just talking about, this one person that said, you know, he's got to go to the through the tribulation first. If someone got you to believe that, then you'd you'd lose your crown, wouldn't you? You'd lose the the hope of the Lord's coming.
So wrong teaching can do it.
Those who will believe and continue to believe it, there will be reward given. There are more than one crown given to the believer and those who continue to cling to that, that is one of the rewards that will be given.
Is the crown not given?
Also for more than the hope of the Lord's return. But the entire body of recovered truth is known and cherished and walked in, and the crown's given, because we might depart from that truth, and still hold and be waiting for the Lord's coming.
I don't have a computer, so I don't get on the Internet, but I think it's a dangerous thing for young believers for anyone to exchange thoughts with. You don't know who's on the other side, who's on the other end, and who you're talking about when it comes to Bible questions. And that you're much safer if you'll stick with the good literature that we have back there and read the solid ministry and not be listening to every opinion that's floating out in Christendom and get all confused as to the Lord's coming.
Because some of them can come out with some pretty convincing arguments in that, and that can be very.
Damaging to you and you can you can lose the the the vital truths that have been recovered and men have that's happened. I was just talking to a brother and what happened happened. I won't give you his name. What happened to so and so he was a great evangelist still is. Well, he went he he believed that lie of really of Sardis is really what it is.
And.
He doesn't. He doesn't look for the Lord's coming.
And he not only that, as Steve said, the very characteristic truths of Christianity has given them up on back to Sardis in his thinking.
Seducing spirits will rob you of whatever they can. That's right. And there's power behind it.
But we cannot hold what we don't have.
Hold past that which thou hast. That's a challenge for all of us, and I like to especially throw it out for the younger ones. Do you have it? Have you by faith entered into it? You cannot hold that which you do not have. You know, we don't claim any of us that participate in this reading that.
What we advance and what we explain is what we have personally dug up. We learned that from others, like Paul taught Timothy. There's nothing wrong in recognizing those who God has raised up to recover the truth and then accept help from them. And we have wonderful ministry, especially in the English language.
One of the reasons why I'm thankful that I came to America is that I learned English. We have some writings in Germany, some of them were translated from English, but not nearly what we have here in the English speaking world. And to have access to that, don't be foolish and neglected.
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And then be careful. Do not just intellectually try to lay hold of it.
A prey and continue in prayer to turn to the Lord and ask him that he makes it good to your soul and like Thorlandin said, all truth enters by way of the conscience. You know that has to affect the conscience, the inner man and we cannot like I repeat.
Hold that which we do not have, but it is expected of a Philadelphian that he has it, you know, and there's nothing wrong in desiring to be a Philadelphia. You better be careful in boasting about it. If the Lord has given us to see and understand, it's the grace of God that has done it and He has used others to teach us. Hopefully we can teach and pass it on.
In the power of the Spirit to others. But let me ask the benefit we have in reading the help from these early brethren is they give us to understand better this book. This is the authority, not them, not them. They're not the authority. It's the word of God. They help me to understand what the word of God teaches. And if if they don't agree and they don't always agree on every point. So you have to get before the Lord.
Yourself, this, he speaks to you through this book. There's a lot of helps, there's gifts of teachers and so on and apostles, and we thank him for it. But it's this book, the word of God, that you have to help you to understand it better. And that's the purpose of these reading meetings. Give us a better understanding of what this book says and means. That's the authority. You're #208 two 08.
And hopefully.
The mornings are all right.
Make our soul.
Great joy.
No staying with me.
No.
No joy? No.
Love their disorders down.
Our God and Father, thou hast committed to us this company here in this room.
So much light and so much truth.
And now is said to us, Hold fast what thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
And so we pray for special grace to make it our own and to walk in the light of it and the truth of it, and not allow other voices.
Other sources to rob us of these precious things. We thank Thee for thy coming, Lord Jesus. It could be tonight, it could be in a few moments when I'll call Thy heavenly Saints home. But until then, we thank You for the grace that was given us and for Thy precious word, and for times like this where we can be over it and meditate upon it.
And advanced thoughts upon it that will be for our growth and our spiritual welfare. So we give thee thanks, Father, for this time over thy word in the precious name of our soon coming Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Amen.
Revelation 3:12-13
Reading
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For the robo world.
Who are you?
What the voice you bring breath. You breathe in.
All day disturbance.
Was gone.
Almost all the gathering is bad this morning.
Lord Jesus, glorious day that will be.
When the dead in Christ shall rise.
We shall meet the Lord in the air, never more into part.
Have the robe of whiteness.
Lord Jesus to share my glory that day.
We thank you that we have such a destiny.
We do pray that even now our lives may reflect the fact that we are heavenly people, not of this world, even as he was not in this world.
We thank you too, for making a provision for the way to the indwelling Spirit, the Comforter, and thank you for these promises that are assured to us, and Thy precious Word we're privileged to have in our own language. We do pray that Thy Spirit may have liberty this morning to the minister, Christ to our hearts, that there may be ways upon Thee.
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That we may have teachable spirits too, and take in that which see if we stand in need of it. And both young and old. Thank you for the authorities that allow us to meet in this manner without hindrance. We pray for our president elsewhere who cannot not assemble. And we answered that was your needs. Think of our dear brethren down in Saint Louis as well.
Be further weight upon me and give me thanks.
But we've already enjoyed.
And do this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Three and verse 11.
Behold, I come quickly.
Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God?
He shall go no more, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit set under the Church.
And under the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans, right these things set the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou art cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth, because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.
And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me good gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be written, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed not the shame of thy nakedness. Do not appear and anoint thine eyes with I salve that thou mayest seek as many as I love. Our review can chase him.
Be zealous, therefore, and repent.
I stand at the door and knock any man hear my voice and open the door. I will come into him, and will suffer them, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit.
With me in my throne, even as I also overcame and I'm set down with my father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit under the churches.
Hold that fast which thou hast. You're holding something fast.
You're you're expending energy to hold it. You just don't have it in your hand. You're grasping it firmly. If you try that physically, you'll find that.
After a little while your your grip starts to loosen and if you're not holding it as fast as you were before, so it says, behold, I come quickly, hold that that fast which thou hast. So every time we're reminded of the Lords coming or we would want him to find us holding fast, but he's committed to us. It's good to have to be reminded as Lord is coming soon, perhaps today, and our grip gets firm again. We want to go on for him. We want him to find us going on firmly together.
When he comes.
The first chapter of the book of Judges. We have a very sorry condition we see.
That there are a number of kings that are mentioned verse 7.
To the only beef that said three score and 10 kings having their thumb and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table.
Without the thumb there is no opposition or there's no holding. Without the great help, it affects the balance or the standing, doesn't it? So.
00:10:00
This was necessary in order to hold fast and they couldn't. And again, my brother has reminded us of that acquisition to hold back.
It's of interest, isn't it, that the last four of the churches?
At least the last three, these three that we're considering, Thyatira, Sardis and Philadelphia all have hold fast.
And so we think of those in Thyatira, how far they've gone. In verse 25 it says, But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
You know you can. You have a good basis in speaking with one of present day Fayette Tyra Catholics. They do believe in the virgin birth, they believe in the Trinity, they believe in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. And you have a basis on which to build.
They do have something that they can hold fast and there are those that do in that system, but then in Stardust we also have.
In verse three of chapter 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast.
And repent.
I don't have too much to say about that, but it does say hold fast.
They're to repent to because they've lost something already. Now we have in.
Philadelphia. We're just reading it there. To hold fast that which thou hast sometimes is an effort to try and gain more. But we need to hold fast that we already have, don't we? And then the Lord may show us more.
I think all these are rewards for the assemblies and I, I believe the rewards are always there. They're not taken away. But the, the crown of life, all believers are going to have that crown of life and the morning star. No reason why we shouldn't have that bright morning star in our hearts. But the thought is you lose the blessing of it now.
Some believe, don't even believe in eternal security, but if they have touched the hem and in faith, they're going to get there anyway because they don't believe it, It doesn't make it untrue. And the the the morning star is for every believer, but some are not enjoying it and he doesn't take it away. They just lose it in a sense for themselves. And I think it's nice to realize that now here we have.
The crown of what? Is this the take away thy crown? Well, you know, I have tied this in with Second Timothy chapter 4 and I believe this is the crown he's Speaking of, but it may not be. I just mentioned it and verse 8.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day. He's already dwelling upon it, and not to me only.
But under all them also that love is appearing. You know, he's not emphasizing here his coming, but that's before his appearing. But his appearing we ought to love, brethren, because it's more for him. It's when he takes his rightful place in this world. It's when he asserts his authority. And that ought to be the real joy for all of us.
It's wonderful to think of his coming for us, but his?
Return with us to assert his authority is so wonderful. Well, I believe that's the crown. It may be something else, but I think that's a crowned for Philadelphia and both are referred to in this verse, aren't they? The Lord's coming for us and the crown at his appearing. So both are present, you might say, living realities in Philadelphia.
And I think it's very good what our brother Tom Roach brought before us, because it's evident in Scripture that God takes us up on the ground of what he has given us. And so those in Thyatira, they're responsible to hold fast what they have, and God will hold them accountable for that. If someone finds himself inside us, he is responsible for what's been given to him, and God holds him accountable.
00:15:07
But in Philadelphia, I love what an old brother used to say. He's long since with the Lord, but he said in Philadelphia what you get.
Is God desiring something for himself before the Lord Jesus comes back? It's the Lord Jesus wanting the expression in some of his own.
Of what answers to God's character in every way? Well, which one of us would stand up and say I've I've arrived, I'm there. No, we don't say that, but it's what God desires because he wants the display in this world of what answers to God's character in every way. And that's why I believe we don't properly look at Philadelphia as ecclesiastical position.
By a Tyra Sardis yes, they are well defined positions that can be identified in Philadelphia and Laodicea are more moral states that God is looking for. And so when it says hold that fast which thou hast, it brings before us as our brother Tom was saying, the responsibility as to what has been revealed, what has been brought out, what has been given to us and the Lord says.
I want that practically displayed. And to me there are two things in this verse. There's an encouragement and a warning. The Lord says, Behold, I come.
Quickly. Oh, what an encouragement. I don't have to hold on forever, as Brother Michelle was saying there. My grip may start to loosen, but if the Lord is before me, he says hold on, I'm coming. Quickly, like General Sherman said in the American Civil War, hold the Fort. I'm coming.
That was an encouragement and the men held on until he got there. But then there's also another encouragement and a warning. There's a crowd. If I don't wear it, if I don't take it, if I'm not faithful, God will find someone else and they'll take that crown. If you and I, by grace don't hold fast what we have, God will find someone else to hold it. He will have his Philadelphia until the end.
And there will be a crown for those that are identified with that.
Connection with crowns.
We wouldn't want to have the thought, would we? Then we would be honored among the brethren for our faithfulness.
When we get the glory there'll be, there will be no other objects in the Lord Jesus and His glory in His person and will fully understand and value His person forever. And if by God's grace you and I have been given a crown, we'll have something to honor the Lord with.
We'll be able to take that crown and put it at his feet and say, Lord Jesus, this is because of thy faithfulness and my love and my goodness. And we have the privilege of honoring the Lord with that as others will not. Don't you think so, brother? Amen. Amen. And every crown will only be to cast at His feet, and we'll have to own that. It was God that worked in us, both the willing and the doing of His good pleasure. In the German we have a hymn that comes to my mind whenever we talk on something like that.
And the thought is this, when we shall stand in that day, there with Him glorified, everyone will see and ask only His glory. What will be demonstrated is what His grace has made us to be. It's not for our glory, that is for His glory. Hold fast that which thou has for Philadelphia.
I really believe it brings in the whole.
Two, and the remnant testimony, God has always had a remnant testimony from the time of the First Division when he said this thing is from me, but he maintained a testimony in Judah for his Son's sake. And since that time there's always been a remnant testimony and they'll be such till he come and I believe.
We don't claim it to outside world and Christendom, but if we don't know we're part of that remnant testimony, we're losing something. Brethren, I don't mean to boast, but it's the most wondrous and wonderful privilege anyone can have in this world ever is Next morning, tomorrow morning when we break bread as the Lord has requested us to do.
00:20:18
I think that's the highest, and it does say are gathered in Matthew 1820, and I believe it. I would have never chosen this group. No, I would have chosen a mighty different group. But I'm so happy the Lord chose it for me. And that is the remnant testimony. There'll be one, and by His grace, but only by His grace, I'll be part of it when He comes.
The Christian testimony is larger than the gathered Saints. It is a great privilege to be gathered through the name of the Lord Jesus out of the confusion of Christendom. But the Christian testimony is larger than the Gareth Saints. Remember what we have heard. The entire Tyra, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laudicia go on together.
To the end and there is even entire Tyra that which is for God. I have had the privilege of meeting Catholic who truly loved the Lord Jesus. You know I sought my farm when we lived on the farm to a man and.
He owed me still some money that were agreed to be paid later. So I called him up and we had a.
Our long conversation on the phone and he popped the question he said what more than anything else accomplished atonement from the Catholic at I was so stunned and he answered. He said the blood of the Lord Jesus. I'm sure I'm going to find him in heaven, you know, and to meet Christians, although they do not enjoy and know what the Lord in grace has given us.
It's a joy to meet one who truly loves the Lord and trusts in His finished work, His blood. You know, of course, then they have other doctrines that really.
Are not consistent with this confession that the man made. We have to atone for some of our sins. That's what they're taught in the Catholic system. But it is a joy to meet a Christian.
Who is part of the Christian testimony? Who is not gathered to the name of the Lord? And maybe.
The Lord may use us to give them more light, more understanding, but be careful not to overwhelm them. You know, my wife sometimes tells me your danger is that you give the people too much when you meet them. You know, we have to recognize where they are and their understanding and then try to help them and lead them on further. So the Lord might be able to use us. But it's a joy to find somebody.
Who is not enjoying the truth that we enjoy? Who loves the Lord? Who is truly part of the Christian testimony? And I'm not Speaking of mere profession. I'm only Speaking of those who really love the Lord. And there are our brethren in Christ. I agree with you 100% and could multiply it 100 times. But you're talking about the grace of God. Now we're talking about Him that is holy and Him that is true.
There's a difference, brother, and I'm glad for the difference. My own secretary of 27 years was saved, but she never quit being a Catholic.
It speaks to me. I've met many Catholics. You mentioned Catholics and brought it up who are saved, but they don't get out of that system.
By grace, you're out of it. I'm out of it. No credit to us.
But we shouldn't ever deny the privilege, right? But it is told them to hold fast what they have. They have something that they have to hold fast. And we're thankful that they have something that they're not without something. So we're thankful for whatever truth is enjoyed by any St. we ought to rejoice in it. That should speak to ourselves too, isn't it? Because.
00:25:04
It's not a question of how much we know.
That brings us to the Lord's table. We could be very ignorant, but we know that the Lord is there. We appreciate that. And so I like those words. Hold that fast which thou hast. We don't have to.
Passed some kind of a test of how much we know and how much we can explain.
If we know that.
We're saved and the Lord is there. That's what we want.
And simplicity, isn't it? It's just wonderful that we can, we could be acting, acting Philadelphians, if I could put it that way, that know very little as long as we know him and we believe that the Lord is in the midst. Hold it fast, hold it fast. You know, there's complaints sometimes of all kinds of things.
Don't need to try to make details of it, but.
Hold fast what thou hast.
Not complain because, oh, there's nothing here for us. There's enough there that you can take all you want. Is that right? Yes.
I believe the 12Th verse tells us what were to hold fast, and because the 12Th verse speaks of collective testimony to God in a day of ruin, we're moving right down into ruin. Laodicea. And they go side by side, and it says him that overcometh will I make a pillar where in the temple of my God, where God can dwell.
In the midst, and it's wonderful to think of this. That's the collective testimony and I will write upon him the name of my God. Don't forget the Lord said, I go to my God and your God and that's the beautiful part. God has always wanted to dwell with his creatures, you and I.
From from Adam and Eve on, he always had the desire, Jehovah likewise.
Jesus too. And so this is really what we're talking about. Hold fast that which you have. I call it the remnant testimony in this Dark World, it's still there.
A pillar is a symbol of strength, isn't it? And I've enjoyed it. Excuse me, in all of these churches. The overcomer. What is given to the overcoming?
Something to do with their state of things. I can Smyrna where they were being put to death by persecution. The overcomer would not be heard of the second death. Well, in this case the overcomer is to be made a pillar. Because back in the eighth verse thou hast a little strength. So the strength is going to show up when the overcomer. Isn't it marvellous what God does?
Contrast to the day that we live, brethren, is a day of weakness, and do we not all feel it?
But how wonderful the exhortation. Thou hast little strength.
And has kept my word and has not denied my name. Can we overemphasize the value of that?
And holding that fast.
These exhortations are given to us, no doubt, to the period of Philadelphia, but it goes right on through Laodicea that we have the privilege of holding these precious truths fast.
It's good for us to look at it from God's viewpoint and his assessment as to the value of it. Someone said, What would you like to be doing when the Lord Jesus Christ comes?
Well, an answer was given about being in the mission field and giving out the Word of God and being faithful to Him in many areas, and that certainly is true. But these encouragements and injunctions for us here are certainly that which God values. It may not be doing any great thing for Him. Beloved brethren, we all feel our failure, do we not? In being energetic and zealous in the gospel and and to the many things which He is perhaps called us to do, we we feel our failure.
00:30:02
But to go on with the twos and the threes, we are being reduced by Satans advances.
And by the attractions all around us. 2 twos and threes.
But the preciousness of being gathered to his name, would that not be something that we hold fast in this day of weakness because our brother Tom has mentioned in that coming day, he will be a pillar in the temple of God. That position of strength to show what he thought of you're holding fast in that day to come. What a blessing that will be a no credit to us has already been said.
Only by His grace, but we need to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard less that anytime. We should let these things slip, brethren, and I feel the tendencies in my own heart to let these things slip. But oh, how much it means to the Lord Jesus Christ to be in that place of taking the place of His rejection here in this world, gathered to His precious things. How wonderful to see it from God's viewpoint.
Encouraging to see also in connection with an individual, what we have in the first chapter of Jeremiah.
The Lord comes before the prophet verse 17 and says.
Thou therefore gird up thy loins. Arise and speak unto them all that I command thee. Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For behold, I have made thee this day the defense city, and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah.
Against the Princess there are, against the priests thereof, and against the people of that land, and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee, for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee. So the prophet is seen here as a defense city, as an iron pillar. Brother Tom was talking about the pillars as a symbol of strength, and here too we have a brazen wall.
And we see the.
Property spoken of in this way, and of course the Lord's deliverance and the Lord undertaking for him.
On the 12Th verse could we turn to Haggai because I believe this will clear it up in a very nice way. I may be using application but I believe it's right. Haggai verse eight first if chapter 2 of Hagei.
The silver is mine and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. I believe that's his highest title. He uses to Israel, to us. He uses Almighty What to Israel, the Lord of hosts? And what does that mean? That means what Brother Franklin would bring it out them that are real. He knows.
No matter where they are or what system they're in, doesn't matter. He knows them and he loves them. The silver is mine and the gold is mine, sayeth the Lord of hosts. Now nine, The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former.
You know it should read. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former. What does that mean? To me it means this.
The testimony of 1St century Christianity was wonderful, but when one got saved, there was only one place to go.
It soon became a little cloudy towards the end, but they didn't have any other place to go when they became a Christian. That's it, except of the Assembly. What about today? United States alone? 2600 religions.
There's still the glory of the latter, glory of his house. There's still a testimony to the Church of God, the one body today. To me, that's the greater glory than 1St century Christianity, to think God is able to do that in this wicked world religiously as it is. And I believe that's the meaning of that first.
00:35:17
In respect to Christianity, I have a question better that speaks of the House now or the future, because what is added to that statement is that we will not go out anymore.
I didn't read that. I mean Diverse Revelation 3, you gave the primary meeting. I agree well, but I'm suggesting that we should read that in connection with.
And he shall go out no more.
That suggests to me, and if I'm not right, please correct me, that that speaks of the future glory when there is rest.
What we have to do now in the day of ruin and general decay, we have to go out, you know, we have to separate. But in that coming day there is no longer any need for that. What exists now at very best is very feeble, imperfect. And I have sometimes said we are not only identified with the ruining the Christian profession, we are identified.
With the ruin of that which God raised up 100 and 5070 years ago, the movement among brethren, and we have contributed to it, and that's the proper way of looking at ourselves. But in His grace He has maintained something for His glory. But there is a glory coming which will not in any way change any longer, and we will not go out anymore.
We will be in a fixed.
Same position forever. Is that the way to understand that shock?
I just want to repeat, that's the primary meaning of that verse. I said at the beginning I'm applying it, but look at John 2, John two and verse 18, and I'll read also 20 and 21. Then answered the Jews and said unto Jesus, What sign? Show us thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things.
And Jesus answered and said, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews 40 and six years was this temple in building, and walked out rear it up in three days. And he spake of the temple of his body.
And it's a marvel to me that there's a testimony worldwide.
Of that temple, his body today.
That the greater glory of the latter house, the latter glory of my house. But I'm applying, I admit.
Hold that fast which thou hast. The question comes to my mind.
In connection with the testimony, how did we ever get those things that were called to hold fast? Is it because we were so committed to the Lord that we searched the Scriptures and we found it for ourselves and we discovered that this is how the Lord wanted us to meet? That's not the way it happened. It happened in the midst of confusion. The Christianity became that great house and God and his faithfulness to the Lord Jesus.
Raised up a weak testimony in grace alone to bear witness to him, to have a little garden for him where he can come and smell the fragrance of worship, of hearts that respond to him because they've been brought by God himself through His Spirit into the fullness of who the Lord Jesus is and what He's done and what the church is. And as much as we can be responsible for having these things committed to us, we must never lose sight of the grace of God that has given you and me.
The great privilege of being associated with that testimony and of sitting together in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, sometimes when I speak to other believers, I gotta get into the spirit that you should all come and be with us. And I don't believe this is what God would have today because Christianity is in ruin because our lack of faithfulness, not because of his lack of power, but in the race he's raised up the testimony. And here and there he reaches hearts and consciences and he opens our eyes and he says.
00:40:17
See it now, and once you see it, you're responsible to hold fast what He's shown you. But let's never forget the grace that has been given to each one of us to be sitting in these meetings and to hear these things and to be brought into the enjoyment of it. And God keep us from ever having proud art because of these things that He shown to us for the glory of the Lord Jesus alone, not for yours and mine.
Peter said, I will not be negligent to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them. We know these things, but don't we enjoy hearing them over and over again? We are part of criticism, but let's don't hang our heads too low. It would be dishonouring to the Lord to do that. We are ashamed of chrysanthemum.
But let's don't keep saying we're part of it. Sad to say, it's true, but we're also the testimony that God wants in these last days.
Fancy strength is to be feared and pride is to be feared. I believe it is correct and the Lord would want us to say that, that some of the problems that we have experienced, even in the 30 years that we are amongst the gathered Saints, part of it was pride that needed to be humbled. Brethren, we have to be very careful about that. We are weak.
And we have to be careful of pride, you know, that is so common to the human heart. And we have to magnify the grace of God that there is anything left that is only His grace that has preserved something for His glory in this scene. We cannot take any credit for it.
In John 6, the Lord had given some ministry that was hard for any of them to take.
Says from verse 66. From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
Then said Jesus unto the 12, will he also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him. Lord.
To whom shall we go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life.
And we believe and are sure thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Young people, you can look around and see the weakness and the dishonor that we brought upon the name.
Well, where are you going to go?
Where are you going to go?
The truth is still the truth and He is the truth, and though we have failed in carrying it out, we have to hang our heads in shame.
And our faces should be in the dust. But where are we going to go the.
There's only one center, and that is Christ. And if you're there, don't leave it.
Don't leave it with no thought of pride. We should be the most humble people on the face of the earth because of all our failures.
But he's there. And if that's true, to whom shall we go?
Let's stay where he is.
When the Lord says hold that fast, there's the assumption.
That we know what it is that we're to hold fast to. He doesn't outline it.
There's the assumption that we know what it is, but do we say in our heart, What is it, Lord?
What is this?
He wants us to know it. I don't want to take anything away from what our brother said. There's no.
Qualifications of.
Intelligence in that way to be received at the Lord's table, but in the Psalms it says of our sons that they may be as olive plants around the town. That's what being denied in prison of the day, the apostles doctrine, they've taken it away.
00:45:12
Falls especially, we don't have to get into the new versions, but they don't quit coming. All right, tassels, doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers and brethren, 2000 years or more hence, it's still going on.
And I hang my hat on that.
I like to regret it. I like to read Timothy, Second Timothy.
Chapter one and I like to read it by Mr. Darby's translation.
Half verse 13, half an outline of sound words.
Have a skeleton of truth has been explained.
With words thou hast heard of me, in faith and love, and.
Which are in Christ Jesus.
Keep by the Holy Spirit, which dwells in US, the good deposit entrusted.
You see, this is fitting in with what was said previously. We have to hold fast. Do we have?
An outline of sound words.
Yes, it is very important to know the truth.
And the truth will set us free, the Scripture says. But what is so important? It is.
By faith in faith.
And love, which is in Christ Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
This can be kept so these this is a challenge for all of us. Do we have an outline of sound words and we get it from the Scriptures. You know, Timothy got it from Paul and we still have what Paul passed on to Timothy.
Writings of Paul, the inspired scriptures. Do we have that outline and then keeping it by the Spirit, but.
Faith and love is so important that it is true faith, not just intellect, and that we love the truth. That's what it says in Second Thessalonians. They didn't love the truth. They didn't have love for the truth.
Well, these are things that fit in with what we have been considering, so I trust we will be stirred up and especially the younger ones, but I'm afraid that there are sometimes older ones.
Who go on without making much of an effort on their personal effort to lay hold of things for themselves and sometimes in the assembly.
There is very little truth presented. These are facts, beloved Saints. No. I'm sure those who have been amongst the gathered Saints longer than I have been, they can testify that in the past.
There was more truth clearly presented in the local assemblies than it is today because we have not been beloved Saints of God, faithful in laying hold of these things and then pass them on for blessing to others. Not only.
Teaching it, but living it, you know, Paul said in Timothy. Thou has known my doctrine, my manner of life.
That goes along with the doctrine that our life backs it up, what we teach. Could we turn to Ephesians because of where we're moving in our chapter? And I believe I'll use J&D too, like Franklin did, Brother Frankman.
Verse 14. You look at it in J&D. I'm going to read the other translation with chapter.
Chapter 4, The one body and one spirit chapter. I thought I said 4 I'm sorry. Verse 14 In order that we be no longer babes, tossed and carried about by every wind of that teaching which is in the sleight of men, in unprincipled cunning, with a view to systematize air.
00:50:16
That's a warning we're going to get in the last of this chapter. I think Paul put it in a nutshell. That systematized air. If it isn't according to the Word of God, if it's man's thoughts, it's cunning.
There were those that were considered pillars in the beginning of the church. The apostles considered to be pillars. We find out in First Timothy chapter 3. I believe that the church is a pillar and ground of the truth.
Now we've talked about the confusion and.
Here it says I will make them to be pillars in the temple of my God.
We do value every gifted brother, every teacher that God and grace has raised up among us. And for these ones that have labored among us and been faithful to the Lord, and we've been brought into an enjoyment of the Scriptures by them. But these ones had no place, you might say, in the outward testimony of the professing church. They're a great man with great names. They have great pulpits, and they have thousands of people listening to them for those that have been called to not deny his name and be faithful to His word.
They've been outside, not outside the great house, but they've been separated from the systems of men. And God is telling us here that those faithful ones, he was going to make pillars in the temple of his God. And though not recognized now, I just like to encourage every brother here and sister to, to be faithful. Because when you're faithful and you're going on, you're like one of these pillars, one of these strongholds, not like the children we read of in Ephesians that we were tossed about by every wind of doctrine, but you're, you're someone we can talk to.
And receive instructions from and be helped. And in the Lord's coming, in his time, He'll show how much he valued your standing fast.
And that's really the point, isn't it, of what we get at the end of the address to Philadelphia. Because the Lord recognizes that it's not going to be easy. It's not going to be a simple thing. There's going to be a need to hold fast. There's going to be the going out as our brother.
Presented to us, there's going to be the constant reminder all the time that we are living in days of ruin.
And we can get discouraged, we can say it's not worth it, but then the Lord says, and to me, these last verses here versus verse 12 particularly, there's no greater word of encouragement in the whole Bible than what we get here.
His brother Michelle was saying there were pillars in the early church and the scripture refers to them.
But now those pillars may not be recognized, but God says in the coming day, I'm going to make you a pillar in the temple of my God.
In Solomon's Temple there were two pillars. One was called Jakin, the other was called Boaz. He shall establish, and in him is strength.
Well, we know in that sense there isn't a temple in heaven, but the language is figurative. There is going to be that which you and I will be part of, that nothing can move. There'll be no more having to go out. There would be no more having painfully to separate from beloved believers in Christ because there is a connection there that we can't go along with.
It says here I will write upon him the name of my God. Now there may be reproach to be born, but then that name will be written publicly, the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem. In that day. That New Jerusalem, which is the Church, will be displayed publicly to heaven and earth as the jewel that God has had in his heart and in his counsel since the past eternity. That will all be displayed in the coming day.
And then the Lord says, I will write upon him my new name.
I don't know what that means for sure. I suggest the thought that perhaps the new name there is the name that the Lord Jesus takes as Son of man. Because in that day you and I will be perfectly like Christ, and God is going to have his beloved Son honored and glorified, but as man and the Lord Jesus takes that title down here.
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When they asked him if he were the Son of God, his reply was, There is a day coming when you will see the Son of.
Man coming in the clouds of heaven, all the world will see him as man honored and glorified.
But you and I will be perfectly like him then. Well, God is calling for that now. He's looking, you might say, to the Philadelphian to display that character. Now, down here, none of us does it perfectly. But in that day, the promise is I'm going to write upon him my new name. Well, I just suggest the thought. Others may have a different thought, but it's come home to my own soul in that way that perhaps that is his new name.
And so I say to each one of us, there is no greater word of encouragement to go on in the pathway of Philadelphia than the what the Lord gives us here. Because I appreciate our brother Bobby thought that in one sense it can be applied now, but in that day it will be publicly displayed for all to see. And it will be worth it, won't it?
You know, there's an assembly. I was told this story. Some of you might even recognize it, but I won't make mention names. But it was prayer we talk about. We can be discouraged by the way things go. It was prayer and reading night. There were two gathered together that night, an aged man and his daughter and a man. A Christian man walked into the meeting room.
And this agent brother was the prayer meeting, and he was the reading meeting.
And this man who came in and was thinking.
Why don't they go somewhere where there's some people?
Just two of them here. But as the meeting went on, he began to realize.
Maybe what they have, they value so much they're willing to continue even though they're so few. And that man is now gathered.
The name is intimately connected with the truth that the One to whom that name belongs has given to us. Thou hast kept my word and not denied my name. They're connected. Together we're gathered unto the precious Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I was little in school, we used to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. That little word unto has the same force as the word to in the Pledge of Allegiance. You can't pledge your allegiance to two flags. The thought is I pledge my allegiance to that flag to the exclusion of every other flag.
Were gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in exclusion of every other possible center of unity that man can dream up in this earth. There is only one Center for us, name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the one to whom that name belongs has given to us.
Is truth. If we're faithful in that, that very name will be that which we have not denied, by His grace, will be what is placed upon us.
God hath highly exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above every name.
And as that blessed name, beloved brethren.
That we are gathered to by His grace.
I will write, I will write upon him my new name. I believe it speaks of a relationship now in eternity. We know that name now than a relationship, but it's more knowing him there and we're here. But I believe it's new in a sense will be with him, like him in eternity.
Now it speaks in the 18th or the 17th verse.
About the hidden manner and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth. If that's the relationship we have now, it's beautiful to really know him who died for us but.
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Tomorrow we see him.
Because he promised that the Spirit makes sure.
But we still know Him as sitting at the right hand of God, still being able to be with us and never leave us or forsake us. But think about the eternal state. It'll be a new name then to us. And I think that speaks of that eternal relationship.
When you speak of someone's name, I mention a name and you know the person.
To have all sorts of thoughts come to your mind because you know that person, maybe that person.
You don't like them very much and you'll bring negative thoughts, but maybe you like them very much. Have all sorts of thoughts come to your mind because of the mention that that name. And right now, if you mention the name of Jesus right now, I'm sure many hearts are stirred by hearing the name of the Lord Jesus. But you know, when we come to the different seat of Christ, when we stand before him and he reviews our life and he'll manifest all those things that were pleasing to Him and reward everything.
And cold water and manifest his grace and love in a measure we've never seen before. When that's over, when somebody says the name of Jesus, our hearts will be moistured. And when he comes and we see him face to face, you know, and we see his manifestation in glory. We see him rule for 1000 years. We see the new heaven and the new earth. Or the name of Jesus is going to fill eternity with delight for our hearts. What you think, brother?
We were going into a nursing home one time. There was a man, elderly man, standing outside and a woman was speaking with him.
And as I went by, I overheard her say to him, you need to put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And when she said Lord Jesus Christ, it's thrilled, my Lord, just wonderful to hear that name. And she was encouraging him to trust in that one who bore that name. Just wonderful. I can never forget. It's just so thrilled to hear it.
The writing here is to the church, isn't it? And the call is individual.
And I have enjoyed that because it costs something to leave.
An association that.
That you are connected with that the Lord reveals to you that it's wrong to be connected with it.
And so it seems to me that that.
Every truth has to be taken and received in that way. I think of the words of the Lord when he's here, except a man leave his father and mother, He cannot be my disciple. And so from the time that we're young.
We get old. The Lord tests us, He brings. He gives us faith to believe, and then, and then.
Then we go on day by day, but it costs something to leave and then he rewards for faithfulness and and going on for him. And that's what I get from these verses here in connection with the cost of separating from.
Wrong positions or whatever to go on with the Lord.
The expression.
God occurs four times in this 12Th verse.
The only other time the Lord used that expression was when He was on the cross.
Bearing our sins, he cried. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
He had addressed him as Father at the beginning, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. And at the end he said, Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit. And all during his life he spoke to him as Father and my Father, not my God, except at the cross. And then in resurrection he says to Mary, I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God.
And then here in this verse.
Him while I that overcometh, while I make a pillar in the temple of my God. Now whenever he uses that expression, he's speaking as a man.
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He was not his God in deity, He was his father in deity, but he didn't become his God until he became a man. When your comments Bill on this new name I think are right on the point.
He says.
The temple of my God is speaking as in His humanity, and He shall go no more out with many. Some of us have had to leave systems and go on out and separated from that which was not according to the Word. Well, there won't be any more here. I will write upon him the name of my God.
He became a man so that his God, his name, will be written upon the overcomers.
And the name of the city of my God, that's of course the church, the new Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven. That's the source from which it comes from my God, my God. And then I will write upon him my new name. And I was just thinking of four times he says my God in the other churches, he says my father, my father, my father. For instance, in 21 verse 21, I am set down with my father in his throne.
And the others my father has mentioned. But here it's my God.
And it's very precious. I think his new name does connect with his humanity.
Because it had to be something that he became.
And that's written upon us, and we're going to know. We're going to know God in the most intimate way when we're in the presence of that glorified man.
And as we look at him, we'll remember that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him. But He came to where you and I were in order that we might really know him. They'll come.
God is God.
And his Father with us in the prayers of Paul and the prayers in the New Testament, it's always God first must be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was God first with us and then we became his children and now he's our Father. But with the Lord it was Father 1St and then God, because he was always his Father and he became his God when he became a man. And he brings us into that relationship.
And it'll never end. Praise his name.
109.
Who do we stand?
Our daughter.
Say to these things we thank Thee for the Lord Jesus. We thank the Father for bringing him before us. We thank Thee for the delights that God is finding him, the fullness of the light for thy heart. Father, we thank you for the fullness that Thou would have us find in him too. That blessed One, that weak 1 The lowly one called Jesus. We thank you for all that He is before eternity too. And we thank you for our time this morning, for what we've heard. We pray that our hearts and light only be stirred, but also.
That our feet would follow in the path that's pleasing to Thee, Lord Jesus. Yet a little while we have to glorify thy name on the earth. To honor Thee. We pray we might have grace each one to walk in these things. Honor thy great name, Lord Jesus. We thank you now for this time together. Father, in his alone, worthy and precious name. Amen. Amen.
Revelation 3:14-22
Reading
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3/14.
I got to see you.
It's been suggested 3/14.
And under the usual of the church to the latest seems right.
These things set the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou art cold or hot.
So then, because thou art lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mother. Because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knoweth not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be cold, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.
And anoint thine eyes with Isaf, that thou mayst see as many as I love, I rebuke and chasing these jealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will suffer him, and he with me.
That overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also over I overcame.
And sat down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit set under the Church.
Verse 13 we did not handle last week last meeting and we did not start with at this meeting, but it's important either hath an ear to hear. Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. You have that reference. He did have the near to hear. Let him hear seven times.
00:05:04
In the Gospels, and you have it seven times here, but here it's what the Spirit says to the churches. It's to those who belong or at least profess to belong to Christ. And the Spirit is teaching us. Church never teaches, the Spirit teaches. But in the in the Gospels, it's to the loss.
Is to those who need Christ, not to those who know Christ so much as to those who need it. That's the difference in the 14 times this reference is found.
I.
Brother Chuck, maybe you to repeat what you said the first day, I think it was very good about the essential difference between Philadelphia and Laodicea.
Philadelphia makes everything of Christ and Laodicea everything of self.
That's the difference, isn't it?
Laodicea is basically humanism into in the church.
And Philadelphia is Christ is everything. That's true Christianity, isn't it?
I believe that's why the 14th verse says the beginning of the creation of God isn't that interesting to bring them back to Genesis 1 because when they get off this far as Laodicea has gotten off, they have to go back to the beginning. Anytime anyone gets off, they have to go back to the beginning.
Where they got off, they got off at the very beginning. Look at Colossians.
I believe that's the answer. Colossians, chapter one.
And verse 16.
For by Him were all things created that are in the in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, All things were created by him.
And for him, we could read on and get a deeper meaning, but they had to be brought back to the beginning. And that's the beautiful thing, how far off they are today. Many in Christendom do not even hold, hold to creation.
If you read on a little bit more in Colossians one, I'll read on verse 17, and He is before all things, and by him all things consist, and He is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things you might have the preeminence here in Colossians one. Of course, He's the Creator. That's true.
But he's the beginning, the first born from the dead, and that's when he rose from the dead, when he became the beginning of the new creation. And that's what you have in Laodicea. I don't think he's referring to the first creation here, but he's referring to the new creation, of which Christ is the head.
And that's what should have been found in Laodicea. It says unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans, these things saith the Amen. He was the Amen. He was the confirmation of everything that God said and did. And the Church should have been that too, but they weren't. And then the faithful and true witness, He was the faithful and true witness. The Church should have been that, but she wasn't. And He was the beginning of the creation of God, the new creation. And the church should have been an expression of that, and she wasn't.
So everything that he was, as he presents it to Laodicea, she was not.
She had the complete absence of these qualities and and you wonder as you read it if there was anyone that was even saved in that church. But I think that there was because he says in verse 19, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten Bezel is therefore in repent.
So there must have been some there that were real, though the mass was not.
00:10:09
Also, they were overcomers.
Not prove that there were believers.
They have to be the, you know, recover.
It's important to see that as we enter onto a discussion of Laodicea, that on the one hand, the Lord begins by the Spirit of God, begins by the reference to the Lord himself who is the same, and ends up with the address to the overcomer. So this state of things as we're going to read, it's pretty depressing.
It's pretty difficult to say, well, is that really what the church has come down to, or perhaps the professing church, and sad to say, even real believers, and we can be among them, can partake of the character, the attitude, the spirit of Laodicea. But on the one hand it is an encouragement because here is the Lord himself that does not change. And so we can look to Him. And on the other hand, there is the address to whoever overcomes.
Well, the Lord does not tell us to overcome unless it's possible to do so, does He?
And so the spirit of Laodicea does not need to be that which we succumb to, that which we give in to, that which we say, well, what can you do? This is the way things are. It's a bad time. No, it is a bad time, but at the same time there is a remedy for it. And that's why we get this address, because the Lord is looking for those who will be overcomers if we do not recognize that this does not refer to Genesis 1.
We missed the point.
We are connected with a new creation of which He is the person from among the dead.
And we belong not to that which is under judgment, and which sin has corrupted.
You know, we belong to the creation of God and we should live as those that are part of the creation of God. If it would be Genesis, that would bring us unnatural ground. So, and it is beautiful in Colossians, in the King James, it says the first born from the dead. The correct rendering is the first born from.
Among the dead, he's the first fruits. 1St Corinthians 15 Then we that are Christ, that is coming.
You know what then? Even those who are slain for the Word of God and the testimony they bear in Revelation, it says blessed is he that has part in the first resurrection. You know they are also going to be raised in the same way as our Lord has been raised, but already.
We are identified with the one that has been raised and is the head.
Of a new race in resurrection. Of course, in Colossians it goes further than just the head of a new creation. He is the head of the body, the Church. He became that, if I may put it that way, when the Spirit of God came, you know, and linked us to our living head in heaven and to every true St. on earth, that one body was formed.
So.
It's wonderful to be reminded here in Revelation we who live in loudy seeing days.
That we are part of the creation of God, of the new creation. We don't have to wait until He comes and takes us home. We are already new creatures in Christ and linked with Him who is the head of the new race. In John 20 the risen Christ appears to his disciples who were trembling, and he pronounces, peace be unto you.
And that was for themselves, the peace that he had won for them. And then he says, peace be unto you a second time. As my Father has sent me forth, Even so send I you. And then it says he breathed into them the breath of his resurrection life. And I believe that's that's associating them now with Himself as the head of the new creation. We now live of that resurrection life.
00:15:27
And then he says, receive ye Holy Spirit, we lit we, we live in in the spirit.
And in that resurrection life and then the Spirit came down personally on the day of Pentecost to form the one body. But you have those two events, the the bringing them into a new creation by the in breathing of the risen Christ. Just like God in the beginning breathed into man's nostrils the breath of natural life, and man became a living soul, so here is that same person, but now as a man.
Risen, that breathes into them His resurrection life. And that's what this is talking about here, isn't it? The new creation which starts with Him. Risen, and we're associated with Him now in resurrection.
1St Corinthians 15 Adam was made a living creature, the second or last Adam a life giving spirit that connects with John chapter 20.
And also in John 12 The Lord Jesus says, unless the kernel of wheat fall into the ground and die at abideth alone, He was that Colonel of we, the man Christ Jesus. Although He became a man, He was alone. There was none like him. But through His death now we are linked with Him in new creation. We are the fruit of the travel of His soul.
And in John 20, we see him linking us to himself in Resurrection, beautiful young people to get ahold of that. The Scriptures is like a jigsaw puzzle, somebody has said, and all fit together and we have to learn to fit it together and interpreting scripture by scripture.
Bill, you said at another meeting, I think it was you that.
These last two assemblies, Philadelphia and Laodicea, are not ecclesiastical positions, but moral states.
And we can all look into the mirror and, and see that person that is looking back at us. And sometimes we'll, we'll, we'll have the sense. Well, that was Philadelphia and what I did. And the next moment you'll say that was Laodicean of, of self. And we have some of both of that, don't we? We're not all pure little Philadelphians or pure laid Asians. We, we find that there's a mixture. And these are not ecclesiastical positions so much as moral states.
I think that's helpful to see that.
Now Thyatira was an ecclesiastical position, that's Romanism and Sardis and ecclesiastical position, that's Protestantism. I mean, that represents that. But then we can we come to Philadelphia and Laodicea and to make Philadelphia a, a, a group, an ecclesiastical group in Christendom is wrong.
It says thou art lukewarm.
As to what were they lukewarm? The truth?
Person of Christ.
All the truth.
You can take it or leave it. You believe what you want, I believe it what I want, and we can go on together in love. That's that false love you were talking about in the last meeting.
It's not real love at all, is it?
It's interesting to note where we have mixtures that are mentioned in Scripture. Leviticus chapter 19, They weren't mixed seeds or a field. They weren't to mix a garment of woolen and linen. And here we have a mixture of hot and cold. And what is the result of scoop warmness, isn't it? And when?
00:20:05
And Daniel, chapter 2.
Look at it for a moment.
And verse 42.
In connection with the Kingdom that's described here, says and the toes of the sheep were part of iron and part of clay. Again, another mixture isn't things which didn't come together.
So the Kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken.
What good is a Kingdom that's partly strong and partly broken? So here we have affection and an appreciation for the truth that neither fervent or cold. But Group 1 isn't it.
And I'd like to link that somewhere with what we have in the 18 first, because the 18th 1St there's the council given to buy of me gold tried in the fire. I realized here is what that is being bought. But the very act of buying something is something that is not entered into lightly, is it? And I like to look at the example of.
Abraham in Genesis chapter 23.
Efron here in verse 10 is offering Abraham some property, a field.
And.
Like we just read.
From verse 8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dad out of my sight, hear me and a tree for me, to Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give me The Cave, cave of Macphaila, which he hath, which is in the end of his field.
For as much money as it is worth, he shall give it me for possession of a burying place amongst you. And Ephron dwelt among the children of Hats, and Ephron the Hittite, answered Abraham in the audience of the children of half.
Even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying Nay, my Lord, hear me.
The field give ID, and The Cave that is therein, I give it thee in the presence of the sons of my people, give Hyatt thee bury thy death. Notice Abraham's response to that offer. And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land, and he's fake unto Ephron from the audience of the people of the land saying.
But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee hear me, I will give thee money for the fields. Take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. And we see.
Ephron's answer and verse 15 and in verse 16.
Abraham way to ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sun to pass 400 shekels of silver current money with the merchandise and.
That field has value to Abraham because it was purchased, didn't it? And So what we.
Are able to.
Value is that which should have some exercise and effort and exercise connected with it as and so that wasn't necessarily the case with those that laid to see it and it should exercise us about our value, how we value the truth of God.
Their lukewarmness.
Their latitudinarian spirit was so nauseous to Christ that he says I'll spew it out of my mouth.
00:25:06
He would rather you were, he said. I'd rather you were totally against me than this wishy washy in between this lukewarm stuff. I'd rather you were hot or coat.
Even cold but not lukewarm, he wants a decided for or against.
And you either for him or you're against him. But this wishy washy stuff that's riding the fence, that's latitudinarianism, that's Laodiceanism. He abhors that says I'll, I'll spit it out.
It's really empty profession, isn't it? I mean, they profess under criticism to belong, but they do not. It's like Matthew 23, the second verse. They say and do not. It's it's worse than anything else than those that do not even say and do not. But to say it and then be false and empty perfection. That's what he'll spew out of his mouth.
And that's what we have there. They claim to be the same as we brother. They seem to be claim same as any Christians, but they're not true. It is mixing the truth of God with death, which is of man that brings in this lukewarmness, you know, and it is really surprising that.
In this laughter seeing days, sometimes you are surprised.
Of what you hear.
But then when you confront the preacher, I was recently told a preacher had been preaching and gave out some truth and when he was confronted and asked questions, he walked away from the person. You know, he was repeating something that he evidently was not in possession of. So mixing the truth, that is where the warmth element comes in.
But then bringing man's thought in and mixing these two, that brings about this Luke warm condition. And in our day, you know, so much is made of man. You know, what do they call it?
You know.
It is a problem in the Christian profession. Generally speaking, everything is made of man and.
That is what brings in mixing these two things and trying to mix what is of the old man and what is of the new man that brings in this lukewarm condition.
Well, brother, and can't we bring this a little closer to home in connection with ourselves? I think of this, you know, in connection with the breaking of bread on Lord's Day morning. I find in my own soul quite often there is so much coldness when we come to remember the Lord in my own soul and and one feels it in the in the assembly.
And the breaking of bread to me is the expression of the state of the assembly and how little there is of praise and Thanksgiving to the Lord on Lords Day morning. It's lukewarmness that the Lord hates.
And we come together and and there's a long pause after this start of meeting and five or 10 minutes and a brother gives out a hem and then there's a long pause and maybe another hymn given out.
And how much praise is there for for the Lord from our hearts? I think that this we need to start with ourselves. When we read this, we're living in Laodiceans days and it affects us in our assemblies. And to me it's the mercy of God that the breaking of bread has been preserved to us. And it seems to me that that.
The table of the Lord has been attacked so much by the enemy because he sees.
That it is at that table where the Saints get encouraged and they and they get on fire for the Lord and they go out to please the Lord. And so he says, I'm going to attack that table. So brethren get divided and then they argue over things and. And so then you have the breaking of bread once a month and then maybe once every six months because.
00:30:13
That is the expression to me where it says, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. It is given unto us.
And so it's the table of the Lord to me where we remember him that that the Lord is looking for the affections of our hearts. And that has its effect on old and young alike in the assembly, doesn't it?
Love is the key, isn't it? We've been having that before us.
And I was thinking here in the second chapter.
That we're in.
Revelation.
Member.
The Angel of the of Ephesus. There was a bond there, there was love there, there was a a oneness all there. But notice what it says.
Chapter Chapter 2 verse three and has borne as patients for thy namesake.
As a labor has not fainted wonderful things these were. But notice the next verse.
Nevertheless I have against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
The first love left Atlanta spent the emphasis became lukewarm and sad in the Book of Laodium. That's where we are. We are in clear this year now and as our brother pointed out, we see the results of that too, don't we? We're not the same as they were in the early days. Campuses was going on in 1/2 inch position before the Lord.
Sometimes at home.
Somebody comes home with a story from school, you know, such and such happened to me, and this is what I did.
And I've seen three different reactions, one that says, oh, I would have done that too.
Another one. Well, why did you do that? That was dumb. I would have done this or this or that.
One's hot, one's cold.
But the reply that is most difficult to take is I don't care, So what?
That the stinging reply.
It's neither hot nor cold.
The lukewarmness of Laodicea is in connection with truth presented to the soul. To be hot or cold or Luke warm is a reaction to something that's been presented to me, and I think it's particularly in connection with the recovered truth presented and rejected with AI. Don't care, So what?
You add to that of the 16th verse the 17th, which means.
Pride and boasting and getting richer in their own thoughts, that's what also contemptible to the Lord. And we know that is really coming on fast.
Mega churches, so-called social clubs. They think they're rich, maybe they are.
But it means nothing to God. And that's the next step, flesh moving.
What is worse?
Christ on the outside knocking.
With an I don't care.
Inside.
Or the hot.
Through coldness, I should say, against the person of Christ that put him on Calvary's cross. I think the Christ on the outside knocking is the best because he still cares.
And he wants to open the door and he wants to have personal fellowship with them. He would not have fellowship except with one who is his. And I think that fact that he's knocking is a wonderful thought in this portion, don't you?
I agree, I just I meant it in connection with what's more abhorrent to God is to a state of soul the the the anger that would put Christ.
00:35:01
On the cross and the multitude crying away with him, or the indifference that will allow him to stand outside knocking and say I don't care.
That's right. Well, he answers that himself. He says I would thou Wert hot or cold totally against me or for me, but not this wishy washy in between stuff. That's that's lukewarmness. And that's the worst state that an assembly can be in. The Lord is not in this assembly. He's outside knocking. He doesn't own it. He's outside knocking. But there are some in there that are real. And if they open the door, he'll come into that person.
And fellowship with that person. He doesn't fellowship with this assembly. They're past that point that that was Philadelphia where he commended the assembly. But here there's no commendation of the assembly at all. He's outside of it. But there's some there that might be real. And so he he knocks and if they open, he'll come into them. And that's personal fellowship between him and them. But the, the collective thing is over in Laodicea.
Collective thing is found in Philadelphia. We might wonder perhaps what the difference is and why the Lord would prefer the outright coldness that He mentions here to the lukewarmness. And that bears on what our brother Steve was saying, where there's outright coldness and, shall we say, antagonism to Christ.
There is the opportunity for the Spirit of God to work and how many people have been totally against the Lord Jesus and yet have been turned completely around? We could we could name names of those who have written the beautiful hymns that we enjoy, men like GW Fraser and others who were utterly antagonistic to Christ. And then someone persuaded them to come to a gospel meeting and they got turned right around in their tracks and.
The Lord worked with them.
But the lukewarmness is the result, as our brother Steve mentioned, of truth presented, ultimately rejected, and then that lukewarmness that kind of settles in which nothing seems to be able to touch. Now, we don't limit what the Spirit of God can do. We don't limit what the Lord can do in His grace, and He can act on lukewarmness. But generally speaking, this is the end result of those who have known the truth.
Who have known the gospel, who have had an open Bible, who have had a gospel testimony? And then the point comes where they say, well, yes, we pay lip service to it in an outward way, but it doesn't really have any moral effect on our lives. And those are the ones that the Lord absolutely detests because that spirit of things is in one sense beyond being reached in that way.
Well, we're talking about unbelievers, but the spirit of all of that can affect the believer too. And the trouble is, when we are surrounded by all of that, it's very easy to fall into it, isn't it? Because evidently the humanism and the exaltation of man in this world.
Get hold of those who are believers and as their brother Chuck says, self is what characterizes Laodicea pride in what they were, what they knew, what they had, what they thought they could do. The Lord says you've missed it all, you've missed the blessing and I'm going to spew the out of my mouth. Well, we know that ultimately, of course the Lord will never spew a true believer out of his mouth. He will spew unbelievers out of his mouth but.
Am I right in suggesting that the condition?
Of things that characterize is characterized by lukewarmness that condition.
Is nauseous to the Lord? Maybe it's characterizing a true believer. He'll never spew the true believer out of his mouth, but that condition of things nauseates our blessed Lord. A solemn thing, isn't it? If we think about it, it's an attitude, isn't it?
The subject of abortion comes up and well, I I live in such a free thinking, liberal minded church that some.
Have had it and others are against it and it doesn't say it doesn't divide us where we can go on together thinking what we want to think and others.
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Want to give room for the homosexuals and others are thoroughly against that, but we're so liberal minded that we can tolerate both and go on together. That's Laodicea. That's the spirit of of tolerating anything and everything and calling it love and that's.
Nauseous to Christ.
People honor me with their lips and in their hearts their far from me is God's complaint already in the Old Testament and that might even become a condition of one that belongs to the Lord. You know when our brother he who here was mentioning the Lord's Day morning meetings. Sometimes it is called. Why is that?
Where have our hearts been doing the week?
Have we been occupied with the Lord? Have we filled our basket? We are not supposed to appear empty. The Scripture says to the Old Testament saying that of course in a spiritual way we have been occupied with the Lord Jesus and what He has done for us and who he is. Then we don't come empty handed, you know, sometimes.
When this has been presented, I understand in one part in this world a simple soul was singing a hymn and he made a note, oh, that's a good hymn for Sunday morning. Or he read some passage, Oh, that's a good passage to read on Sunday morning. That is not what we are suggesting. But if we are in these things during the week, the heart is full and we have something to offer.
The Spirit can lead us to express or play that which is enjoyed in the heart. That is what is so important and we do encourage people to.
Sing and have readings as families and sing as families. I believe that was practiced more widely amongst God people generally.
Today we're listening to tapes. You know, not that I object to listen to tapes. We have them along in the car when we travel these long distances, and we listen to it and sing along.
But we have to be in these things during the week. Then the heart is full and there is something that the Spirit can use to which we can give expression on Lord's Day morning and the sisters.
Their state of soul is also very important. They cannot audibly participate, but if they have enjoyed the Lord during the week, their state of soul has a big influence on how it goes on Lord's Day morning in the meeting. Because we don't worship as individuals, do we? We worship collectively, so our spiritual state of everyone that comes to the breaking of bread is very important and it has an effect.
On how things go, whether there is liberty and whether there is real praise.
For the Lord, it is the only thing that He asked us to do, right? He said do this in memory of me and we can do that. What about those that are saved in the audience here? If you ever had the desire to respond to His request to remember Him?
He exercised about that. You know, it's a wonderful thing to be privileged to be at his table.
And be in his presence and worship Him. And the wonderful truth is.
He himself there, and what we learned from Hebrews chapter 2. In the midst of the church will I sing thy praises. As the hymn writer says, He leads the singing, you know, and join the singing that he leadeth. It's a wonderful truth to be gathered to the name of the Lord, having him in the midst.
And then to worship the Father and the Lord Jesus assist us. And a young brother might be afraid to express something on Lord's Day morning. He might be afraid he says something that isn't quite accurate.
I don't believe we would blind Bartimaeus in his natural condition. He was like those here in Legacy. He was blind and you can hardly picture that. He wasn't miserable and wretched. He was poor. He's begging, and when he came to Jesus, he cast away his garment. It was no good to him anymore.
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But there's one great contrast. He was not indifferent. He knew his condition and he cried out. And the crowd was indifferent. They told him to be quiet, but he wouldn't keep quiet. And if you notice it, they said, Jesus of Nazareth is coming. And he said, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. He had a discernment that the crowd did not have. They might have been laid to see him, but the blind Bartimaeus.
He came to Jesus, and the Lord said there in the 10th of Mark, he said to him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And the blind man had ready answer that Lord, that I might receive my sight, And he got his answer. Now it says here He's an overcomer.
In back in Revelation and what did this man do? Did he go off indifferently knowing the last verse of Mark 10?
And Jesus said to him, Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. Did he go his way? Immediately He received his sight and followed Jesus in the way. Isn't he an overcomer? I think he's like that overcomer that we'd like to see there and later to see you. He responds to the knock. He heard Jesus was coming and he called out and he received his sight. He he really bought that He came to Jesus and he followed him back.
Are you finished? Yes. OK, let's go back to verse 17 and 18. We're passing over the most important verses because thou sayest I am rich.
And increased with goods and have need of nothing. What a state to be in and knowest not these people that are Laodiceans don't know their own condition.
Now notice not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked. Every one of those descriptions, it seems to me, doesn't describe a true believer at all. But he goes on. I counsel thee to buy of me.
Gold tried in the fire divine righteousness, which they didn't seem to have, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed.
Practical righteousness, which means they had life if they had that, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. They were naked before God.
And I sent it out to read. I saved to anoint thine eyes. So he counsels them to buy three things, gold light, raiment, and ISAF.
I said to anoint thine eyes, That's the Spirit of God to illuminate them.
With I said that thou mayest see. They were blind, they were naked, they were poor, wretched.
And they needed life, they needed divine righteousness, they needed the Spirit of God. And I read that I, I had to come to the conclusion there wasn't a saved soul there. But he says as many as I love, I rebuke and chase him. Be zealous therefore and repent so in the midst of that.
There were some that were real. I want to tell this story when I was a very young believer.
My sister had a friend of hers, she was a Methodist, and we went to a Methodist Bible study, if you could call it that, and they were all sitting in a circle and we were looking at a verse of Scripture and each one was telling what it meant to them.
What it meant to them. It's like these call in programs. Everyone gives their own opinion.
Which doesn't mean anything, doesn't count for a straw, has no real value to it. My sister looked at me and said, when are you going to say something? And he came to me and I said, what does the verse mean? What does the verse mean? Not to me, to you or to someone else. What does it mean? What is God saying in that verse? And we went over it and in the audience, I've said this before. You probably heard this before. I've heard what Heinz has said 10 times before.
00:50:20
But that's all right. You have to hear what I have to say a few times.
Anyway.
One of those young sisters that was there, she went to the Moody Bible Institute and she was saved. And she was just beaming. She was hearing truth that she'd never heard before. All she'd heard was the opinions of men. And then there were others that looked at me, and if looks could kill, I would, I would have died.
Because they didn't like one bit what I said, but that's that she was in a Laodicean state of things where it it doesn't matter what you believe. We can just go on together and and love covers a multitude of sins and it doesn't believe if you believe in the virgin birth, I do, but he doesn't and we go on together doesn't believe that it doesn't matter if you believe that Jesus could have sinned.
Couldn't have sinned. Those are just doctrinal issues and they just divide us and we don't let those separate us. That's Laodicea. That's Laodicea in attitude and in practice. And what the Lord is, he's knocking on this door and he said there's anyone in there like this young sister that was smiling and beaming because she was hearing the truth come out of that come out of that and we can have fellowship together, but.
She he can come into that person, but not to that assembly, because that assembly is past recovery.
Take heed how ye here, The Lord said.
Every assembly that is addressed by the Spirit of God and revelation, except this one, has something to hold on to, something that the Lord recognizes that they possess and has value, and they're to hold it. The Laodicea has nothing.
Instead, there's something with this assembly that has happened with none of the others. They talked back to the Lord. He has to say to them, and thou sayest.
And thou says, and 13 times over in the book of Malachi, they talked back to the Lord, and he had to say, But ye say, but I'll say it, they have nothing to hold on to. And they talk back to the Lord. And it comes down as our brother said, to apply it close to home. How do we hear? How do we hear? Not just with the ears, That's not what I'm saying. But how do we receive the truth?
When the Spirit of God presents it to our souls.
How do we hear? Do we take it in?
Is it valuable to us?
Or do we just talk back to the Lord?
What was going on in the temple when the Lord Jesus was here? It was dreadful, of course. What did he say? Take these things hence.
What it was, all of it had to go. They were taking advantage of the poor selling doves. The rich could bring the Bullock or the the lamb or the ram, but the poor needed turtle doves and they sold them there in the temple and they were going through carrying vessels. I first wondered what was wrong with that. You got to move the holy vessels around, but J&D has they went through the temple carrying packages.
From the market tracking their dirty feet through for a shortcut and the Lord was so upset. Take these things hence, and that's what he's saying about chrysanthemum right now.
Now there is towards the end, this promise to the overcomer that he would sit with the Lord on His throne as He also overcame and is sitting on His Father's throne. What is he talking about? He's talking about what is explained in Matthew 25, in Matthew 25 verse 31.
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When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of His glory. You know the overcomer in Lord Isaiah is promised that at that time he will sit with the Lord Jesus on his throne. He's not sitting there at the present time.
But when we suffer with him, we will also reign with him that the Millennium, you know, and, and of course he will separate the sheep from the goat and so on. As we have it in that chapter. There will be those on earth at that time that will be shaped and there will be those that are goats that are judged. But.
You know we will be raised and when the Lord Jesus comes.
He comes with all his sayings.
2nd Thessalonians is mentioning that.
The third chapter of first testimonials with all his Saints, the last verse of chapter 3. That means all the Saints will come with him. He comes on that White Horse, but there's his army with him, and his army consists of the holy angels and of all his Saints, and then we will reign with him.
We will sit with Him on the throne. Isn't that grace, beloved Saints of God, that the Lord Jesus is not only saving us for heaven, but He will also share that earthly glory with the overcomer, and that's wonderful. And there is going to be a difference in the Kingdom.
According to faithfulness, there will be a greater or smaller place. Some will be over so many cities and some over less.
In the Kingdom, faithfulness is rewarded in the place that is given to the faithful. When it comes to heaven and our place in the Father's house, it's all based for All Saints and the work of the Lord Jesus. But when it comes to the Kingdom, when he comes back and sits on His throne, there will be those who share in that glory according to the measure of faithfulness.
Displayed on earth. Now, don't you desire to be faithful for him? Not that you desire glory for yourself, as I already quoted that German hymn.
Everyone will see in US only His glory and what the grace of God has accomplished in us all His work, and it will be for His glory. But young people, you can start as young people.
To go on faithfully for the Lord you know, and if you don't watch out and go on carelessly as a young person, you might get into some habits that will be hard to break and to be delivered from. It's a wonderful thing to grow up in Christian homes under Christian influence and be preserved for the glory of the Lord Jesus.
And if we go on and serve Him faithfully, share in His rejection, we will also share in His glory.
The the address to Philadelphia to the overcomer is the highest and that to Laodicea is the lowest. I heard it said just the other way and that's all wrong. The the highest, the promise to the overcomer in Philadelphia, there isn't anything higher than that. And the one into Laodicea is just have a part in ruling. That's not the highest blessing. No, not at all.
Highest blessing is what you have in nearness to the Lord, in what he is and all that. That's Philadelphia, and you'd expect that Philadelphia has the promise to the overcomer by God, a pillar in the temple of my God, name of my God, name of the city of my God, and my new name.
Beautiful promises to lay Lucia. It's I mean, all of these promises to overcome her is a blessing, no question. But that's, that's not the highest, that's the lowest.
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I believe that verse 19 is the only time that His law was mentioned addressing the seven churches, isn't it?
And it's noticeable, isn't it, brother Reuben, that here it singles out some above others that he loves. And it's a very interesting thing. I'm not a Greek scholar, but I understand the word here is the word for natural love. It's the word filio. It's not the word generally used for divine love, although you can't apply that across the board. But I think it has a special character here because.
There is that which the Lord sees in some that He realizes if we could say it from His side, there will be a benefit from a rebuke and a chastening. And so if the Lord deals with us in our lives, if we find difficulties and problems coming in, if we find the Lord not giving us a smooth pathway, it's an evidence of His love, isn't it? It's not an evidence of His displeasure with us. It's not an evidence that He's making the road rough. It's not an evidence necessarily.
Of punishment for some kind of wrongdoing. But rather, if we are adopting the Laodicean spirit, if we are adopting that which he finds nauseous to him and the tendency is in all of our hearts, then isn't it a blessed thing if he rebukes and chastens? Isn't it a happy thing if the Lord intervenes rather than letting me continue down that path without any interruption?
But I believe that's what we have here. And so the word here in that verse is rather an encouragement. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. There is a remedy. There is an opportunity to turn around. There is an opportunity to, as our brother has already mentioned, to come out of that situation, to get clear of those things and to have the enjoyment of what we had in Philadelphia. There's a lot of difference between as many as I love.
I rebuke and chasten that love to therefore doth my Father love me.
Because I lay down my life that I might take it again. That was the love that the Father had for his Son, of French motive, if you will, for loving his Son, going to the cross at an infinite cost to himself. Quite a difference between those two expressions of love, isn't there? He can't speak of their love, but he can speak of his. And so he always retreats to those divine resources.
And they're always fresh, His love to us.
But if I could apply a verse and take it perhaps a little out of its context from judges, how can thou say thou lovest me when thine heart is not with me?
In the.
Number.
There is no.
Blessed God and loving Father, thank you for this portion of Thy worthy medicine for us. We thank you our God too, that Thou hast loved us through an eternal love. We know Thy name is called. Jesus shall save his people from their sins and all. Blessed Lord Jesus, so much more think of those things. My goodness, my grace, Thy mercy, Thy peace.
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I love all these things connected with Thy precious name or Jesus. So we thank Thee for these times over Thy precious word, that we might be enjoyed, that we might enjoy that person, and then we might put into practice those things which have been brought before us. We thank You for the practical ministry, Thy word that goes out, and we just pray, Lord, that that will give us the desire to put into practice.
The things that we hear, the things that we listen to, we pray, especially that these things may get into our hearts, and that as we come together on Wednesday morning, we might remember that Blessed One, all His love and grace and mercy toward us. Lord God, we just pray now that I will keep these things before our souls, that we might not lose them, that we may not drift away from them, but they can be found in enjoyment.
Of thy person, Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, and give these thanks now.
I.
Revelation 21:1-8 Gospel
Reading—K. Thonney
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It is right so.
Hard to do it and all the rest of the forever.
Run away.
Was the Garden Father, as we think of a person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy One, who knew no sin, and yes, was made sin, that blessed face which shown as the sun on the mountain, Transfiguration was spit upon.
A man so maltreated from the Son of thy law in his own creation. But Lord, thou art now exalted to the highest place in heaven, and shortly we shall be called away from this defiled scene to share my glory. We thank Thee for such grace as this and praise Thee. We worship thee. And we thank you too for this season, this Oasis that we've enjoyed.
Right now, as we come to this last Bible, reading that now it's make it good to our souls. As we contemplate the blessedness into which we have been brought, we pray too.
My dear brethren who are now on their journey homeward, it's always keep them in safety over the highways. They wait upon thee, blessed God, and give thee thanks. That name above all others, that of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
And we know that.
In a coming day after the Lord comes, he will set up his Kingdom, and there will be the wonderful millennial reign of Christ.
But then we find in Scripture very sparsely referred to the eternal state. But it's most blessed to see what characterizes it and.
We're aware, I trust, that the 1St 8 verses of Revelation 21 bring that before us. And so I wonder, would it be profitable just to consider that for the time and see what is the, shall we say, the culmination of God's dealings as far as heaven and earth are concerned?
Sounds good to me.
It's not very long, but usually we find that 8 verses is more than enough to occupy us for a meeting.
Revelation 21.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the 1St heaven and the first earth were passed away.
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And there was number more sea. And I, John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death.
Neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.
For the former, things are passed away and he that sat upon the throne said.
Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, right, for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and ************ and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
We took up this subject and a little more at Hammer Bay.
And it might be.
Well, to discover where.
The eternal state fits in because we can talk about that and people say, what's that? When is it?
The next thing on God's timetable is the.
After the Lord Jesus is coming for the living believers and those dead in Christ, they will rise. They'll all go up together to meet the Lord in the air. And that is followed by a period of at least seven years. Daniel 70th week. It's often referred to and it will be the time of the great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, nor ever shall be. So that synchronizes the other scriptures of that.
Character, because there can only be one that fits that definition. And that will be a time too, when the Lord will judge the world. When He comes back at the end of that, that will be the appearing at the end of that period. And when He appears, He will set up His judgment of the living nations and have that in Matthew 25.
And that will usher in His Kingdom, the Millennium, because it's 1000 years. That's what a Millennium means. He will reign in righteousness. And at the end of that period, He will turn over the Kingdom to God, even the Father.
And that will bring in then the eternal state or not.
And I guess I I suggested this because.
We're living right on the brink, if we could say it this way, of the Lords return and we know that after the Lord has taken the church home, he will begin to deal with this earth again.
In judgment, and as our brother has mentioned, there will be a time of tribulation and then the Lord will set up His Kingdom.
At the end of that Kingdom, there is a further rebellion against his power and authority, a final rebellion which is put down. And then, of course, we also get the great White Throne judgment that's given to us in the 20th chapter here of Revelation, but then is ushered in the eternal state here. And at least to my own soul, it has been very encouraging to see.
That this is the.
End purpose, if we could put it that way, of God's purposes from the ages past in order to have everything brought together in the right way. We know in Ephesians one and 10 he says he's going to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him. And no doubt that takes place in the Millennium.
00:10:06
But there's still sin that rears its head in the Millennium. There is still judgment that is necessary.
But then it says, when you have put down all rule and all power and all authority, then the eternal state is ushered in. And these are not my own words, but I never heard it summed up any better.
A brother in some of our written ministry made this remark and I thought it was so beautiful and I just, I pass it on, he said. The Millennium is necessary.
For the public vindication of God's holy character.
We can understand that man has dragged his glory in the dust. Satan has usurped the place that belonged to the Lord Himself. Sin has reigned unto death for hundreds and thousands of years. Now God is going to vindicate His holy character in a 1000 year millennial reign of Christ on earth. But then the brother went on to say if the Millennium is for the public vindication of God's holy character.
The eternal state is for the eternal satisfaction of God's heart. The Millennium has a finite limit. Judgment has a finite limit. It has a time period attached to it. But then God brings in what is really for the satisfaction of his heart, and that is the eternal state. So I just say that. And I know others can develop what we have here better than I, but if we keep that thought in mind, it'll help us to see the description here and.
How it fits in with God's purposes.
In the 15th chapter of First Corinthians we have the thought they're brought into, don't we? And just read the verse here.
Verse.
28 We could read other verses here, but I'll just read the 1St. 28 of 615 For he has put all things under his feet. Who? Christ, who all turned under his under his feet?
That when He says all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is accepted which did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall also the Son also Himself.
Be subject unto him, for all things under him. And this is what I was thinking about, that God may be All in all.
And somebody has said it culminates back to its source for God.
To see as we read these verses that they were read, and notice nothing you said about the land here.
It's God.
All true.
It is important to to realize that the rest of the chapter does not continue with the eternal state.
It doesn't continue that way and it will be confusing if anybody supposes that. And again refers to the Millennium and the difference is that in the eternal state we have the statement the dwelling place of God with men.
That is the redeemed from all the dispensations the church is.
The dwelling place of God with men you know. The bride is the city.
But in the first part of the chapter, when it is the eternal state, the emphasis is on the city being the bride.
And in connection with the Millennium, the emphasis is on the bride being the city, because the bride shares in their glory, but the dwelling place of God with men is connected with the eternal state. But then we find in connection with the Millennium in verse 26.
And they shall bring the glory of the nation.
And the glory and honor of the nations unto it. I think it's a correct rendering unto that city. There are nations in existing in existence in the Millennium, but not in the eternal state.
00:15:14
These are key verbs in these in this chapter to help us to understand and the Spirit of God does not always give things in the Word of God.
In the way they will take place in succession.
You know, one thing after the other. So we find here in the rest of the chapter the Millennium. But it's a wonderful thing that the church is the bride of Christ.
For all eternity we will be in that position, and there is a difference between the redeemed from the other dispensations and from those who are safe at this time, who make up the Church. We will be in a more intimate and close relationship.
Than any St. that ever lived before. But then we also even find some Revelation 5 that the redeemed will reign not on the earth, but over the earth in the Millennium. He will share their glory with us.
Not only has He secured heaven for us, He also makes sure that we share in that earthly glory. He was rejected and despised here, and He will have His day of glory when He comes back in power and glory, and He will bring us along and have us share in it. And these are all wonderful things to know.
But.
That will be all for His glory when He comes with all the redeemed. He doesn't only come with all the same as we have it in First Thessalonians 3, the last verse, He also comes with all the holy angels.
There will be quite a company that comes with Him and we will have all part in that. The Lord Jesus doesn't want to, as it were, a whole of that which He has titled to without bringing us into it. Hmm.
That his inheritance in the Saints, as we have it in Ephesians, is not to be understood. That the Saints are the inheritance.
In leading his own into it, he possesses it in his own, and he will not even want that earthly glory without.
Sharing it with us. You know, we had John Sadak here, and I think he'll forgive me to mention that, but John has a very nice apartment in Cairo and he took us into that apartment when he already had it.
But he didn't want to live there without having a wife to share it with. Now he has a wife and he lives there. I'm just using that as an example.
The Lord Jesus will lay hold of these things and share it with us. He doesn't want to have it just by Himself.
Just to give a a quick outline of events, the next event will be the Rapture when we're taken up to heaven.
And that will be for us the beginning of eternity, won't it? Because we'll be in our glorified bodies, but not for the earth. Then there'll be the tribulation period. That's Revelation 6 to 19. And then the Lord comes. And then I just want to touch quickly on then there's 1000 year reign, and that's mentioned in the 20th chapter.
It says.
Pick it up in verse five. The rest of the dead live. Not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection.
And then verse seven. And when the 1000 years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. Satan is bound for the 1000 years, so he's not free to tempt men as he is today. It'll be a rule of righteousness and wonderful time. It's called the regeneration, when everything will be headed up in Christ, heavenly and earthly. And when the 1000 years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.
And she'll go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth. Now that's still a time. Picture the nations. That's the end of the Millennium. Now Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the Saints about and the beloved city, that's Jerusalem, earthly Jerusalem. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. After 1000 year reign, Satan still finds those that will follow him in rebellion against God.
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And then it says, and the devil that deceived them, verse 10 was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. They were cast there at the beginning of the Millennium. And now Satan is cast there at the end. And they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then you have the final judgment of the great white throne in verse 11 to just quickly to touch on it, because this is, you might say this is between time and eternity. It's right there.
Time has really ended and eternity is about to begin, but there has to be the judgment of the wicked dead. And that's what you have in these last verses and in verse eight of our chapter that we read. I'll read it. And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. So here you have the earth and the the present earth and the present heavens.
Which has been regenerated. It's called the regeneration into the millennial state.
That's also called a new heavens and the new earth in Isaiah, but that's not the same as the new heavens and the new earth that we read of in Revelation 21. One, that's the eternal state. That's not the same heavens in the earth. There's no more sea in the eternal state, but there is still in the Millennium.
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. That's the unsaved dead. Now they stand before God. There's resurrection.
And they come into a resurrected body. We don't know what it's like, but they'll stand before God complete as soul, spirit and body. And and then they were judged out of the books, the things which were written in the books. And verse 13 says the sea gave up the dead which were in it, Death and Hades, that it's not hell because the lake of fire is hell. Death and Hades. That's the disembodied state, death for the body.
Hades for the spirit and soul. When a person dies, his spirit and soul goes into the disembodied state, and that's called Hades, a place for the departed spirit. The Lord for the Saints calls it to, to depart and be with Christ is far better, and it's called paradise in Luke 16, Abraham's bosom and so on. That's the disembodied state. But Hades describes that condition and notice what it says.
Death and Hades delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works, and Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. That means there will be no more death after this point in time, if you can call it a point in time, there'll be no more death for the body, nor the spirit and soul going into the disembodied state. That will end, and man will be complete.
With a spirit, soul and body from this point on.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. And notice verse eight of our chapter. But the fearful, that's chapter 21. And unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers and ************ and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars.
Shall have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. So that eighth verse of chapter 21 is, you might say, complete what we had at the end of chapter 20. And the 1St 7 verses describes the eternal state for the believer.
May I comment on debt?
What is important to understand that death in the word of God?
Is not only used for the physical death when the soul and spirit leaves the body, that is also used for being separated from God through sin. And so you find when those who are judged at the Great White Throne Judgment, when they are judged and when they are referred to, they are spoken of as the death standing there.
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They are raised, but they're still spoken of as death. They're still not in a relationship to God, dead in sins and trespasses, That says in Ephesians. And then when they are judged, this is the second death.
You know when sin entered.
This spiritual death separation from God took place.
But the grace of God can quicken a spiritually dead soul now and bring him into a relationship to God. But when they are judged at the Great White Throne Judgment, there is no hope for such. That second death is eternal separation from God. It's awful to think of it. Not only that, they will be in hell.
And sharing Satan's portion, God didn't make it for man, He made for hell for the devil and his angels, but they share that portion with Satan for all eternity. But there is also never any hope of being reconciled to God to be brought into spiritual life.
These are wonderful things to know that there is presently the possibility of one who is spiritually dead.
To be quickened, to be made alive and be brought into relationship with God. If there's anyone in the audience here that isn't safe, you better take advantage of the grace that is being offered to you. Otherwise you might stand there before the great White Throne Judgment. Only the unbelievers stand there, the believer. There is no judgement for the believer. We shall not come into judgment.
We read in John chapter 5, We have passed from death unto life. There is no judgment for us.
There is the judgment seat of Christ.
And we ourselves at that time will not be judged. Our life will be judged. Our life will be looked at.
And it's just like a teacher looking at the work that somebody has done, school work, the homework, and looking it over to God at that time when we stand before the judgement seat of Christ.
We shall all appear there.
Our life is evaluated, and whatever was not of God will be recognized and we will fully side with God's judgment about it. But whatever was of God in our life will be recognized and rewarded. It's a wonderful truth that we ourselves will not come into judgment, but our life will be judged. It will be appraised, you might say, and what is of God will be recognized and rewarded.
Yeah, we should be exercised that he had done so much for us, saving us from eternal judgment and bringing us into such a wonderful relationship that there be something for us that we can be rewarded and that there will be crowns giving given.
Someone has said, wouldn't you like to have some of those crowns so that you have something to cast at the feet of the Lord Jesus?
But they recognize by doing that the same is if there was anything in our life for God, that is by the grace of God that we were able to be something for him and by the Lords help and the spirits help. So we give credit fully to the Lord. We don't take it for ourselves. That's why the Saints cast their crowns at his feet. So there ought to be an exercise that there be something in our life.
Or the Lord that has done so much for us and He would want to bring that about in every one of us. I'd like to add to that another death. But first of all, they emphasized what you were just saying in John 525, the the Lord is speaking and he says, verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is when the dead. That's the morally and spiritually dead, not the physically dead.
But the morally dead here, the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Now that happens at the new birth, when a soul is is quickened and born of God, he, the soul that hears the voice of the Son of God lives. So he passes from death to life. Then there's physical death, a loved one dies. We know they're put in the ground and so on. And then there's the second death, which you've pointed out.
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Is eternal separation from God. And then there's what you have in Romans 6.
That we are dead to sin and that stated of a believer, we have died to sin to that sin principle and we now live to God. So death it's important to distinguish these different meanings of death in Scripture because otherwise you get all confused. And the second death is in our in our passage eternal.
Separation from God. When the soul is cast into the lake of fire, sometimes you hear it stated that certain souls that have departed and they're suffering are like the rich man in Luke 16, that they're in hell. I don't think there's anyone in hell yet. There's no one in the lake of fire yet. They're in the disembodied state, but the hell is the lake of fire. When they're in the embodied state, they have received the resurrection body and they are spirit, soul and body cast into hell.
That's that's an awful thing, but that's man. He has to be. He has to be complete.
In his final condition of existence, he doesn't have, he doesn't have eternal life, of course, but he he has eternal existence in the Lake of fire, which is a terrible thing to consider, isn't it?
There's a lot of enjoyment as we read these verses as we read, and I was thinking of how precious it is as we read here in verse three. I know we're not going to cover it all, but I just just thinking of this, I heard a great voice.
Out of heavens, then behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men.
He's living with them, the Tabernacles with them, then.
And God himself.
Shall be their God.
And God shall wipe away with all tears on their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.
For the former things after the way, but I just thought how beautiful all this is when you think about it for the child of God. And if there's anyone here that isn't saved, you want to be sure that you're brought in there because you're going to meet God someday. And it's a very important thing to see that. So how beautiful it is when we can read these things as a child of God to see how wonderful it is to know.
God is going to dwell.
It doesn't say here.
The Tabernacle of God is with them, but he goes well with them. All different, that is.
It was read about the the Millennium that the nations will have to come and give their reverence to the Lord.
But when we come to the eternal state, there's no nations who might just notice that it's.
God dwelling with men, human beings. They're not nations anymore.
And we'll no doubt all have one language.
One time, one of our trips to Japan, one of the sisters said to my wife, wouldn't it be wonderful when we get to heaven and we all speak the same language?
Because our Japanese is non existent in their English is not very good. We couldn't communicate like we'd like to. Well we all understand that. But when we are in that eternal state it will be just men and women, people dwelling with God. And also back in Peter that where dwelling comes again. Second Peter 3/13.
Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
In the Millennium, righteousness reigns, but there's nothing to rain. Raining has to do with authority to and control and so on. But there won't be any raining in the in the eternal state, but dwelling, even righteousness will dwell.
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There will be never any unrighteousness there, it'll just be a solid-state of righteousness.
There's three worlds.
In second Peter 3.
Starting just with verse six or five. For this they willingly are ignorant of that. By the word of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished. That's the world before the flood, and it came to an end in that flood. But the heavens and earth which are now by the same word are kept in store, reserved.
Unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. That world continues right to the end, as we have that outline when fire from God comes down, and the heavens melt with a fervent heat, and all is consumed in fire. But then as our brother read.
13 Nonetheless, we, according to His promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. The dispensations of God, properly speaking, I'll say conventionally because we use that word dispensation broadly, and I don't have a problem with it. But properly speaking, the dispensations of God, the ordered dealings of God with men on the earth, began with government, and Noah and God divided the earth.
In the days of the Tower of Babel.
And that was the beginning of the nations, that confounding of men by giving different languages. And when God sent the bounds of those different nations, we could read in Deuteronomy, I think it's 30 two, he set the bounds for the children of Israel and he appointed them their portion in their place.
It was seized on by the Canaanites. Mr. Darby calls it the jewel of the Orient. But God trusts them out in time and brought Israel in and his purposes. The world that then was, that was overthrown with the flood and the world to come have similarities. Before the flood, there were no nations in the world to come. There are no nations in the world before the flood. There was no government. Man was left to his own conscience, to each individually. In the world to come, there's no need for government because there's no evil to put down.
In that sense, there's no government. The world before the flood is not part of the dispensations of God, and the world to come does not hold any part of the dispensations of God either. In that middle world is when all the unfolding of the mystery takes place. God's purposes with Israel come to a culmination are complete. But we see in our chapters has been already mentioned. But just to bring it into connection with that, the Bride, the holy.
City New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven to this earth, the dwelling place of God with man. We were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. We speak that.
Hidden wisdom and a mystery.
In First Corinthians 2.
Which was before the foundation of the world.
And as presented to us in Scripture.
Although God knew all of His purposes from an eternity past, yet the Church is presented the mystery.
Is presented as having its conception from before the foundation of the world. It will continue after the foundations of this world that we are in now come to an end in that judgment of science. She continues on with that which had its conception. If I can say according to Deuteronomy 32, in this world God set the bounds of Israel when He divided those nations. When the times of nations comes to an end.
So doesn't Israel.
So we are not seen as being part of the men.
We are part of that city, the church, the men, I want to reemphasize that, refer to the same that are saved from the various dispensations, and we are seeing as that city as the bride. But I remember, Chuck, you mentioned there are in Ephesians verses that show the truth of the church being the bride in a more intimate way than what we have here.
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Who ordered speaks of the intimate relationship that we have here, that is, that the Bride has part with the Lord in that eternal glory. But in Ephesians we have.
The union that exists and it is likened to what is true of men and women. When God instituted marriage, He wanted to give us a picture of what He had in mind concerning Christ and the Church.
I like to put that out as.
An admonition for us who are husbands.
You know, do we have an exercise and are mindful of the facts that in our marriage relationship we can in weakness give a demonstration of what is perfectly true of Christ and the Church. When I became interested in beginner in Germany.
A dear St.
Said to me, fine, never forget in your relationship with that girl.
The truth of Christ and the church. Can you give a better advice to a young fellow that is seriously considering to get married? But I'm only referring to that to remind us. This is a more intimate picture in Ephesians than what we have here. But it is an eternal picture here, and what is presented here is going to be.
Eternally the portion of.
The Church, the bride of Christ, the city.
And so where we write in saying that when we have the expression in verse four, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, that in Revelation refers to an earthly company, it refers to God's dealings with the earth. There's no need for God in that same sense to wipe away all tears from the eyes of the church. That you might say, goes without saying when they're taken up to that heavenly scene.
And so whenever you find the expression, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, it seems to me to refer to an earthly company. We get it in reference to the Millennium. We get it here in reference to the eternal state, because God is going to remove.
You might well in the Millennium. Of course, all sorrow isn't totally gone yet, but God is going to bring His people into marvelous blessing then once more.
For the last time he has to do it here. He wipes away all tears from their eyes, and it says there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. Well, as Brother Chuck has already mentioned, that begins for the believer with the Lord's coming with the rapture. As soon as you and I are caught up to be with the Lord in the air, effectively all the sorrow will cease. But not so for this world. It still has to go through a terrible time of sorrow.
But thank God, there is a day coming when He's going to be able to wipe all that away for the very last time. Has it not been, brethren, the desire of God to dwell with man throughout the history of man?
And what we find, of course, as we well know, the failure that had came in, starting with Adam.
The failure that came in, starting with, secondly, with Israel.
And we've been occupied, have we not, beloved brethren, in Revelation chapter 3?
With Philadelphia and Laodicea, the failure that began with the church leaving its first love.
For the other feasts, and it's looked at it as a feast in a certain sense and in its own right, and it's really the object to which all the other feasts head to. The other feasts are the ways of God to bring his people around himself, that he might be the center of the United people around himself. But as we had earlier, Finn separate, and God's principle of unity is separation from evil. But when we come to this state and evil is forever gone and every trace of it, there can be no separation anymore.
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And the Millennium, as was mentioned.
There's still sin to be judged. And if we looked at a scripture in Hosea that gives us a little picture of of the Millennium in in connection with the Spears of heaven and earth, we see there's communion, but it's different than what we have in our chapter and Hosea 2.
Verse 21 And it shall come to pass from that day. I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth. And so there's a communion that's going to take place in the Millennium, can't take place today. But when righteousness reigns and sin is put down, that communion can take place. But in our chapter we have the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. Now there's still the two spheres.
There's the earth and the heaven, and they remain eternally to distinct fears. But the holy city, New Jerusalem, is now the habitation of God with men on the earth. Two distinct spheres, but it's like one balloon blown up inside another. They occupy the same space, if I could put it that way. That new city forever retains its character, is divine in origin from God, heavenly.
In her character.
But the dwelling place of God with men, there's no separation anymore between those two spheres, though they continue as distinct spheres. So they're brought closer in the Millennium. But here in the eternal state, there's no sin. There's no reason for separation of any kind. But in the in the Millennium, there's still Israel and the nations on earth. But in the eternal state, there are no nations anymore.
There's no distinct Israel. It's just men with God, right. And the distance between heaven and earth now is great. And the Lord taught the disciples to pray thy will be done, Father on earth as it is in heaven. And that will be the Millennium and then the eternal state. It's like they're together. They're I don't know how to put it. There's no distinction. There's, there's the the assembly, I think is the only thing that's distinguished in the eternal state, the habitation of God.
But all the rest is men, and there won't be Jews and Gentiles then, because.
That's that only pertains to time. This is the eternity, eternity, right? There's no, there's no Jews and Gentiles in eternity. It's just men and the church. Is that right? And the key to that, I think is what Brother Heinz mentioned at the beginning. Maybe he'd say that again, because I think it's so good about the difference in the emphasis between the bride and the city and the Millennium and in the eternal state. The emphasis in the eternal state is.
That the city is the bride. Hmm.
And in the eternal state is that the bride is the city, the Millennium, in the Millennium, I'm sorry, in the Millennium. But I like to also mention for our own personal exercise and enjoyment is what the Lord says in John 14.
In John 14.
Verse 23.
Said to him, if anyone loved me, he will keep my word.
And my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. That is what the individual believer can enjoy now that the Father and the Lord Jesus makes his abode with those who.
Bowed to His word, obey His word. That can be enjoyed now, but what we're having here in Revelation is eternal. It's going to be perfect. And you know, if we don't obey the Lord at the present time, we cannot enjoy communion with the Father and with the Son. They would love to have fellowship and communion with us.
If we obey His word, but in that eternal state, there is no possibility of any sin to ever come, for pride and blessed sin where sin can never come, whose side our longing spirit means. From earth where yet we roam. And then I like to also mention.
There, about sorrow and weeping, somebody might ask the question.
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If a believer is going to get to heaven and then find that some of his children or some of his relatives, perhaps even the parents, are not going to be there, is that going to lead to sorrow? Will that mar the joy of heaven? I don't think so.
Because we will fully agree.
With God's judgment.
At the present time, you better be grieving and sorrowing.
Where those who are our loved ones don't accept the gospel or go on in a sinful way so that we might even have to question whether they are truly Christians and cried to the Lord but once we are there in glory.
We will notice lack of seeing some of our relatives there.
It will not mar the joy of heaven. You will agree. Won't you have a question to Ephesians 110?
It speaks of a dispensation or an administration, and it speaks of the fullness of times. Does that include, does that refer to the Millennium or does that go into the eternal state? There wouldn't be any administration in the eternal state, is there?
It's the Millennium.
Thank you dispensation of the fullness of times whenever you're talking about.
Dispensation. It's time, not eternity.
Time to left ceased in the eternal state. Yes. I wanted to read though in connection with, well going back a little bit, Isaiah 65, so that when you read a passage like this, you don't confuse it with the eternal state of Revelation 21 and and second Peter 3.
It sounds like it, but let's read it a minute. Isaiah 6517.
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind. Now he's referring here to the Millennium, not to the eternal state, but the Millennium. But it's called a new heavens and a new earth, and notice how it reads.
But be ye glad, and rejoice forever in that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy, and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people. And the voice of weeping shall be no more hurt in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more fence and infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days.
For the child shall die 100 years old, but the Sinner shall, being 100 years old, shall be accursed, and they shall build houses and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them, and so on. That's the millennial. That's not the eternal state. And yet it's called the new heavens and the new earth. So there are two new heavens and new earth. There's the millennial one, and then there's the eternal state one. Just one more comment on what our brother Tom was asking about. Ephesians one and 10.
I believe it's right to say that it's the Millennium there that is brought before us because the administration of the fullness of times does have to do with that which occurs in a time scene. However, it's with a view to what we are getting here, isn't it? Brother Harry Hayhoe used to remind us that the Millennium was really God's front porch to the eternal state.
That is, it is that which is heading up to that.
And so when the Lord Jesus finally puts down all rule and all power and all authority.
At the end of the Millennium, everything dealt with, everything judged, that final rebellion on earth taken care of, the great White Throne, judgment performed. Then the Lord delivers up the Kingdom to the Father as having completed everything that is for God's honor and glory and the vindication of his holy character. And then it's with a view to what we have here, isn't it, so that that can take place.
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And then Brother Charles read it. It wasn't commented on, but it's in First Corinthians 15.
When the Lord delivers everything up to the Father, who put it all under his feet, he delivers it back to the Father.
Then shall the sun also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him. That's the Father that God may be All in all. That tells me that tells us that he'll never cease being a man. He'll be a man for all eternity because he'll be in the place of subjection in his manhood. Though he has gone over all blessed forever, yet he's always the God man. And that's a that's a a tremendous truth that we can't really fathom.
But that's true, and we will be in the presence of that man, and being in his presence, we will see God for the first time.
Ever and the whole thing is beyond our understanding, as you say, because when it's his that God may be All in all, I believe it's God in Trinity there, isn't it? It's not just the Father. So it's it's totally.
Beyond our understanding, isn't it?
It's a blessed thing, brethren. I think of Brother Heinz suggested this. The former things will be passed away. He also will emphasize that verse.
There will be no more death, neither sorrow, tears or crying, neither shall there be any more pain.
For the former, things are passed away, the contrast to those who have gone into a lost eternity into, as has been described to us, the second death.
Will be just the opposite.
Pain and sorrow.
Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
No rest for all eternity, but just thinking about the former things have passed away regarding.
Our suffering and pain now concerning our loved ones.
Who may be?
Have passed away.
And are lost. We have a difficult time.
In our hearts struggling with these things, do we not? And our brother Heinz suggested that when we get there that we're with Christ, We will not only have the mind of Christ, but we will see everything from his viewpoint and judgment and understand perfectly. And there will never be, even if it was a child that was lost in our family, there will never be a sorrow that will ever cross our minds.
That will burden us. In that day, the former things will have been passed away. How wonderful to think of that. It's hard to understand that now, is it not? But in that day, it will be a wondrous day of worship and praise forever. But as our brother suggested, in this time that we live, now is the time to be burdened in prayer and in perhaps fasting for our children.
And our loved ones.
Our time is going and I wonder if we could have some comment on verse 6.
What is the thought there? And he said unto me, It is done. What is done there? What is he referring to?
Miss Darby has a note there. I cheated. I read the note. Perhaps they are fulfilled. It says it is done. Perhaps they are fulfilled.
Everything has come to fulfillment.
Nothing more to be done.
Yes, and I don't mean to answer my own question because it was an honest question, but on the Lord on the cross, the Lord Jesus said it is finished and that was his victors cry when redemption was complete. But here it's more you might say the thought that God has finally got to completion all of the purposes of the ages. And we get in another place it says where the mystery of God should be finished.
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That is, everything here will be fully manifested as to God's ways. Now man raises the question and says, well why did God allow sin in the 1St place? Why did he allow such awful things to enter the world? Couldn't he and His sovereign authority and power have prevented Satan from tempting Eve and prevented sin from entering this world? Of course he could. I remember once a Muslim lady contested with me and she said, and couldn't God if he were really God?
By a word of His power, save a soul without having His Son to go to Calvary's cross. And so she raised questions about God's dealings with man. But here we find that everything comes to completion, and it's all brought out now. It's evident why God did allow sin, and what God is going to accomplish by it, and how far greater blessing has accrued first of all in honor and glory to His beloved Son, and then to man, than if sin had never entered this world.
But it's not mentioned until we get to the eternal state, when all is peace and rest, and when all sin that once was allowed to enter this universe has totally been removed. Here's the point at which what John the Baptist said will come to pass. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. I don't suppose he realized the far reaching statement he was making when he said that. But it doesn't really take place until we get to this point, does it?
And so God says it is done because He identifies himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. But it's connected with, as it says, I will give unto him, that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. And so it's connected with the blessing that all flows from the finished work of Christ, that all of this is able to come to pass, and that there will be a scene of rest and peace for all eternity as a result of that.
Does that commend itself?
Yes. And what if this question that the Muslim woman asked, couldn't God have done it another way? The answer is no. He could only He could only do it because sin had come in. Well, why didn't sin come in? If sin hadn't been allowed to come in, we wouldn't know God is the God of all grace. We wouldn't know him as the justifier. We wouldn't know Him as the one who's forgiven us all our sins.
We wouldn't know of all the virtues and qualities of God. We wouldn't know Him as our Redeemer. We wouldn't know Him as our Savior. There'd be no forgiveness that would be needed, no justification, no redemption, no reconciliation, all of that that we enjoy and were brought into and which brings out the worship and adoration of our hearts that He has. Let us fall. Let man fall so low that He might remove all that and bring us into His very presence on a righteous and holy footing.
That we know because He's allowed Sin to come in. We wouldn't know any of that had he not yet. Somebody would answer that too, wouldn't it? Father? If it be possible, let this cup pass for me. It was not possible. That possible. We have the volume of the book the other night.
The book of God's secret, eternal Council.
And if we could take one phrase.
To give a sense of what's in that book, what could we put there? Well, we couldn't come up with it, but we have it in that Scripture. Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. And that's the force of that in the volume of the book as a title over the eternal purposes and counsels of God. Burned in letters into that role of that book is that phrase of the eternal Son of God. To give a sense of everything that's in that book, Lo, I come.
To do thy will, O gone. He's the alpha and Omega. His word began it, and his words going to finish it. And he'll have the last word and his words, Lo, I come to do thy will accomplish all that was in between. The first word in the last.
One scripture here, brethren, that perhaps we didn't read, that our brother Bill suggested in his address concerning the subject of overcoming he that overcometh shall inherit.
All things.
Is there any hindrance?
In the life of a soul here this afternoon.
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That would keep that one from entering into the blessedness.
Of what we have had before us in this last meeting. This is a glorious scene that our hearts can hardly take in. Beloved brethren, it is so wonderful as we meditate upon it.
It just goes beyond what our human minds can grasp, but is made good to us by the Holy Spirit. We know that is coming. We have a glorious future, but is there a hindrance?
In the life of someone here that would keep them from entering into the blessedness.
Of this wonderful future. Are you going to be an overcomer in that sense?
And lay hold of it by faith, and believe it, and take hold of it. If you're thirsty, the previous phrases suggest take it now and make it your own by faith, and you'll enjoy it. Even if you enter in through the door of faith now, you'll enjoy it forever.
And that eternal day I was thinking of this very statement about.
The one that is 13 should drink or would be given to drink. Now I noticed there is a slight difference in the end of.
Chapter 22.
There this and let him that heareth say.
Which is not given in diverse in the verses that we have read. I'm suggesting that, and I might be corrected that this first time here in verse 6.
That speaks of comfort and quenching of thirst. That will be the portion of the same in eternity. Those who are saying. But here at chapter 22, it seems to be directed to the Sinner, Come, you know, and drink, you know of that water of life.
And again, anyone in the audience that hasn't come.
Come and drink.
He would give you of the water of life freely.
Present. The time has come for the gospel.
I'd like to start out tonight with a part of a verse in First John.
First one John, chapter 3.
And the very first verse, the very first part.
Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.
Let's ask God for his help.
Our God and our Father, we give thee thanks this afternoon for thy love to us.
We don't understand the greatness.
Of it how thou wouldst give the dearest object of thy heart.
Thy beloved son.
To come into this world and go to that cross.
To manifest that love. But we know it's true. And we just cry to thee this afternoon that thou which bless thy word and bring it home to each one here this afternoon, especially if there are those still.
That are lost. We cried for them, Father. Ask it in their worthy and precious name.
Amen.
You know, I was discussing recently with different ones.
What is the basic human need? What is it that we cannot do without? And I'm going.
We kind of passed over that air, food and water.
And what we found that generally.
01:10:04
The quickest and quickest answer, the one that generally everyone came up with, was love.
You know, that is something that each of us have a heart.
That craves love, and as we look around in this world, we have different examples of what love is.
And what we have in this world generally.
Apart from God is a love that's going to fade. It disappoints.
And.
We can be discouraged by what we see.
And that definition that God gives of love fades in our hearts, and we may decide we don't want to go that direction.
You know God has put that need in each of our hearts of His love.
It is such a vast subject. We've just been talking this afternoon of some of what that Love has brought us into, and through the last three days we have in different ways been able to see how He and Love is seeking to draw every one of us unto Him.
But for a moment I would like to consider this. What manner of love?
Now for the unbeliever, you can't go beyond that to say that the Father has bestowed upon us. But this afternoon.
Our God in His love and long-suffering is giving another opportunity for soul to come for you to stop for a moment.
Even in a room like this, there are many things that if we want to, we can be distracted and we don't hear what is even being said. But for a moment, stop and consider the manner of love.
How it is so needful and everyone of our hearts to have love, to want to be loved, to know that we mean something.
You know.
A couple years ago.
In my line of work I meet a lot of truck drivers and I.
Met a truck driver that I had known about 10 years before that.
And he when he came in.
Some cord sparked in my mind and I said to him. I said.
Skip, seems like I remember that I heard something really bad happened in your life.
He said yeah, about eight years ago I lost my wife.
And, you know, he had some time, so he started telling me about his wife. He told me about how they got together.
She worked at a restaurant and he came in and he would always kid her and she would kid him back and and she would give him extra pieces of pie or whatever. And he was just thinking the world of this, this girl.
And.
He said after quite a long time, he said well here goes. He said she might say no way and laugh at me, but I have to ask her if she'll marry me. So he found an opportunity.
And he said it was pretty awkward, but I went there and and I said, you know.
I love you a lot. Will you marry me? And he said he was totally.
Taken back by the answer because she just rushed at him and threw her arms around him and said I thought you'd never ask.
And he said after that, everything was so good. He said she would always, when they got married, she was always there. She packed his lunch when he got on the road. And when he got home on a weekend, she had a lunch pack and they went hiking, camping. And he said, you know, she was so fun to spoil, too. She especially likes a certain kind of pottery. And but it was real expensive and so she knew she shouldn't get it.
01:15:13
So we would go to these little shops and I would just kind of follow along with her and and when I saw her pick up something and look at it real close.
As you can see in her face, it said she set it back down and she said we would go out out to the store and then I said, oh, just a minute, I forgot something and he'd go back in there and buy it. He said, oh that was so nice.
And so.
Their life was very happy together.
And I said, well, what happened?
How did she die? He said. Well.
I killed her.
He gave me the time, the very date eight years before.
He'd been.
Getting ready to go for a load.
Over cross country.
And she had walked around.
Behind his back trailer and he hadn't seen her and he backed up the.
Hook up the trailer and somehow backed up.
And ran over her.
He said.
From that time on, life wasn't worth living.
I could have just as well been dead. Wouldn't mattered at all.
He said her folks blame me.
But not as much as I blame me.
I couldn't get over that that I had killed her.
And he said as he went on, it only got worse.
The loneliness.
He'd lost his love.
And he said my best friend became.
A loaded 38 pistol that I had in my bed stand. I knew that if it got too tremendous I could just pull it out and end it all.
He said one night.
It was especially bad.
And there was a knock at the door.
And it was a Christian family that had come.
And they told them that they were planning to just have their own family evening that night.
But the Lord had cried to them, had told them they had to go see this man. He lived 15 miles out of town.
So they put off all their plans and they went out.
And for this man, it was the beginning of being able to see there was a love.
For him.
Oh, he still The whole time he told the story, the tears were running down his face.
But he did have that peace.
Then he came to know the Lord Jesus as his Savior.
And he had the peace of knowing that God loved him when he thought everything else was gone. And so this afternoon, boys and girls and older ones too, we.
Have a need in her heart for that love and you know sometimes we don't even understand it because.
It's right there for us. We have it from dad and mom.
But there is a greater love that we have to speak of here. Behold.
What manner of love the Father?
Hath bestowed upon us that manner of love would turn over to that verse that has been quoted.
Few times already in John 3.
The greatness of that love here we've had these three days together and the things that we've had before us.
I thought about it beforehand. What could I say to convince anybody? If you've been able to sit through these times and it has done nothing for your heart, what could I say? But God is still speaking to your heart.
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This afternoon.
He wants to show you his love.
It says John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
God.
In all the greatness of his person.
Is seeking to show you.
How much he loves you, How much he loves me, He gave.
Is only son.
He gave the darling of his heart, that one that he could say, that could say in Proverbs 8. I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, that that one that God could say of.
At the baptism of the Lord Jesus.
This is my beloved son, and him is all my delight. And at the Mount of Transfiguration as well.
There was never a time before or since that God could set his eye on a man down here.
And say those words.
And yet he gave that son to die for you and for me over to.
First John 4.
One John four and verse.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
He gave his son. Here we have. He sent his son.
We can see even more.
The directness and how God had a determined purpose.
He sent his son.
For this very purpose, to be the savior of the world, why would a holy and a righteous God?
And this question was just answered just a little bit ago. Why?
Would he look down into a world of rebellious creatures who, even after he had declared and showed his son, would send him to that cross of Calvary because they did not want him? Why would he send his son knowing full well this was going to happen?
It's the manner of love.
That He is bestowed upon us. Many of us here can revel in that love.
And it just gets greater and greater. We can't even, as I speak of it, can't begin to scratch the surface of that love, of the manner of that love. But through eternity, we're going to revel in that.
Here over in Romans chapter 8.
Is there a well known verses but also beautiful And every time I read them there's something more for my heart. Verse Romans 8 and verse 32. 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?
Here we have he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up.
That manner of love.
He sent his beloved son into this world.
And then?
With men not wanting him.
Saying away with him, yet he delivered him up.
You know, we read in the Gospels it says that.
Pilot delivered him up.
To be scourged. But no, no, it wasn't Pilot. It wasn't those people. It was that God that loves you, that loves me, that delivered up his Son.
Because he wants to declare the greatness.
And the manner of love that nowhere else have we ever seen.
How?
How could he make you rich?
How could he make me rich? He had to become poor.
01:25:02
How could he give you joy or me joy?
He had to become the Man of Sorrows.
How could he present us?
Before that throne with exceeding joy there in the garden.
He had to say, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death.
How could he say there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus?
He was condemned to be guilty of death.
All that list goes on and on.
He could say.
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, because he cried out on the cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He says, let not your heart be troubled. He said, now is my soul trouble. This is the God that has declared all the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Here we have he delivered him up, and then one more.
In 2nd Corinthians 5.
And verse 21.
For he hath made him to be sin, for us to do no sin.
That we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Have you been able to behold?
This afternoon, that manner of love.
How could we not?
Come.
Just as we are to that one that gave all for you and me.
The power, the greatness.
Own the cattle on 1000 hills if it would have worked.
He could provided.
We read of the thousands of offerings in Solomon's time. But if it was needed.
If it could have been provided.
He could have provided thousands on thousands on millions of more beasts for sacrifice.
But there was only that one way.
And he had to give his son.
He gave his son, he sent his son, he delivered him up.
And now?
If this doesn't move your heart, I don't know what will.
He made him to be sinned for us.
We can't begin to comprehend what this means.
This was a holy and righteous God.
Setting.
Our sin, my sin, on a holy and righteous sacrifice.
If I had to carry the weight of somebody else's sin, I wouldn't like it. It would be tough.
But to carry more sin on a sinful body.
Doesn't help me to understand in any way what it would mean for a holy and righteous man.
To bear that city.
But this for each of us.
Is God's way to manifest how much He loves your soul and mine.
Overcomers
Address—B. Prost
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.
Could we sing together #76?
#76 Rise my soul.
Thy God directs thee strange, your hands no more in peace.
Stories vary as to how this hymn was written. Some say it was written by the brother who wrote it when he was laboring for the Lord in Switzerland.
Another story that apparently is reasonably well authenticated says that he went to a particular village to preach and was kicked out and told to be on his way in the midst of a pouring rainstorm, and that in taking refuge under a big tree on the outskirts of the village.
He sat down and was so filled with the joy of the Lord that the.
Words of this hymn came to him and I guess I like to think, if that story is true, of how someone could pen those words.
Garments fresh and foot unweary, tell how God hath brought thee through under those circumstances.
#76.
I'm going to start a different tune. Most people don't know that one.
Rise, my soul, thy God direct.
There, come hold it. There never.
Mind, that's the issue. It's.
A Nail Fixed in a Sure Place, Sonf of Solomon 5, Thou Dwellest in the Garden
Open—M. Payette, R. Bauman, Dave Spence
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.
Praise and pray, free coming.
All the time.
Our Father.
And our wrong.
00:05:27
Chapter 7.
Loop 7.
And verse 40.
And Jesus answering, said unto him.
Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.
And he said Master say on.
Right.
Lord Jesus.
We look to thee this afternoon.
As the head of the body from whom?
All true ministry flows.
By every joint of supply.
To build up that body, thy bride, which now this cherish and desire to nourish.
We know thou hast somewhat to say unto us.
As our hearts desire to say to thee, Lord Jesus, Master, say long that we might receive that portion that thou hast for us, Lord Jesus, help us to receive it.
Two have ears that desire to hear thy word for the purpose of walking in it.
We look to Thee that the Spirit of God might be free to minister the precious truth that Davis have for us to our souls, that we might be built up in our most holy faith, that we might be a more separated people for thy glory, Lord Jesus.
Keep us in the path of faith to let us come. We ask this our God, our Father, in the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
Zechariah, Chapter 10.
In verse 4.
Zechariah 10, and four out of him came forth the corner, the cornerstone.
And out of him.
The nail and out of him, the battle bow.
And out of him every oppressor together.
When the Scriptures speak of the cornerstone, we know who is referring to our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one from whom everything takes its perspective.
I understand that the cornerstone, when they were building something, they would lay the first cornerstone and put that in position and all the rest of the building was lined up from that stone.
For the Lord Jesus, the chief cornerstone.
He is also the only foundation that can be laid.
The apostle Paul says that First Corinthians 3.
No other foundation can any man lay save that which is laid, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the foundation is what you build on and in the scriptures we have.
The church presented as a building, the House of God, and it's seen there as built on that cheap cornerstone, that foundation.
On the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And it's built up, you might say. So the base is there.
And we built from there.
But in our verse here we have one who is the chief cornerstone and one who is a nail.
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And this is what struck me and has been brought before me from Isaiah 22, where we read this morning.
And we just go back there for a moment. Isaiah, chapter 22.
I just like to go over these verses quickly, don't want to take too much time.
Isaiah 22 and 20 And it shall come to pass in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Akaya, and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and will commit thy government into his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah. And the key of the House of David will lie upon his shoulder. So he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open.
And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place, and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Father's house, and he shall hang upon him all the glory of his Father's house, and the offspring, and the issue all the vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups even to the vessels of flagones.
In that day, saith the Lord of Hosts, shall denial it is fastened in the short place, be removed, and be cut down?
And fall, and the burden was upon it be cut off, for the Lord had spoken it.
Well, I'm not sure I understand all that's in these verses here, but I've understood that the nail that was going to be cut off and removed was Shebna, who spoke enough earlier. Verse 15 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, go thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say, And he reproaches toward Shevna, and he's removed. And I believe Elia Kim replaces him there and.
As you've remarked, those remarkable verses and that the Spirit of God brings before us in Revelation chapter 3.
Connected with that person of Eliakim, his name means God.
Will establish.
And the son of al Qaeda means al Qaeda means the portion of the Lord. I like that the Lord.
God will establish a portion of the Lord. It's wonderful to consider that you and I, dear ones, were the portion of the Lord. We belong to Him.
And we've been established by the Scriptures on this sure foundation. That's the Lord Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross.
But what I'd like to put before your souls and mine this afternoon is this thought of the nail.
Because the foundation, everything is built on that. It rests on the solidity of that foundation and nothing is going to move that.
But when you think of a nail, it tells us here, everything is hanging from that nail. It's from the top down. It's not from the from the basement up, it's from the top down. Everything is hanging from that nail.
And that presents to me a thought.
Of dependence.
What was hanging on that nail? You don't. The one that is presented here in type or prophesied of is the Lord Jesus who is nailed to that cross, who had those nails in his hands and in his feet. And he was nailed on the cross for you and me. And because of that, because of his finished work, you and I have been brought into eternal blessing. We have a foundation for our faith, the work of the Lord Jesus. Blessed person, a finished work, wonderful thing and this very one. He's in the glory right now. He's in the heaven.
And if you can, consider what it says here that he will fasten him as a nail in a short place.
Well, there's no sure place for you and I than heaven, where the Lord Jesus is for you and me. And that's where we're going to be shortly, because He's there. This is a sure place that you and I have.
I remember once I was moving a fridge with someone.
Who couldn't take it out the fairway because the stairway was finished after they brought the fridge into the house?
They plastered the walls and everything and when we went to take the fridge out it wouldn't come out anymore.
And there was number stairs outside. There was just a balcony.
So I decided it wasn't very smart, but I thought if we put a nail into one of the the posts of that balcony there and we could tie the fridge to it, we could probably lower it down and get it to the bottom.
00:15:11
And it was a pretty big nail.
But it wasn't strong enough. It bent and it fell loose. And I thank the Lord to this day because I had that rope around my hand and justice slid off and it fell down in the stairs and nobody was there. Nobody got hurt.
But my nail wasn't strong enough. But this nail, this nail, nothing can pull it out and nothing can bend it. Everything hangs on that. The glory of the Father's house, the Lord Jesus, the glory of the Father depends on him. Did he fail in anything? No. And will he fail in anything? No. Do we fail in many things? Yes, and I believe we fail in many things. There once I'm the first one because for lack of hanging on Him.
For lack of dependence, Because when we depend on him, will he fail you if you trust him?
Never will he fail us if we trust him together.
Never, when we come together in Bible conferences like this, will He fail us if we wait on him. Never. He won't. He won't. He can't.
So I just enjoyed this portion here and they shall hang upon him.
All the glory of his Father's house. Well, that was Eliakim's father. But we know what it's talking about. Is God our Father, everything depending on the Lord Jesus. Oh, this is the God our Father wants you today to depend on him and to trust him. I sure he does. Well, he wants you to be grounded and rooted and know for sure many, many things. But after your practical life, day after day, he wants you to depend on him. You depend on him.
Do you walk with him? Is he your usual companion? You talk to him and listen to his voice. When was the last time you heard his voice speak to you through the scriptures?
Now many of us read the scriptures. When you read the Scriptures, do you hear His voice? Does He speak to you? Is there an obstacle in your life that has marred your fellowship with the Lord Jesus and you're not hearing His voice anymore? You can read the words, you can understand the doctrine, you can preach it, you can tell everybody else about it.
But are you enjoying His fellowship and you're dependent for your happiness on this one, that God has established the ruler of the world. He's going to come and rule this world. You're going to let him rule your life. You're going to run it yourself. Well, you know, it says here that all the little things here, all the glorious Father's house, the offspring and the issue, I thought that to mean that the descendants and their offspring.
We had that in the Reading meeting this morning, the suggestion of passing these things on to our children and that they would be established to well, they're only going to be established if we're established, and we're only going to be established if we depend on the one that has been established for us to depend on.
And the vessels, and the cups and the flagons, all these vessels. You might say that you and I are, that God has.
To use in his house for different things to bring refreshment to bring.
Ointments to bring.
Healing to other ones around you, It's only going to be effective if you're hanging on that one. Who's the Lord Jesus? Who's that nail fixed in a short place that can't be moved?
Just one more thought in Ecclesiastes.
The last chapter of Ecclesiastes.
Chapter 12.
And verse 11.
The words of the wise.
Are as gold.
And as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies.
Which are given from 1 shepherd.
So you have nails here?
You know, if you're going to have a strong nail and you're going to put a heavy load on that nail to hang something from it.
00:20:01
Well, you're probably going to just go and go Wham once and then it's going to go in and be tight. It's not going to be like that because if it goes in that easy, it's probably going to come out just as easy.
So if you've hammered nails, as many of us have, you know, you have to repeat, you have to repeat hitting the nails over the head and then they go in and the bigger the nail, the harder the wood, the more hits you have to to give it. But then when it's finished, it's strong and it's well fastened. Well, it tells us here that the words of the wise are as nails fastened. And I just want to encourage each one of us. Oftentimes we we hear things repeated to us and perhaps we go over things again and again and.
I've heard that before. Well, it's necessary for us to hear things over and over again because as we hear them, perhaps they sink in a bit deeper every time and they become our own and then we become established. I'm sure many of you would remember us young believers. Anyway, it was my case that I knew the Lord is my Savior, but I wasn't sure that I'd never lose my salvation. I was afraid, I was concerned. I didn't have, I hadn't laid old yet of all these wonderful scriptures that assure us that the work of Christ was was all that was needed to satisfy the heart of God forever.
But after reading here and reading there and hearing from 1:00 and another as the Word of God was expounded, well, I got grounded and rooted in that truth. And I'm enjoying it today as many other things and I'm sure many here. But this is how it comes to you and me a little bit by little bit, and it gets deeper and deeper till we trust that it's well fastened in your soul.
Now the goats, it's a bit different. The goats, you know, they use the goats to prick the oxen so they, they would walk, you know, and we need that we need and the word of God to prick us, they might say, and get us moving and get us out of the situation and, and get us to, to adopt habits and conformity of life to the word of God. But it's the words of the wise given by 1 shepherd. Oh dear ones, this morning we had the privilege of sitting together.
And having the word of God open before us, and I say many wise men in this room, men of God, with much history in the things of the Lord and life experience from which we can.
Learned, and I'm sure we do, every time.
But I would just like to remind each one of us that it says here given from 1 shepherd.
That one, who's the nail? Who's that firmness for our souls up in the glory. You can trust in everything now.
Forever. That same one cares for you today and for each one of us. And He has for us exactly what we need, each one.
And you will give it to us.
On one condition should I say I might be corrected on this.
That we depend on him.
And you'll give it to us.
I could stay here this afternoon and talk till 5:00 and I could give way to many more gifted brethren that could come up here and talk till 5:00. But what I desire in my soul, and I trust this is what each one of us desires in our souls, That what we are getting is what is coming from that one Shepherd that will attract our hearts to Him, that our foundation would be Him and that would be dependent on Him and growing the knowledge of Him and be more.
Like Him. So there once each one of us, those of us who are listening and those of us who are talking, that we would be in that dependent attitude, everything is hanging on Him. You don't like to be hanging, but it's nice to be hanging on Him, to be dependent on Him and to trust Him that He is faithful and He will come in for us every time.
Let's see Chapter 5, Song of Songs.
Solomon wrote 1005 songs. The Spirit of God chose one.
To put it right in the heart of the Word of God.
It speaks of the bride.
Could be used, of course, primarily as the Jewish pride, the children of Israel.
But it can also be used as the church today. But I like to use it.
As individual ones belonging to Christ, as Paul said to the Corinthians.
I'd love to remember how he said it. I present you as chase virgins to the Lord. I believe that's the thought. It's second Corinthians 11 verse two. I won't take time.
00:25:12
Chapter 5 Song of Songs Now one thing to remember.
In the Song of Songs, nothing's mentioned of sin.
Because.
The Lord sees us in all the preciousness of what he's made us by the Holy Spirit. He doesn't see us as sin. There's a mention of failure.
Which is not the thought there of sin. She gets away, she grows cold, like you and I do sometimes.
But the Spirit of God brings Christ right back to our hearts. So chapter five, I think I'll just read a couple verses to start verse two, I sleep this second time she failed. He restored her both times. He loves, you know, he loves to bring us back it. It's really the fourth verse I think of Psalm 23.
He restoreth my soul. That means He brings me back when wandering.
You know he paid too much for each one of us to let us go too far. He brings us back.
Isn't that nice? Even those we love have our own family. Maybe who have laughed. We have confidence he'll bring him back. Well, that isn't the thought here. But she the second time she failed. Little sleep, little slumber, little folding of the hands.
And travel shall come upon you, trouble shall come upon you. This is for her.
But my heart awakened. My heart awakeneth. It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh.
Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled. Notice that that's the word of the Lord, and a term used that's reserved for the time of failure.
You're still his undefiled.
We were talking about that, you know, loving them in spite. That's the Lord. We'll go on my undefiled, for my head is filled with dew. That means blessing. Heavenly blessings for her. That's what he wants for all of us is filled with dew. In my locks, with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat. This is the bride speaking back. How shall I put it on? You know, it's pretty sad.
When it comes too hard to put on a coat to meet the Lord.
That's pretty sad. She's in a bad state of soul, she says.
I have washed my feet. How shall I defile them?
Too much to put on her slippers and go out and meet the Lord. Isn't that something? You know, there are some that are that cold in their soul. The only thing that will restore them is what you've got in your hand. The Word of God, that's all. Spirit of God will use it and restore. Well, she's in a bad state now. Let's go on. Let's see my beloved put his hand by the whole of the door.
Were moved for him.
You know she's thinking this. I don't know if this actually happened. It doesn't matter, This is what she's thinking. He's getting close and she's beginning to be warmed up in her heart for him. All right. I rose up to open to my beloved and my hands drop with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the locks.
Myrrh is bitterness, you know, when we remember the Lord it's with.
Joy and sorrow mingling the sorrow speaks of the murder, the sufferings and death of Christ. And so she was thinking already what He had done for her. He had restored her. That's earlier in this book. But what sweet smelling myrrh? That's a little different, isn't it? That's the result to her.
Of his sufferings and death is lovely. Isn't there a sweetness in the breaking of bread? That's our portion. Of course there is. That isn't the main object of course, but you can't help but have a sweet smelling myrrh. Or I open to my beloved. I'm alright. It was his himself that brought her to this point. You know it's like there's two on the way to Emmaus the Lord.
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Acted as though he would leave. Why he was exercising their soul, testing their heart. And they said, come home with us, you know. So here she says, I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself. Same thing as the two on the way to Emmaus.
He was gone. My soul failed when he spake. I sought him. I could not find him. I called him, but he gave me no answer.
She's out of communion, of course, you know he'll speak once and twice, many times. Whom the Lord loveth, He chasten us. Never forget that.
He chasing us. Why? He loves you. You're members of his family. You don't chastise the boy next door. But you do your own children, don't you? You love them. Well, this is a thought. Here. He's exercising her soul. He had just wondered about the little foxes that spoil the fruit of the vine. There's no fruit for her now. The first time she failed, she was in the city on the Broad Rd.
And he brought her back so beautifully.
But here is the second time now the Watchman verse seven that went about the city.
Found to me. They smote me. They wounded me. The keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
You know this time there was damage to her, right? There's always a loss when you get away.
And you know that is not made-up.
There's the years the locusts have eaten from some who've been gone maybe 20 years, 30 years. I've talked to them. When they come back, they don't get it back, but they're on fire for Christ to be back at his table. That's lovely. All right, let's see where I was.
They they wounded me and the keepers of the wall took away my veil. She doesn't have any testimony left. That's what that speaks of. You have no testimony if you move into this world.
And make your place on the streets in the Broad Rd. That's where she is. With no testimony. We'll read on.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, we're the women of the city. If you find my beloved, tell him that I'm sick of love.
I wish I had that water supply by chair.
Thank you.
I'm sick of love. What does that mean, you know?
We we use it this way when the boys and girls are gone.
For a week, sometimes maybe to a nice camp.
They get homesick, don't they homesick and that's a real sickness. But this is different than that is the same idea. She was love sick. She was sick from being away from her Lord. It's a wonderful thought. I'm sick of love. What is verse nine? What is my beloved? What is thy beloved more than another beloved? The women of the city said, Oh, thou fairest among women, what is thy beloved more than another beloved?
Thou does so charge us.
Wow. You know what? The Lord has given her a chance, an opportunity to testify to this world. Even though she's gotten away. I think that's some of the sometimes the way He restores our soul gives you an opportunity.
I've had it happen when I'm in a bad state of soul and there's something about this that opportunity puts you on flame again for him.
All right, she's got an opportunity, they said. What is I beloved more than any other beloved we got?
Why are you so charging us? And then she said, My beloved 10 is white.
Of course, that's his purse, son.
Holy, pure and Ruddy. That's his work for her. The blood shed is so beautiful. How she described him right away. Cheapest among 10,000. There's none like him, she said. This is my beloved. There's none like him. No, I'm not going to take time for her descriptions. Whenever the bride describes the groom, she uses 10 features.
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Because 10 is the number of responsibility individually to God and she meets her responsibility. But I'm not going to get into it. But in the 7th chapter he describes her and whenever the groom describes the bride, 7 features only because that's the number of heavenly completion. He sees her and all the completeness of himself. But I won't get into that.
OK, now she describes his eyes and then she says they're they're doves eyes. It's not lovely. I won't get into that. So beautiful by the rivers of waters. His cheeks and his hands are as gold rings set with the barrel. You know, she starts that way in a let's see. Yeah. His head verse 11 is as the most fine gold. And now down here it says his hands are as gold.
Now at the end she says, 15 his legs fine gold. What is she saying? That my beloved is righteous from head to foot and throughout. Now I'm not going to greet the others because there's no time. All right, Verse 16, His mouth, that's the word, his word. His mouth is most sweet, doesn't Peter say?
Taste and see.
That's it. Most sweet. Yeah, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved. This is my friend. Oh, daughters of Jerusalem. What a beautiful testimony she gave, even in a bad state of soul. That's going to restore her. It's going to restore her. But before she gets restored, the Lord gives her a rebuke bill.
I'll read it. Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women?
Whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek? We am with you.
They couldn't imagine that she left him describing someone like she did. And if you describe Jesus Christ to your friends and neighbors, they wouldn't even think you'd ever leave him. They didn't think she could ever leave him. He had to leave her. Whither did he go?
Isn't that a rebuke? That's a hard rebuke.
Well, it hit her and she began to speak wonderful things. My beloved is gone down into his garden. You know what she learned in being away and all the beauties of being brought back.
He has an assembly.
That's where he is to where he loves to be. The garden in the Song of Songs speaks of the assembly.
To the beds of spices to feed in the gardens. She knows he's got now many assemblies. Not beautiful. This is I'm Speaking of one like you and I.
The bride of Christ in that sense. And he's gone down to gather lilies, you know, he told her in the second chapter, You're a Lily. That's her new name. Once she became his, that's your new name.
Your lilies, they're beautiful. I think it is. So he goes down to feed and among the gardens and to gather lilies. I think that's Psalm 116. I'm not going to take time because someone else can have this podium, but that says precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints.
When he takes one of you home, that's precious. I know we don't mourn for sorrow as the world does. We miss him, of course, but we know he's taken a Lily for himself. And that's the beauties of death for a believer. I love that part, don't you? So she said. I am my beloved. My beloved is mine. He feedeth among the lilies.
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This is a very high note in this song, but it's not the highest, and I couldn't take it to the highest, but there's two more steps to reach the highest. But here it is. He feedeth among the lilies. I want to tell you today, tomorrow and Lords Day, he'll be feeding among the lilies and what we say and what we think because he reads the heart. The sisters have a part in this.
And he feeds that way. I'm going to just finish with the last verse in the Song of Solomon.
All right, I'll read 13 and 14. I'll take my seat. Thou that dwelleth in the gardens. She's learned the height. He dwells among the assemblies and in them, where two or three are gathered together under my name. There am I in the midst. He dwells here in that beautiful Thou that dwelleth in the gardens. The companions hearken to. Thy voice caused me to hear it. I hope that's your desire always.
That became her desire. Caused me to hear thy voice. Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to the role or to the young heart for the mountains of spices. So ends the song of songs. She fervorishly looked for her beloved return. And what about you? That's the thought.
Please turn the tape over.
The last verse we read together, brethren, struck a chord.
He dwells in the garden.
Sometimes we've sung that song. I come to the garden alone.
While the dew is still on the roses.
And the voice I hear.
Falling on my ear.
The Son of God discloses.
A wondrous presence.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is indispensable to the believer.
As we go through this life.
Christianity is not.
A legislation of rules and regulations.
And to condemn us when we get out of the way.
No, it is a person as we know, beloved.
A person to satisfy the longings of our hearts and to be set before us, as our brother brought before us earlier as an object for our hearts.
A foundation for our lives. For no other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
The foundation that this world knows nothing about.
And they live from day-to-day just hoping everything is going to change and everything will cure, everything will get better.
And it gets worse.
Brother reminded us the other day. Evil seducers waxing worse and worse.
Deceiving and being deceived and the enemy is busy deceiving souls today, and even the hearts of God's people.
Suggesting that there is something out there for our heart, something better than Christ.
In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily. And that blessed One. Does he not want to dwell in my poor heart that has been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ?
And thinking about that, could we turn to Second Samuel chapter 6, just for a few verses?
Second Samuel chapter 6 and verse 12.
And it was told King David saying.
The Lord hath blessed the House of Obadiah, and all that pertaineth unto him.
Because of the arc.
Of God. Notice that phrase Because of the ark of God, the presence of the Lord, Obadiah had experienced the blessing of the presence of the Lord.
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David in his earlier life knew the value and the indispensability of his presence when he was a shepherd boy out on the hills taking care of the sheep. That is what prepared him as he slew the lion and the bear. Because of the presence and strength and the glory of the Lord in his life, that is what prepared him to go against.
An enemy of Israel, the giant Goliath, and he was nothing in his eye because of the presence of the Lord.
The Word of God tells us even our faith, which overcometh the world. There is no resource we have, beloved. There is no resource that David had in himself or in this world or because of his abilities.
It was he became enamored, occupied with, filled with the necessity of walking with God in his life. May we as Christians, no matter what age we are, may we have that serious conviction of soul and spirit. There is no way that we can get through this world for the glory of God except to understand and to depend upon and value the blessedness of His presence.
And David, just prior to this, you read the whole chapter, had sought to bring the ark of God.
Back to Jerusalem.
By a method that was not according to the Word of God. He valued the presence of the Lord. He knew that he needed to be in the presence of the throng in Jerusalem. That was his place. He had been in the center of David's heart in life, and he knew that he must be in the center of the throng at Jerusalem. The problem was.
If you turn to, I believe it's First Chronicles 13. I I'm not sure of the chapter, but it says that he consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds and the leaders of Israel as to how to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem.
And they brought it back. They sought to bring it back.
But as we read in verse seven of the same chapter.
Verse six of this same chapter.
The oxen shook the cart, or the ark of the Lord. It was put on an oxen cart.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Azza.
As he sought to stabilize the Earth.
And God smote him there for his error, and he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased because the Lord made a breach upon us.
And so forth. We can understand in all the sincerity of this.
The heart of this king we can understand.
How he felt displeased. He sought to do something right in a wrong way. And beloved, we have often times become discouraged, perhaps because we have sought to do something right, but not according to the word. I know I have, and I've gone away very heavy hearted and very burdened.
But David searched the matter out and he found out the truth that the Ark must be born on the.
Shoulders of the priests. Two things. The priests must carry it on their shoulders.
And he went to get the ark from the House of Obadiah.
Verse 12 Again. So David went and brought up the ark from the House of obedient into the city of David with gladness.
And we learned that the House of Obadiah prospered, beloved, if the Lord Jesus Christ is given a place.
In my poor heart and in your life, He's going to bless your life.
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That Christ might dwell in your hearts. Ephesians chapter 3.
That is his desire to dwell there.
Is it yours and is it mine in the power of the Holy Spirit to make His love so real, a love that passes understanding.
A love that will fill your heart and mind so that you will not go after the paltry and I will not go after the inferior things of this life.
Or Oberlin's house prospered. The truth of baptism is that it shuts out the world in our homes.
But the consequences then is, that it brings God's man in, when my heart is judged as to the things of this world, and I reckon myself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God.
He has paid too much for his beloved.
He owns that body of yours, young people.
He owns your mind.
Your hands and your feet.
He has bought you with a price.
Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirits.
Which are his?
He is jealous of that sin in your life.
He is jealous of that wrong relationship. Our brother referred to 2nd Corinthians Chapter 11.
Where it says, I have espoused you unto one husband, as unto a chaste virgin in Christ. For as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so also your hearts and minds should be corrupted through.
The simplicity or the single eye for Christ, He will seek to rob you not only of your joy, but keeping your eye fastened, fixed upon Him as the object, bright and fair to fill and satisfy your heart's desire. This was David's object.
He corrected the problem. He brought the ark up from the House of Obadiah on the shoulders of the priests.
And to go on verse 13. And it was so.
That when they that bear the ark of the Lord had gone 6 paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was girded.
With a linen ephod. And I know there are some in Christianity Today who say that.
It's appropriate to dance because David danced. But, beloved, we know better, do we not?
The true hours come when the hours come when true worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Not in dance, or by the sultry and by the symbol and by musical instruments. It's true we may have a heart that dances.
The bride and the Song of Solomon that we referred to. Her heart danced, no doubt, when she was restored to him.
And he said to her, Thou art beautiful. He did not say, shame on you.
Look where you went, look what you did. Is it not the same with Jesus when he looked upon Peter? When Peter failed so miserably, He looked upon him with a broken heart.
Wounded love.
And Peter wept bitterly.
He remembered how much he was loved and when we failed. Beloved, there is nothing that will restore our hearts.
Like that sense or feeling how much he loves me and look what I did to contribute to his suffering upon the cross.
David danced with all of his might and beloved, you know the answer why?
Young people, do you know why he danced with all of his might?
And he even had on a linen ephod. He had set aside his kingly robes and all of that honor that was his.
Because as the ark moved closer to the center of the throng.
It was like the Lord Jesus Christ being all to our hearts.
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And we lay down those things which have brought shame and dishonor upon his name. As he moved closer to Jerusalem, David danced.
He took upon him that priestly character, and it says in the word we know the Scripture Hebrews 13 Let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. And as he moved closer to the throng, it caused David to sacrifice.
As He moves more towards the center of your life and mine, it will cause us in view of His coming for us. Beloved, we belong to Him. He owns us, we're His. He's jealous of our love, He's jealous of that sin, but it will cause us.
To see how.
Wretched those things were that I have been occupied with.
That made me feel so empty that I thought would make me happy.
And they didn't.
Not only did it dishonor him, and he's so patient with us, the longer that we live, the more we realize how much he loves us.
Whom the Lord loveth, He chastens only out of love, to bring us back, to fill us with Himself. Looking diligently, it says in Hebrews chapter 12. Lest any man fail of the grace of God, may we look diligently during these meetings. Beloved, I speak this to my own heart because I am so vulnerable. The enemy is a powerful foe, and he will not stop with one tactic. He will continue with tactic after tactic in order to rob.
Your soul of that joy Jesus said these things have I spoken unto you.
That my joy, my joy serving the Father, walking with the Father in the will of God.
That my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. When you have that fullness of joy, Let me tell you, beloved, what it will do to you.
Everything that you go after in this life, once you've tasted of that wondrous wine, of the joy of His love.
You will count everything inferior and secondary.
And loss compared to his blessed person, it will cause you to sacrifice. It's not a matter. Christianity is a matter of giving up this and giving up that and doing this and doing that. And maybe then pretty soon you'll arrive at having His fellowship.
Jesus said, As the Father hath loved me.
Even so, have I loved you, continue E in my love.
As I have kept my father's commandments.
Even so, keep my commandments. He that keepeth my commandments will abide. Abide in my love. That's normal Christianity, and I allow things to come in to destroy and to affect the joy of His love.
May we be as David and take this example, beloved.
To move him more to the center of our lives, to see Him as the center or in the midst in the assembly.
And rejoice in the grace that has brought us to that place in our lives.
To give him that place of sitting on the throne of our hearts.
01:00:22
Light follow me.
More.
Where you are.
I'm going to be.
Nazarite's Vow, Lesson from Exodus
Open—C. Hendricks, H. Brinkmann
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.
All right, in the appendix.
For thou hast heard our prayer.
Walk on Earth a stranger.
And the Son of Eric and the dear of God.
Portion is elsewhere.
It's all wrapped up in thee and in thy son.
He asked thee for thy help this afternoon, the rest of the day, the gospel tonight.
Pray the Lord Jesus may be honored and glorified. We ask it in His name. Amen. Amen.
A real burden on my heart.
For a short time.
Turn back to Revelation 3.
For justice diverse.
Verse 11 again.
Behold, I come quickly.
Hold that fast which thou hast.
That no man take thy crown.
Now let's turn back to the 6th chapter of Numbers.
Which has to do with the Nazarite.
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Number six.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel.
And say unto them.
When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite.
To separate themselves unto the Lord.
He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine or vinegar of strong drink.
Neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, or eat moist grapes, or dried.
All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. All the days of the vow of his separation, there shall no razor come upon his head.
Until the days be fulfilled in the which he separated himself unto the Lord.
He shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
All the days that he separated himself unto the Lord, he shall come at no dead body.
He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother.
For his brother or for his sister, when they die, because the consecration of his God is upon his head.
All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.
We talked a bit about what holiness means, and here we have it coupled with being separate, separated to the Lord being consecrated. These words all describe the the Nazarite. And I would say that that address that we've been looking at to Philadelphia is really an address.
To the Nazarites.
And address to the Nazarites.
To those who are.
Completely totally separated to the Lord, consecrated all for him.
He is everything and nothing that appeals to the to the natural man.
Those things were not to be indulged in.
Says when either man or woman shall separate themselves to Volvo the Nazarite to separate themselves onto the Lord. Now this bow had a limit to it didn't go on forever, but the Lord Jesus was the true Nazarite was he not?
He was the one whose meat it was to do the will of him that sent him, and to finish his work. I delight he said, to do thy will, O God.
The Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things that please him.
None of us can say that.
None of us is a, if you want to be quite accurate about it, a true Nazarite. But he was.
That's why to say that we are Philadelphians is to say we're Nazarites.
We are truly, totally, completely separated to the Lord. Well, I don't claim that for myself, and I don't think you can either, but we can. We can see what a Nazarite is according to the thought of God and that no man take thy crown. That word crown is a very interesting word. If you have a new translation by Mr. Darby, read the number number six and the note in verse 2.
Under the word Nazarite. And he connects that with a consecration, A separation. And there are even passages where it's it's the same word that's used for the crown that goes on the King's head. When he's crowned, it separates him. It uniquely sets him apart from all the rest. He's the king, and also the priest too. The diadem is the same word that comes from.
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The word that makes up this Nazarite.
And.
No, man, take thy crown. What was the crown of the Nazarite? Well, we'll read it here in a moment.
He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, those things that are intoxicating, and it doesn't have to be liquor, but anything that is so, you're so absorbed with in your life that you are intoxicated by it and you can't live without it.
It's a part of your very life, and the Nazarite is not that way.
He has one object, of course, and that is to please his father. I'm Speaking of the true Nazarite, the Lord Jesus now.
So this Nazarite separates himself from wine and strong drink and.
Shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink. Neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, or eat moist grapes, or dried. Anything that comes from the vine is to abstain from.
All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the fine tree.
From the kernels even to the husk, even down to the grapes themselves when there's no liquor involved. But there are things that we indulge in that are perfectly legitimate in most instances that are not intoxicating in themselves, although they could become so if they become so all absorbing in our life.
I was speaking to a brother between meetings and and said we can often tell.
Where one is in his thought life right after the breaking of bread, you move around and you talk to this one. And if one is a farmer, he talks about farming. If one is a computer expert who talks about computers, if one is a sports nut, he you talk about sports, and if one is in the the arts, he talks about painting or drawing or playing music or whatever he is interested in. You see this world in which we're through which we're passing.
For every taste, no matter what it is something that would appeal to us, something that we get so absorbed with that it just comes out in our daily conversation. We generate to that we.
You know, you were really occupied with those things.
All the days of the vow of his separation, there shall no razor come upon his head.
Until the days be fulfilled, and the which he separated himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy. That word means separate to God holy.
Holy. And he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow, grow.
That's the first thing it says about the Nazarite.
He I don't believe that the Lord necessarily was the Nazarites in the literal sense of this. He was certainly morally A Nazarite. But what is the significance of the long hair?
For the for the man in particular beginning of the chapter it says either man or woman.
But that signified in Sampson's case, that was a secret that.
The enemy tried to find out through Jezebel.
And.
Finally they succeeded.
His secret of strength was in his separation.
That was the crown of the Nazareth, the long haired. He was totally separated to God. Now that's the Philadelphian movement. It was a movement that was totally consecrated, totally separated, totally committed and devoted to the Lord who was the Holy One and the truth.
He was everything to them and they didn't have anything else that this world has to offer that that they were so interested in that that just absorbed their life. Not that they didn't enjoy this or that occupation at times, sitting at the piano and playing or playing a game, but it didn't. It didn't occupy his life fully.
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And.
Samson strength was in a place that you would never think of. Strength in hair. Strength in your hair is long hair. Hair is just a flimsy thing that can be cut and done away with. How can there be any strength in that? Usually when you see pictures of Samson that men have drawn, they have great he has great bulging muscles, but his his strength was not in his muscles. No, his strength was in his hair, his long hair.
Philadelphia has spoken of as being.
Of little strength. Little strength you'd see a man with long hair, maybe.
Down to his waist and.
You'd say he isn't. He doesn't have any strength. That's not the source of strength.
But morally it speaks of total consecration and separation to God.
To God.
And there was a man in this world that was that, and that was the Blessed Lord himself.
Totally committed to his father.
Always to do his father's will, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, he said. And to finish his work.
He was not of this world.
It came from heaven into it to bring us into association with himself. He was the true Nazarite and the assembly at Philadelphia. They they are the true Nazarites as seen by God. Laodicea is just the opposite.
Laodicea is what's in it for me. It's all self but Philadelphia. The true Nazarene is all for Christ.
So he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. That's where his strength was, That's where his crown was. If you have Mr. Darbys translation, look up #6 and verse two and read the note. And he gives you all the different references of how that word is used in the Old Testament. And one of them, several of them, referred to the crown that was put on one's head to distinguish that person.
For a special place.
That no man take thy crown once we get.
Ensnared in the affairs of this world, we've lost our crown.
Our hair has been cut.
And we have no strength.
The strength of the Nazarite lay in his hair, and the strength of the Philadelphia, and lays in his total consecration and separation to God, just like his master, just like the Lord Jesus.
Verse six says All the days of that he separated himself unto the Lord, he shall come at no dead body.
That would defile him even if it was his near of kin.
He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister.
When they die because the consecration of his God.
Is upon his head now. You could put in there for consecration. You could put in separation or crown.
That same word is used to represent those things in Scripture.
All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.
So he there's three things here. He's not to drink anything from the vine that speaks of pure, natural joy.
And there's nothing wrong with that. But you see that with the Lord Jesus when they came to him and said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee.
And he said, Who is my mother? And who are my brethren? But they that hear the word of God and do it.
The Roman system says we were to go to Mary, his mother, because she has more of a tender, compassionate heart, and she'll bring your supplication to the Lord. That's blasphemy.
That's blasphemy against the blessed Savior.
00:20:02
No, she had no special unique place except to bear the Christ, which was tremendous, tremendous, and to raise him which was tremendous. But she did not stand out as having any special claim upon him.
When he grew up.
Wish ye not that I must be about my father's business. They had gone a day's journey or two, and he wasn't with the company, and he was 12 years old, a boy, and he they came back seeking him, and after a couple days they found him in the temple, hearing the doctors and asking them questions.
And she said, and I didn't detect a note of irritation in her voice. A son, Why hast thou thus dealt with us? Thy father and I have sought these sorrowing. And he said, How is it that she sought me, wish she not that I must be about my father's business? First recorded words of the Blessed Lord wished you not that I must be about my father's business. And the last was it is finished, Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.
He finished his father's business.
In perfection.
True Nazarite.
Didn't have anything else that could be dangled before him, like it can be you and me that that gets our attention and we get into it. I remember as a boy, I'd get all absorbed in something and I just went into it with full energy and it lasted a little time and then then it was something else and it lasted a little time and then it was something else. I I don't think any of you boys are like that, but that's the way I was.
You know you are.
We're all the same. We're all made out of the same stuff. But he had one object that was before him, the true Nazarite. That's what a Philadelphian is. Dare anyone, in the light of what I am saying, say I am a Philadelphian.
Well, we desire to be like that. We desire not to allow the enemy to, with all that he has out there, all that glitters and all that, the attractions and everything that that could attract us.
Not to occupy us.
Not to occupy us, not to become the all absorbing object of our heart.
He only had one, and that was the Father. Please him the will of the Father. So the Nazarite was not to to drink anything that would.
Render him less sensitive to the father's will and guidance. And he was not to allow his natural affections for his mother or father, mother other her he would.
He would not do that. And then even if someone of them died suddenly, he was he was not to be defiled by that.
Let the dead bury their dead, he taught when he was here. There are things more important than these earthly things. Well, I couldn't help but think and just wanted to express these thoughts that if you read the notes in Mr. Darby's on numbers and one of the places.
One of the places in Jeremiah.
Speaks of shaving off the hair, and in doing so.
Loses their consecration.
That's what happened to Samson.
And he was just as weak as any other man. And when the Philadelphian movement, if I can put it that way, when that which is characteristically Philadelphian, gets occupied, you and me, all of us, any of us, with things that are out there in this world and take away our total absorption with Christ and His Word, then we're having our hair cut.
Because that's our strength, that's our crown. That's our crown. Our separation from the world and all its allurements. And if we give that up, we've lost our crown.
Well made these thoughts.
Encourage you to hold loosely.
The things here.
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Hold loosely to things here.
His coming is very soon.
It might be before we lay our heads down on the pillow tonight. Shout will be given.
Does that.
Honestly, answer it not to me. I'm nothing.
Answer it to God. Does that thought fill you with happy desire, Lord Jesus, come or no, not yet. Brother was talking to a sister once at lunch, and and he was telling her he may come today. And she said, I hope not. You hope not. Oh, she said, I have too many things I have to set in order, too many things I have to do yet here.
Well, may the Lord deliver us from things and occupy us with himself, the Bible says having food and clothing, let us be there with content. I don't think there's anyone in the room that would be content with just food and clothing.
There's a lot of people in the world that are that way.
A lot of people in the world that are that way.
Well, these thoughts, May God bless them to you.
I like to read a verse in Romans.
Chapter 14.
Verse 4.
For whatsoever things were written, a poor time were written for our learning that we.
Two patients and comfort of the scriptures might have hope that certainly fits to what and supports to what has come before us just by Chuck.
There is also a verse in Timothy.
Two Timothy 3.
Verse 14.
But continued down in the things which thou hast learned, and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make the wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.
For doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect.
Thoroughly furnished unto all good works, and also to 1St Corinthians.
Chapter 10.
He is in this chapter Speaking of what has happened.
To Israel.
That they were all under the cloud, they were all baptized unto Moses. And then in verse 11 it says, Now all these things happened unto us.
Poor and samples, and they are written for our admonition, of whom the ends of the world are calm, so the age is calm.
Well, my exercise is to.
Point some things out from the book of Exodus.
My grandfather.
Told me.
He knew the scriptures well.
And he said, if you read the book of Genesis carefully, you have gone through the scriptures.
Because typically they present.
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Truth that we have in the New Testament. But he said there are two things missing.
In the book of Genesis, and that is redemption and the sanctuary.
So it's very important for us to become familiar.
With the typical teachings of the Old Testament.
You know, it's very important because sometimes you might have trouble understanding some portion in the New Testament because you don't have the backing of.
The Old Testament.
But you know, the book of Exodus.
Speaks of redemption.
Egypt is a picture of the world.
Pharaoh is a picture of the devil.
And we need to be delivered from this present evil world. That's what we learn in Galatians.
And from the power of the devil.
And God raised up Moses to be that deliverer.
One of the beautiful types of the Lord Jesus.
And when God called him.
We have in Chapter 4.
He says. They will not believe me.
The Lord gives him two signs by which they were to believe, and we have that in chapter 4.
What is that in your eyes? In your hand? The rod?
In verse 3. And he said cast it on the ground, and he cast it on the ground and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from before it.
The Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand.
That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared unto thee. And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thy hand into thy bosom.
Put his hand into the bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. Then put it back into the bosom and it became normal again. What are these two signs teaching typically?
We are under the power of Satan.
Tara speaks of that which the power of Satan represents.
You know, I've been in Egypt a number of times, and I found a figure there.
That represents Pharaoh. And what does he have in his hand? A rod that speaks of the power. You see the devil by us, listening to him and being deceived by him, we have come under his power, and we need to be delivered from the power of the devil.
But we are also sinful.
Sin has entered.
Born sinners.
And we need to be cleansed from sin, and that is done by the Blessed Lord, the Lord Jesus, by coming to him.
We not only spared from going to hell, we are now right now delivered from the power of sin and the devil.
That's what you and I can enjoy if we know the Lord Jesus as savior now.
I hope we will all come into it, if we haven't already come into it, but then there's also something very important, and that is that there is real satanic power in the world. We have heard of what our brethren are facing in Malawi.
Demon power is demonstrated there, and it is demonstrated in the book of Exodus.
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God tells.
Aaron to cast down the rock and it became a snake.
And a magician cast down their eyes and it became a snake. You see, the devil can do quite a bit. He has tremendous power. But what happened to those rods?
They were swallowed up.
We have heard several times at this conference greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. It's demonstrated there and the book of Exodus, when the rats of these magicians were swallowed up.
You know, wonderful to realize that that we have a power available for us.
That can overcome the power of the enemy. We have no power in ourselves.
But we have a power available for us, and that power is greater than the power of Satan.
But then.
Before they can be delivered.
From Egypt, 10 Plates fall upon the land of Egypt.
And they were plagues for the Egyptians, but they were signs and wonders for the Israelites.
We can still benefit from entering into what these plates represent.
And I believe that.
In three groups of three.
Why do I say three groups of three?
Each group begins with a mourning.
And then it is important that the first three fall upon all the length of Egypt.
But then there's a difference made between the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen, where the Israelites dwell.
You know, there are things that are good for us.
Know experimentally.
Water turning into blood. That was the 3rd sign that God gave to Moses if they wouldn't believe those two signs.
The rod and the hand becoming leprous.
And water would be turned into blood. In other words, if they didn't believe, judgment would fall upon them. And the first plague is judgment. The water turns into blood. The river turns into blood.
You know we have chance sitting here and.
I've been privileged to be in Egypt a number of times. The land of Egypt couldn't exist without denial, could it? It would be a desert. But what does the Nile speak of?
Typically.
The live stream of this world, I believe that's what it represents.
But it is under judgment. Dear young people, remember that lesson.
That which the world offers the life stream of this world is all under judgment.
But we have things.
That are not under judgment. We have things that God has given us for food and for drink.
You know, remember that water from the rock?
Doroth smoked that rock water came out. That speaks of the judgment that the Lord Jesus bore for us, the manner that came from heaven.
Wonderful. And we know from the New Testament.
That that's a picture of the Lord Jesus.
Men come down as a man, I should say he is that threat.
That we can feed on.
It's nourishment for our soul and then we have the water, that which refreshes, that which encourages the believer.
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But then there were other plates.
The frogs that come up, well, what do we find the frogs to be representing?
Demon power.
Demon power.
Well, I don't want to go into all the details of these plagues, but what I want to point out is.
The third after the third play.
These plates did not fall upon the land of Goshen.
And that suggests that what these plagues represent, especially that second group.
Should not be found where God's people dwell.
We should not find irritation and aggravation.
Which he slice speak of amongst God people, unfortunately.
Sometimes we have that kind of a problem amongst us, don't we?
You know we are aggravating each other instead of encouraging each other.
But the last group of three all speak of future judgments which will fall upon this earth.
The hail is one of them, you know. You can find that if you search the scriptures diligently, that what I'm saying is correct. The last three plates speak of future judgment that will fall upon this earth. Darkness is one of them.
You know, darkness is already increasing.
But when the church is gone, and the believers and the Spirit of God is gone, there is tremendous spiritual darkness coming upon this world. Apostasy is going to come.
You know, it's a wonderful thing that we won't be here anymore when that happens. But there is already this spirit of apostasy, and there are many things that are being presented opposing the truth of God. And do you know that any time anybody gives up truth that he once held, that's the spirit of apostasy. I'm not saying that a believer can become an apostate.
But I believe the spirit of apostasy can be sometimes unfortunately seen in believers.
In my short Christian life, I have witnessed this that people preach certain truths themselves in my own relationship, my uncles.
And he turned away from it, gave it up.
Have you not experienced that in the United States and Canada?
You know.
Truth given up?
They haven't given up. Lord thank God. They are not truly apostates. But the spirit of apostasy is anytime we give something up.
That's the spirit of apostasy and Revelet ends.
So we have had at these meetings.
Holt asked That which thou hast let no man take thy crown.
Well, what I like to also point out is that in the midst of these plates.
For these signs.
There are 4 compromises.
That Satan offers to Moses and Aaron.
And they're very important. You can learn tremendous spiritual lessons from them because what Pharaoh was trying to do, Satan is trying to do in a spiritual way.
The first compromise is in Chapter 8.
Three day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as He shall command us. We cannot do it in the world system. We have to go that three day journey. What does the three day journey speak of? What is it that will effectively separate us from the world?
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That is death.
The death with Christ.
What a tremendous truth it is, beloved Saints of God. It's not only that the Lord Jesus died for me.
When he died to him, writers said. Then we died with him buried in his grave relay.
How wonderful. That's not the end.
We also raised with him. Romans chose us, having died with him. Colossians chose us, being raised with him, and we are a new creature now.
You know, the death of Christ is that which effectively separates us from the world. That's what the three day journey speaks of.
But then there is.
Still another compromise.
And that is.
In.
Chapter 10.
Verse 10.
He said unto them, Let the Lord be so with you as I will let you go, and your little ones look to it, for evil is before you not so Go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord for that he did desire, and they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
Leave the children in Egypt.
Isn't that what you sometimes see?
The enemy has succeeded doing.
Christian parents let their children grow up in the world system. When we came to this country, I heard brethren literally make the statement. Chuck might have heard it too, because we were with the same brethren that we cannot decide things for our children. They have to come to their own decisions. You know well no, when the children are little.
We as parents determine what kind of life they're going to live.
Hopefully as they get older they will come to know the Lord Jesus as personal savior and then for themselves want to follow the Lord.
But children, obey your parents.
That is even as to what you should be allowed to do or not to do. You better listen children to your parents, to your parents.
May I be very blunt?
I'm troubled.
By seeing Christians bringing the television into their house.
And exposing their children to the tube and to that worldly influence.
In the very home which is to be a sanctuary for the children.
Computer is another thing. Now I realize with the educational system you today can hardly go to the schools and especially when you get older without having a computer because they use it all the time in connection with education. But be careful.
There's a lot of garbage on that stuff.
You know and.
Do we allow our children to be exposed?
Unnecessarily, yes. They will come in contact with people in the world.
But our homes ought to be the sanctuary for them.
Where they're not exposed to the world. Where they are exposed to Christian teaching, Christian living.
Of course, when you get to be older.
It's no longer a question of obeying your parents, and I'm not in the position to tell you when that changes.
You know used to be that a person was considered an adult when they were 21. Now it is 18.
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You know but.
I would like to suggest for those that are young.
Don't try.
To get out from under the authority.
Of the home and your father prematurely.
Be thankful if you have Christian parents.
But I hope by the time any of you will be 18 years old, you have come to know the Lord Jesus as your savior and made it a habit to read the Bible and pray for yourself not to start at that time.
Started earlier. I've told that story before and bear with me if you have heard it.
I had one of the greatest thrills in my life. Some years back when my granddaughter, less than 10 years old, was visiting with her family. She comes to me and says, OPA, let's read the Bible. Nobody put it up to death. She came on her own. She said, OPA, let's read the Bible. Oh, I said, where are you reading? Oh, she said, I'm reading in the book of Exodus.
She said on my lap, as long as they were in a house. And every night she wrote me, read to me a chapter of the book of Exodus. She's now in Jordan.
And I asked her not long ago, I said, Deborah, are you still reading the Bible for yourself? Yes, she said. Well, I said, where are you reading? She said, in the Book of Revelation. Oh, I said, Deborah, that is not an easy book to read, I know, she says. But the first chapters are not that bad.
She is now around 12 years of age. I wouldn't discourage her from reading the Book of Revelation, but anyway.
What a privilege it is, dear young people and children to grow up in a Christian home. I already had Christian grandparents, godly Christian grandparents.
And I grew up in a Christian home.
What a privilege. What a responsibility.
And the mothers?
You know, sometimes the danger is that.
The ladies.
Might not feel it's so important for them to read and meditate upon the scriptures.
But you know who has more influence on the children than the mother? Who has more time with the children than the mother?
Why had a godly mother?
In what I and my brothers have spiritually, we owe to our mother.
She would know the Scriptures and quote the Scriptures, and whatever happened, any situation that arose, she would try to bring the light of the Word of God into that situation.
And I realized more and more the effect that that had on us boys to come to realize we need the light of the word of God in connected with anything that might happen.
So what a privilege to grow up in a Christian home.
Thank the Lord for it.
I hope you do. If you haven't done it, start thanking the Lord for bringing you into a Christian family.
And then read the Bible. And when you don't understand something, go to your dad.
And if Dad doesn't have the answer, maybe he will encourage you to go to a brother in a meeting and ask him. That's how we learn.
You know you don't expect to understand everything the first time you read it. There are still things in this book I don't understand.
I'm still learning.
You know we won't.
And learning until we get home.
But then there is another compromise.
To 4th compromise.
And that is still in chapter 10, verse 24.
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And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye Sir the Lord, and let your flocks and your herds be stayed, Let your little ones also go with you.
Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us. There shall not be an hoof be left behind, for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God. And we know not with what we must serve the Lord until we come bitter.
But the Lord hardened their old heart.
Here again, it isn't that difficult to understand. The wealth of the two for people living at that time was.
How many animals do they have?
You know how many animals joke has?
He was a very wealthy man.
Here the devil is trying to say, separate your Christian life from your business life.
You know, leave your possessions identified with the world.
No.
Whatever you do in Word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
You can go to school for the Lord.
Yes, and then when you look for employment.
The question you should ask yourself can I engage in this kind of work without compromising a Christian principle?
You certainly cannot be a Tavern keeper.
As a Christian, could you?
Or drive a beer truck.
I'm just making drastic statements to bring the point across, but there are many things that we can do for the Lord.
And we can do it unto him.
Whatever you do in Word, or indeed to all in the name of the Lord Jesus, and then whatever he entrusts us with.
In a material way, who does it really belong to?
We learn from another passage in the New Testament in Luke.
If we are not faithful in debt, which is in others, that's the material things, how shall the true riches be entrusted to us? The material things that are entrusted to us belong to the Lord. We are only stewards.
We have to handle it for him.
Well, that's an important lesson to learn, and the answer is we don't even know with what we should serve here.
He leaves it open that anything that he entrusts us with might be asked by the Lord for us to use for him.
Well, these are very practical lessons that we can learn from the book of Exodus.
I believe we all have to admit that we don't perfectly carry out what we learn in the word of God. That's why we have meetings like this.
To have our consciences exercised by the word of God.
And we need to hear it over and over again.
Because we forget, you know, and we who live.
In Canada and the United States.
We have the opportunity to have things.
And the danger is that we want to have things we want to accumulate.
Those who desire to be rich.
Fall into all kinds of evil.
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It doesn't say to be rich is evil.
No. And Timothy, it even says that those who are rich ought to do good works.
You know.
When we see the needs that exists.
Among our brethren in Christ, like Malawi.
And other countries.
We have a responsibility to help.
And we have done so.
And the Saints have proven very generous and willing to help. Of course, we have to be careful that we don't develop them to become dependent.
We have to encourage them to do for themselves what they can do.
One thing that we have done and allow me to permit to say that.
Most of our brethren there in Malawi, they have a few acres of land and they raise food and that's all they're doing for a living. Very few of them have a job.
So sometimes they have lack of water.
So we have seen to it that each family has a sprinkling can.
So that when there is lack of rain that they can go and sprinkle the crops.
You know, so that they do not develop a dependency on us.
But you know, sometimes they don't even use.
That kind of a help, one brother said to me. You know, that's hard work to carry the water to the garden.
I'm 500 meters from my garden where the water is, you know. Well, I said, does it take you 8 hours to carry water from the well to your garden? No, he said. Well, I said, oh, bread. And in Canada, in the United States they work 8 hours or more.
Why can't you do that?
Why can't you do that well?
And I don't think Kim Ruga will be offended when I give you the information that he is trying to help.
Get wealth or find out where he should dig for wealth where there is like a water so that they would have water and can grow food. You know they have the regular growing season and usually it rains but sometimes taste lack of rain they could then use.
Sprinkle their gardens for during the dry season they even can grow.
Food, so that they do not depend on support from us over here? Well, anyway.
It's wonderful that we have instructions in the word of God, but.
How can we really benefit from the word of God if we only?
Try to fill our minds with them with the truth of the scriptures. It won't accomplish much and the motive for doing anything.
Should be love for the Lord.
Love for his people.
You know, isn't it wonderful that the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit?
Romans chapter 5 and in John's epistle it says we laugh because he first loved us. The King James says we love him.
Because he first loved up, the correct entering is we love. Because he first loved us, we have the capacity to love because it has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
So love for the Lord and love for man, the loss.
And love to our brethren, you know, it's a wonderful thing as we move amongst the Saints of God and we experience and get a taste again and again of the love of our brethren, their hospitality, their kindness, their well, it's wonderful. You know, this is not generally the way in Christendom.
That there is such hospitality shown.
And we weren't here very long until the lady that we came to know had quite a bit of contact with, she says. I can't figure that out.
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You're hardly over here in America.
And people come from Canada and from all over the United States and visit you. And when you travel somewhere with your family, they always take you in.
He was not used to hearing that kind of love being shown, but that's the way it is amongst the Saints of God.
But you know, it is all because we love the Lord Jesus, and the love of God has been poured out in our heart by the Holy Spirit. We don't manifest it enough. I'm sure that we have to readily admit we could demonstrate it much more in all of our lives.
And we love not just our father and our mother. Sure, we should love them.
And we should love our children, but we also should love those of like precious faith.
You know, we are a big family.
You know, we ought to look at.
Our brothers and sisters and their children in the meeting almost like an extended family.
We all belong to the family of God.
And we have the capacity now to love and to.
The imitators of God as beloved children.
So there's never been there's a lot of great.
Things.
Our loving God and our Father. We lift our hearts and our voices to Thee.
Thank thee for the privilege of being under thy precious word. Father. This afternoon we thank thee. Our God is the subject of thy word. Is thy beloved Son, the one who was the true Nazarite, who has separated to the blessed God.
From the very beginning of His life here in this world, we think of the Lord Jesus.
In thy pathway how that thy father, after 30 years could say of thee, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. We think of thee our God, receiving him up into the glory after the work was finished there at the cross.
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And now He sits and waits for the moment to claim his own from this world, watching over thy people. Lord Jesus, to thy heart. So dear old precious Savior, make Thyself more precious to us moment by moment as we wait for I return. Make thy these meetings precious to our souls. May this living word of the written Word of God get down deep into our hearts.
And give us, Lord, the appetite for us. We pray, and may the the Spirit of God have liberty to bring it home to our souls. And so we look to Thee. We thank thee for this meeting. We ask thee to bless our fellowship between meetings too, and that thou would undertake in everything. For the rest of this day we give thanks and thy name, Lord Jesus, our Savior. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Gospel
Gospel—D. Spence
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Could we sing together? #31 I will sing of my Redeemer and his wondrous love to me.
On the cruel cross, he suffered from the curse to set me free.
#31
I will say.
Oh my God.
Shall we pray together? Blessed God our Father, We're so thankful to be able to sing.
Of a Redeemer.
And most of us here can sing of him as my Redeemer.
We praise thee for the blessing of this to our hearts.
And the full knowledge.
An assurance that he is.
Not only a Redeemer, but can be my Redeemer.
We pray thee for everyone in this audience that there would be a searching of hearts.
A taking of inventory recognizing Lord Jesus at the time of thy coming is so near.
And we've been reminded of this in our reading Behold, I come quickly.
Blessed Lord, we ask thee for thy blessing. Without it, all would fail. It is thy work and thy word.
And we pray thee to make it good to every heart here especially.
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Those who are lost, we feel that there may be some here in this room who are on their way to an eternal health.
And we ask for a rescue by a work of thy spirit. And we ask these things with Thanksgiving. Lord Jesus, in thy precious name. Amen.
I'd like to speak friends tonight about some books.
That are mentioned in the Bible. And first of all, could we turn to Luke chapter 4?
Of course we hold in our hand the book of books.
This is the only book worth talking about, really. And there are a lot of books that you young people and children have to read in school. You're put on a program. They have to do perhaps so many book reports every month. But you'll never, ever, and you know the truth of being able to hold a book like this. You will never, ever read or hold a book in your hand like you have tonight. It truly is the book of books.
Sir Walter Scott said all other books are leaks and fragments. They're nothing compared to the Bible, the book of books. And when he was dying, he said to his son, Go get the book.
And his son said, which book? Dad, thinking it was perhaps some of his books that he had written. He said there is only one the book, and this is the book that gives us the truth. And how wonderful. There is not another book in the world that gives us the truth about not only the past and the present, but the future.
You know, we try to map out our lives when we're younger, do we not? Young people? And some of us were talking about that at the table today to.
Have kind of an objective and goal for our lives and.
And you can make some choices to do that in this life. You can go this way or that way, or choose this occupation or that occupation or go to this school or that school. You have choices to make.
And I know that you as Christians, many of you as Christians, are making those choices in the light of the word of God.
How wonderful to see that and to hear that. But here is a book that if you accept the truth of it, it will change or determine your eternal destiny.
Is there a book like that that you've ever read or could ever read in the world? No.
None whatsoever. This blessed book took over 1500 years by the hand of an inspired God to compile.
And it was written by people in from Arabia and Syria and Rome and Greece. Many of the the writers, and of course the spirit of God is the writer, were hundreds of years apart, didn't even know one another.
It is a book that has been put together by the power and the hand and the love of God. The Bible says all scripture is given by inspiration of God.
Now wonderful it is. God breathed, And I know when I read the Bible.
1St When I was a child, I didn't scrutinize it or have much care for it in a certain sense, but it didn't change the truth of it, beloved friends. And it doesn't make any difference what you and I do with this blessed book and the truth that we hear from it.
It doesn't change the truth of it and the validity of it and the fact that it is God inspired.
And if you reject or even neglect or careless about listening and receiving the truth of it, if you're careless, friends, you're on your way to hell. And I feel the greatest danger among the gathered Saints and families today, as I think maybe some would hear, I would agree with me.
Is not only indifference or carelessness, but the fact that you go along.
With the program.
I was just talking to a brother just minutes ago. And brother Tom Roach, if you don't mind me mentioning your name, you're speaking to his grandson.
His grandson, five years of age. I'm sure there are a number of you here tonight that are five years of age, some younger, that that can understand what we're saying and what the word of God says.
Or some older. But if you ever realize this that when you.
Hear the word of God.
And you make a decision.
00:10:00
Against receiving Christ, you are responsible.
Brother Roach said to his grandson, was talking to his grandson about the Lord, his grandson said.
Am I responsible?
Grandpa.
Yes. If you have rejected Christ, you're responsible.
And he went to bed that night.
And he said something to his mother about wanting to get right with the Lord.
Because he was afraid that if he went to sleep, he'd go to hell.
I remember my son was a little older than that when he cried one one night from his bedroom. He had been to a gospel meeting. Sometimes we we perhaps put a little dimmer light on the gospel meeting than we should, but he heard the truth. And we never know when the Spirit of God is going to work in the lives and hearts of our children, do we?
That night, it was his night, he said. Dad, I'm going to hell.
Children, do you know for certain you're going to heaven?
The word of God said these things are written that he may know that you have eternal life.
Do you know it if you receive the Son of God sincerely in your heart?
You are going to heaven. You will be ready when the Lord Jesus Christ comes.
We used to preach the gospel at a boy's home, and there was a little boy named Henry.
And Henry was about 8 years of age. A lot of boys and girls are saved at 8 years of age, some a little younger, some a little older.
Henry wasn't eating his dessert that night.
That we had brought for him.
And we went and found Henry.
Who was an abused child?
Afraid that God was going to send him to hell.
And he said I'm going to hell. I don't want anything to eat, boys and girls. If you knew you were going to hell, you wouldn't want anything to eat tonight either.
If you would wake up in hell tomorrow, you wouldn't finish your dinner if you knew that you were going to.
Is an awful thing. It's a terrible thing. God warns us. He loves us so much, he's paid a great price that we won't have to go there.
Henry bowed his head before the night was over and received.
A God that would never abuse him, but loved him.
He abused his son, may we say respectfully at the cross so that Henry.
Could be loved forever and be delivered from an eternal help, boys and girls. These are eternal realities.
The book that we hauled in our hand is the Book of Books and at the beginning of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke chapter four we read.
These words verse 16 of Luke 4.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.
And sit up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel. Wouldn't it be wonderful, boys and girls and friends, to hear the gospel preached by the one who the gospel is about?
The Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the subject of the gospel. He is the good news. He is the lover of souls.
He is the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me, and you too, if you will receive him.
He had been anointed to preach the gospel, and then it says.
To the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives.
The recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach. The acceptable year of the Lord. Adonai Domini, that is, the acceptable year of the Lord AD. We're at 2004 AD and we think of sometimes as after death, but it is the acceptable year of the Lord. We may come to the end of that period tonight, beloved, as it was mentioned today, if the Lord the Lord Jesus Christ comes.
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We are in that period.
Of where the Lord Jesus Christ is available, and you.
Have the opportunity to accept him. Have you been serious about these issues?
Are you going along with your parents, or with your brothers and sisters or your grandparents? Or are you wearing the Christian mask?
Where you will be acceptable to your friends that go to meeting if you act out a Christian life.
But yet you know inside, if you were taken into eternity tonight, you aren't sure where you would go.
Or if Jesus came, you might think I might be left behind.
Is that a possibility? With each one of you, boys and girls, young people, older ones in this room? Most of us here have been raised under the sound of the word of God for years.
Oh, how great the responsibility there is with us, and the privileges that we're missing out on, not only now but for all eternity. If there is a rejection or a neglecting of the gospel of Christ, it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.
It doesn't matter how weak your faith is. You don't have to have a lot of faith. Boys and girls, older ones. But it depends on who that faith is in. If you believe that he died for you, you're saved.
For thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart God raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. I was talking to a young man one night.
And we read that verse together.
And I said, Do you believe the first part of that verse?
He said, Yes, I said, Have you confessed Jesus as Lord?
He said yes, I said, Have you believed in your heart? God raised him from the dead. He said yes, I believe that. Then I said the last part of it says thou shalt be saved. I said, do you know that you're saved now? He said no.
Well, friends, it's the simplicity of believing in that entire verse. If you believe in your heart, God raised him from the dead who died for your sins. According to the scriptures, He was delivered for our fences and raised again for our justification. If you believe that, and it was for your sin that he went there.
You are saved. Thou shalt be saved. That is what God says. It isn't what the preacher says, it's what God says.
It is a wonderful thing to think now, this glorious person.
Standing up at the beginning of his ministry for 3 1/2 years in this world when he began to minister.
Around Jerusalem, throughout the country.
Of this man reading from the book of Isaiah.
Those wonderful words. And he does not say that he has anointed me to come to bring judgment.
The Lord Jesus Christ came not to destroy beloved friends, but to save men's lives. Or he could have said, I am come to die for your sins. But here is the heart of God being expressed in the person of his Son. He came to preach the gospel to the poor.
That was where his heart was. He loved the poor. You may not be poor from a worldly standpoint, but if you're without Christ, friends, you are poor. You are in poverty. You must accept Christ, and then you'll have the eternal riches of Christ. You'll have eternal forgiveness, eternal pardon, eternal security. You'll be blessed in your soul. You have the privilege of walking with him through this life.
Till he comes, the poor are all over through this poor world.
Blessed be poor, Jesus said, For yours is the Kingdom. It's a wonderful thing to be poor in spirit. There was one.
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That we read of in Luke chapter 19, Zacchaeus.
He was one that we might say was fairly well to do. He had a lot of money, but he was poor in spirit. You know why? Because Jesus came to that Sycamore tree where he was perched so he could see him walking down the street. And Jesus said to him, Zacchaeus, come down.
And Zacchaeus came down.
Have you come down in your heart?
Whatever that prideful position you might be taking, friends, whatever that, whatever that defense might be in your life, whatever that pleasure that you've embraced in your heart and life is, whatever the reason, whatever the impasse, do not let it hinder you from coming down. Zacchaeus came down. Our brother Tom spoke today a blind Bartimaeus there he was a beggar.
Sometimes we sing. That hymn once sat alone beside the highway, begging. His eyes were blind, the light he could not see.
Then Jesus came.
And what happened?
His eyes were opened.
Jesus came, he castaway his garment, and he came to Jesus, and he said, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
And Jesus said to him, Go thy way, thy faith hath saved thee. Go thy way. Our brother reminded a man that had been blind, who was poor. And Jesus came to preach not only to the poor, but the recovering of sight to the blind, those who have spiritual blindness, as well as the physical blindness blind. Bartimaeus, who now received his sight, followed the glorious object of Christ in his life, never having, perhaps had the experience of looking around the landscape.
The beautiful scenery and going to some of the places he'd heard about while he was there, begging, thinking perhaps all it would be wonderful to go here, to go there, do this or that.
O beloved, he now had not only a savior and his eyesight, but he had an object for his life.
He had a purpose to live, and there's no one that filled his vision but Jesus. And he followed him in the way. Oh, what a privilege. And when I was young, I didn't embrace it. I didn't enjoy it. I did not value it.
The Lord may have to take you through difficult circumstances, as He did me, beloved, may He spare you from it.
It's a sorrowful world. If someone said that we could pipe all of the groans and sorrows into this room as we're sitting here from the world and its sinful pleasures and the consequences of it, it would make us weep.
Do we know anything of it in our neighborhoods? I don't.
I don't. I had a young man call me one day who had been living a sinful career.
For many years.
He started taking drugs when he was 10 years of age.
And he was weeping, he said. Can I come to talk to you?
Some of you have had the same experience, beloved. I haven't had a background like that.
I am much more responsible than he.
But he came and wept for several hours because of the sorrow in his life.
I believe he came to Christ.
But we who have been blessed with such an environment to be raised in with the inspired scriptures, with the book being read in our hearing, whether at home or in the meetings, what a blessed privilege.
He came to give sight to the blind.
The recovering of sight to the blind, deliverance to the captives. Oh, he was a captive of sin.
But I believe he set free. Someone mentioned that verse. Nor the truth. And the truth shall make you free.
You know the truth, beloved. Wouldn't it be an awful thing if you perished knowing the truth?
And for all eternity you would weep and wail and gnash your teeth, knowing that you could have been saved. What a sorrow. I can't imagine it.
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I can't.
Where the worm dieth not, the Scripture says, and the fire is never quenched.
Where you will depart into everlasting burnings. These are real things, beloved.
It is more probable that the Lord will come tonight than He would a year from now. I believe we're that close to the coming of Christ. I hope I'm not overstating it, but we are past the 2000 year period and we know what the Scripture has to say about the seven-year 7000 year plan of God.
And we're at 6000 years.
And yet our society and the young people. In our society, people are indifferent. The power of the pleasures of sin for our season are so tremendously, satanically gripping the hearts of people today from what they see and hear all around them. It's taking their hearts down to a lost eternity, and nothing else really matters but to get a little bit of pleasure for today, eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. That's the attitude of the world.
It's.
And the Senate liberty them that are bruised. You know the story of the man in scripture who had 2000 demons. And there were others. Mary Magdalene had seven. These were set free. They were the captives and possession of Satan.
The Lord Jesus Christ set them free. Here was a man who had 2000 demons. He was sitting and clothed and in his right mind.
I remember vividly beloved friends at a Gospel meeting that we used to have in Burbank, CA.
There was a very strange young man that used to come to me.
And he would sit on the floor in the back of the room.
And he glanced around the room, but it was almost as though he was afraid to be there, but he felt the need to be there.
And whenever we tried to lay hold of him or talk with him or spend time, he ran away, ran off the road, jumped in the car and went away.
He called some of us one day on the telephone and said that he had actually become controlled by a satanic spirit.
A young man and some of the stories he told, I would not want to repeat, But he felt the need, I believe, of being under the sound of the gospel, of the deliverer, of the captives who are bound. And there are many, I believe around us today, who are controlled by the enemy.
Jesus alone can deliver.
And he delivered the man of the Gadarenes. He delivered Mary Magdalene. And the wonderful picture of Mary Magdalene is that she was at the Sepulchre, knowing the grace and love of her personal Lord and Savior, so much so that she would not leave that place of his burial.
He had set her free. He can set you free. You may not be under the captivity of the enemy of your soul and possessed by the devil.
But if those sins are upon the record of God, friends, you are bound to end up in a lost eternity.
If you continue one day longer, the Bible says clearly now is the accepted time.
Now is God's time. Tomorrow is the devil's time. Remember that.
Say, well, tomorrow I'm going to get right. Make it today if Christ came today.
You'd be thankful you made that decision for him.
I can't imagine the sorrow of you children that might be left behind in a home of God fearing parents, parents who knew Christ as their personal savior. And someday you wake up, you may wake up, let's say tomorrow morning and your parents are gone. What would you do? Where would you go? Who would you call that could sympathize with you, that would understand you and you would try to tell them, well, your parents went to heaven and here I am.
No one would understand you. No one would believe you. Perhaps.
The word of God says God shall send them those I believe who are left behind. According to Second Thessalonians chapter 2, Strong delusion that they should believe a lie in the coming lie is the Antichrist will raise up by miraculous powers to call fire, dying out of heaven to do miracles and signs and wonders in the sight of everybody on television to convince the world particularly.
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Christendom, The false church that has been left behind.
And they will be deluded.
The Bible says you will be damned, beloved, damned.
Because you receive not the love of the truth.
I can't imagine that. Is that what you want?
It is your choice.
Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Call now tonight. It is interesting in this portion. It says verse 20. And he closed the book and gave it to the minister. Think of the solemnity, beloved friends.
Of a closed Bible that is open on your lap today that will do you no good if Jesus came.
The Bible would be close to you, no longer a savior available to you, no longer a deliverance from the captivity of your sin, no longer the power to open your blinded eyes. The God of this world has blinded your eyes.
Some of the worst blindness I believe, I truly believe is to be calloused from the gospel that is preached over and over and over again. We become gospel hardened as the God of this world. He is the God of religion.
And the Apostle Paul was on the road to persecute Christians.
Think of this man. The light struck him down from heaven.
And he came to Christ because it was Jesus that was speaking to him, he said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
Here he was sincere. He was serious. Everything he thought was in order, and it was right. But he was sincerely wrong. And he met the Christ of the Cross on the road to Damascus, and it changed his entire life. And we get the blessing of it today because of how God used this servant to write the words that we've had before us in these meetings.
Could we turn to just another passage in Hebrews chapter 10?
Hebrews, chapter 10.
And verse seven then, said I, Lo, I come in the volume of the book, it is written of Maine to do thy will. Oh God.
Someone has said about this verse here is perhaps not speaking about the Bible as the book.
Here is the Lord Jesus Christ in Psalm chapter 40. I believe it is.
This is taken from he said, Lo, I come in the volume of the book. It is God's secret councils, written in an eternity past concerning his heart for you and me beloved, in the sending of his only Son. And Jesus is saying, Lo, I come to do thy will, oh God, I came down from heaven, John chapter 6, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And here is his will.
John, Chapter 6. This is the will of him that sent me, that everyone that sees the son may believe on him and have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
And the will of God was to, of course, Beloved, to pave the way and to pay the price to go to Calvary, to pay the debt that we could never, never pay.
He paid it in full. This is the heart of Christ in the heart of God.
That any past eternity he had a book that was his secret counsel, where he would send his son, and his only son said, Hear my send me.
And he is the one, beloved who came Speaking of a poor man, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.
He is the one that they blindfolded, and struck him on his blessed face, and crowned him with thorns. And they said, prophecy unto us, Thou, Christ, who is it that struck thee?
00:35:11
Or he knew who it was, though they had blinded him.
He was the one, if we can say this respectfully, that became a captive in his will to the Father. Of course, he could not do otherwise.
He said, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.
He went to Calvary For you, beloved, you will remember that if you go to hell, you will.
You'll remember the opportunity of receiving him tonight if you go to hell and you miss out. Then he went to the cross. He fell down on his face in the garden in an agony and sweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling to the ground, contemplating the awful cost and the agonies of Calvary and the suffering that he would go through. Not from the nails in his hands and feet, he said. I am poured out like water.
All my bones aren't out of joint. My heart is melted like wax in the midst of my bowels.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
He came to heal the broken hearted, but he died with a broken heart. He didn't die from a broken heart. He gave up his life.
All his heart, how can we express his love for you?
Other than by his wondrous sacrifice at the cross, lo, I come in. The volume of the book is written of me to do thy will, O God.
He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You can memorize that verse. I mean, you can say that verse just as fast as I can.
Do you believe it? Have you surrendered your heart to it? Have you laid hold of it by faith, And said, Jesus is mine?
Revelation Chapter 5.
And verse one.
And I saw on the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with 7 seals.
And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof.
The subject of chapter 4 is the maintenance of the glory of God concerning the throne.
Chapter 4 We had chapter 3 before us. Just thinking about this, the following Chapter 3 it says I look up and behold an open door in heaven. And there was a voice that said come up, hit her, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter following Laodicea.
The Laodicean period. That's where we are beloved friends at the end of that period.
What happens?
The coming of Christ takes place.
And that is not a subject that the Book of Revelation takes up. The Rapture it is not. But this is the result of it. The Saints are in Glory chapter 4.
And the glory of the throne is maintained. And the chapter, the subject of chapter 5 is the book.
What is the book? It's written on the backside and sealed with 7 seals. You know God's writing. He's committed his mind to writing.
He has written everything down.
On the front and on the backside so that it doesn't need an addition or any alterations. It's all been settled. It's his unalterable will.
Of all the sorrow that's coming through judgment before the blessing comes in, the book has to do with the blessing for the whole world. But the sorrow of judgment that's coming if you're left behind after the rapture, the sorrow from the judgments that are going to be poured out upon this world.
In N3 in heaven or in earth, nor under the earth was able to open the book, or to look thereon. And here's John. I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
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And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not, Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David.
Have prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the altar stood a lamb as it had been slain.
Having 7 horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth, he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
And so forth.
The lion of the tribe of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Came from the tribe of Judah and in the power of the lion character.
That irresistible power.
He is coming back.
And he is going to take possession of that land for his people and set up his Kingdom in this world.
But before that, beloved, there is the beautiful picture we have here of Jesus, who became the Lamb of God, there in the midst of the throne that qualified him to become the lion of the tribe of Judah.
Not only would he be able to open the book, but to carry out the judgments that are coming upon this earth. And they are coming. Beloved God has committed it to writing.
Somebody reminded us today of Revelation chapter 19. When Jesus comes back on that White Horse, and the armies with him, the church, and you and me, beloved, if we belong to him, God is a point of the day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained. Whereof he hath given him assurance, given assurance unto all men, and he raised him from the dead.
That man will be the lion of the tribe of Judah, but he came, the Lamb of God.
To take away your sins and mind before that. How wonderful. One more scripture.
Revelation Chapter 20.
And verse 11.
And I saw the dead, small and great.
Stand before.
God or the Throne?
And the books were opened.
And another book was opened.
Which is the book of life?
And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. And they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, and whosoever was not found written.
In the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.
Can I say to you simply before we close beloved friends?
As we said earlier, and you know the truth, that this blessed book talks about the future.
It talks about your future.
Your future with your glorious future with a wondrous and glorious savior.
Who is coming for you and coming for us? Who are the redeemed as we were singing?
That is the future that is before every believer in Christ. When will all be gathered together in one? Isn't that wonderful? I love that verse in Second Thessalonians chapter 2, verse one. I beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto Him.
All of the Saints will understand and believe in that day why we live and do what we're doing today.
There will not be anything like division that has brought sorrow into our hearts and homes.
Broken hearts because of it.
Man who set up his institutions, they will be done away with, beloved. He will be the center of that throng, blessed be his name.
He deserves to be today, and if you're not gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
May He draw you by His Holy Spirit to take your place at His table. You'll never be sorry. Never.
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But this is talking about an awful future.
When?
The Lost.
Are paraded before.
That one who sits upon the Great White Throne.
Their souls are lost. Their lives are gone. They're in eternity. Heaven and earth has passed away, but the Bible says my word will not pass away.
There they are, hanging in space before the Lord Jesus Christ.
An awful scene. They rejected the gospel. They never received the gift of God. They had other plans. They had other goals, other aspirations that took their hearts away, that occupied them. They were disinterested. They didn't want to get involved in that Christian thing.
They're lost.
It's too late. They don't even have a number given to their name. Beloved, they're non entities.
Eternal nonentities.
To dwell in everlasting burnings. These are realities, beloved. It's awful. If we were to meditate on the horrors of a lost eternity for 10 minutes, I think we would go insane.
These were cast into the lake of fire. Their names were not written in the book of life. You have the opportunity tonight, by receiving Christ to have that name of yours written indelibly in the Lambs Book of Life.
Because whosoever was not found written in that book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The other book here is those who are lost, and they're judged according to their works, but the sorrow is they are all judged.
There is no more hope. There is no deliverance. There is no excess. The doors are closed. Hell is their portion and the lake of fire for eternity.
Do we have to plead anymore? Beloved, may the Holy Spirit plead with your heart. Don't play games with God. Don't act as though everything is OK and it's not. If it isn't, talk to your mom and dad tonight. Don't even get off your chair. Christ may come. Don't even wait till you get home. Do it now. Make sure that you ask him to come into your heart to forgive you. You'll never be sorry. Your name will be written there in that book.
For eternity you will never be part of that awful host of a lost to be a nonentity. For eternity, you'll be glad for the decision you made for Christ. Tonight, could we sing #5 closing?
Hymn #5.
Oh, Happy Day.
Closing prayer blessed God our Father. We pray that there would be some right here among us.
That are making that choice.
As they sit here in thy presence, Lord Jesus.
To receive thee as their personal Lord and savior.
To have their sins washed away.
Bless them. May it be real with their hearts, we pray that there would be a confession from their lips to someone that they'll know and love.
We ask this, Lord Jesus, it is thy grace. We ask it for thy glory and for thy name's sake, and for their blessing.
In thy precious and worthy name. Amen.
Gospel
Gospel—M. Payette
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You open our meeting by singing together number six.
God in mercy sent his Son to a world by sin undone. Jesus Christ was crucified, was for sinners. Jesus died for the glory of the grace shining in the Savior's face, telling sinners from above. God is light and God is love. Number six, someone started for me, please.
All over the world.
Before we open the Bible together, we're going to have a word of prayer.
Our God and our Father, we thank you this evening. We can sing of such a one.
Our Lord Jesus that has made us know Thee now as God of light and God of love. We just thank Thee, Father, for sending the Lord Jesus into the world and for sending out Thy Spirit to tell us about Him and to give us Thy word to testify of him. And we pray, Father, tonight as we read from Thy holy book the Scriptures, that they might be blessing to each one in this room. We know Thou did send my Son to be the Savior of the world, and we thank Thee for many in this world that are now saved to trusting in Him.
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We pray Thee tonight for those especially in this room, not tonight. Everyone in this room might leave tonight save knowing their sins are forgiven and that they've accepted Thy gift of love. Father, and I've been and presented with the awful consequence of neglecting such an offer from Thee. We pray Thy health as we turn to Thy word tonight, Father, we ask it with Thanksgiving in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
In our hymn we had God is light and God is love, and I'd like to turn to a verse in the Gospel of John to speak a bit on these two attributes. I might say of God not only attributes but his very substance. You might say God is light and God is love, but in John's Gospel chapter one.
And verse 17.
It says there.
For the law was given by Moses.
But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Well, you know, that law that had come to the people of God in the Old Testament through Moses really came from God, didn't it? God had spoken to Moses, but he was the one through whom he gave the law. So the law came by Moses. And what did the law do? Well, the law. There were commandments in the law of many things that.
Should not be done.
There were commandments of God pertaining to His Holiness, and we would.
Just connect that in our mind for a moment with that character of light. God is light and in Him is no darkness.
At all. Now, if there's darkness in your heart, if there's sin in your heart or mind, well, the light of God shines there and says that's not right. And the law did that. The law told us something of God's character of holiness and righteousness. And Allah manifests things that shouldn't be done. Lying, cheating, coveting, all sorts of things that men carry on with day after day. There were commandments pertaining to their relationship with God.
And commandments pertaining to their relationships with one another. And that was given by Moses. But you know that law that was given by Moses in the Old Testament, it was like a contract God gave to his people. And God said, if you keep that, those commandments, you're going to live.
But if you disobey those commands, you're going to die.
In fact, what the law said that if you didn't keep all these commandments, you were going to be accursed.
You're going to be made a curse because that's what the law did with somebody that broke it. He was under the curse. And you know, it's a terrible thing to consider, but no one ever saved the Lord. Jesus perfectly kept the law of Moses.
If the law was to test you, was to test me, was to test Moses or any other man that ever lived on the face of the earth.
They would find that law would find them guilty of disobeying God. So that includes you and that includes me.
But this verse says more the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, that very God who is perfect holiness and light is also perfect love. And he has sent 1 into the world, the Lord Jesus to take care for you and I of the fact that we couldn't keep the law because we have a problem that's called sin because we're sinners. And I'd like to look with you tonight in the word of God. We're going to look in the Old Testament for a few scriptures there and see.
Some of the things that were done and the consequences for these people of what they did.
And tonight, you know God would call every boy and girl here and every adult to do one thing. This is why we have gospel meetings, because God wants you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to be safe. He wants you to know that He loves you and He wants to forgive you. He wants to wash your sins away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. And everyone in this room tonight, you can leave this room tonight on your way to heaven. You might not be sure of it because you don't know all the scriptures, but you can be on your way to heaven tonight if you'll.
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Listen to the offer of God and do what He says. And I know many of you boys and girls and older ones too, you've heard the gospel many times.
But I can't be sure that everyone of you that have heard it many times.
I've obeyed the Gospel.
And perhaps you're hearing it for the first time. Well, you can be ahead of a lot of people tonight just by believing the gospel when you hear it.
First time I just like to turn to a verse in Matthew's Gospel chapter 21 before we go in the Old Testament.
Matthew Gospel, chapter 21.
And verse 28.
Matthew 21 and 28.
But what think ye?
A certain man had two sons, and he came to the 1St and said.
Son, go work today in my vineyard.
And he answered and said.
I will not.
But afterwards, afterward he repented and went.
And he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, Sir.
And went not.
Whether of them twain did the will of his father, they said unto him.
The first Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the public hands and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God.
Before you.
Well, you know, when the Lord Jesus was here, there were many people there that were religious and they had the law of Moses and they were kind of of resting on their knowledge of the law of Moses. And they, it's like I said, they said to, to God, yes, yes, we're going to do what what you want us to do, but they didn't do it.
And the others they disobeyed. Like the publicans and the harlots, they disobeyed God, but when they heard his voice, they obeyed.
Many people have heard this verse before. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. And many have obeyed that verse and have been saved by the power of God.
And many said, I'll do that. Yeah, I'm going to believe.
I'm going to believe, maybe later tonight, maybe tomorrow, I'm going to think it over. And they haven't.
They haven't yet. Well, you know this son that said I won't.
Perhaps many of you have said no to the Lord. You've put it off this one. He had a change of heart. He had a change of heart and he went and he did the will of his father. For the prayer of many in this room tonight is that you would have tonight a change of heart. If you haven't had it yet, you'd have a change of heart.
We long for you to have that change of heart tonight.
And perhaps many of you say, oh, yes, yeah, I believe. Oh, yes, I believe. But you've never, never trusted in your heart the Lord Jesus. You know, the answers to Sunday school questions. You can recite verses perhaps, but you've never accepted the Lord in your heart. And perhaps there are those things in your life that God sees, you know aren't pleasing to the Lord and you like to get rid of them. You're not happy with yourself.
But what you need tonight, dear ones, is to do like this one. That said, I won't. And he had a change of heart.
Our desire tonight is for you to have a change of heart and to believe the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I trust that before the evening is over that every boy and girl here, an older one too, you'll have a change of heart if you haven't had it yet. And you say to God our Father, yes, I accept your Son as my Savior.
And as my Lord, well, let's go in the Old Testament and we'll see some of the things that happened under the law of Moses. You know, these are in the Old Testament. And I don't want anybody here to be afraid of God because we're reading in the Old Testament, because the Old Testament, you might say God just showing part of himself.
He's showing himself as a holy God who hates sin. He hates sin.
You'll never hate sin like God hates sin. He hates small sins and big sins. He hates all sins, but he loves the Sinner. And in the Old Testament you perhaps can't see that much of his love to sinners, but you'll see how much he hates sin.
00:15:01
Let's look in the book of Leviticus, chapter 24.
Leviticus 24 and the 10th verse.
And the son of an Israelite, Israelite Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel. And this son of the Israelites woman and the man of Israel strove together in the camp. And the Israeliteish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed, and they brought him unto Moses. And his mother's name was Shalomith, the daughter of Debris of the tribe of Dan.
And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be showed them.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that had cursed without the camp, and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him, that thou shall speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever cursed his God shall bear his sin, and he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death.
And all the congregation shall certainly stone him.
As well as stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death. And verse 23. And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Well, here was a man under the law of Moses.
And his sin.
Was he sinned in Word?
He opened his mouth and he said something he shouldn't have said.
Have you ever said something you shouldn't have said?
Perhaps you've even blasphemed the name of the Lord. I have, before I knew Him.
Precious name indeed.
I'm here today because I'm not under the law of Moses.
And God has saved my soul and He's forgiven me. I had a change of heart about that and I wouldn't want to blasphemy his name anymore. But he ever blasphemed his name.
What about a sin in Word and telling somebody you don't like too much has been mean to you? Stupid.
That's the current word, isn't it?
The Lord said if you call your brother Raqqa, you deserve to be punished by the Sanhedrin. Calling your brother stupid, there's a word.
Are there foolish words that ever come out of your mouth?
He says it's pretty serious, just a one word.
You think if you were that man in the Old Testament?
And you could playback that part of your life. You might shut your mouth.
Wouldn't you? I would. Am I thinking in my heart? But if I'm going to get stoned to death for one curse, I'm going to shut up.
Do you think people in this world are shutting up?
They blasphemy the name of the Lord, probably in every language on the face of the earth, and God is patient with them. And they insult each other and throw insults at each other, and their mouths are full of wickedness, and God is patient with them.
He's showing us here what's going to happen to not only the Israelites, one who had a father that was an Egyptian, he was half Jew, you might say to that stranger. And all the inhabitants of this hurt are going to stand before this righteous God and give an account of themselves and every word that they said. I wouldn't want to stand before God and give an account of a word that I said if I didn't know the Lord Jesus my Savior, and that he was punished in my stead.
And he hung on a cross in my stead, and God poured out his wrath against me on him.
Instead of me.
It's a wonderful thing, you know.
Anybody here never been guilty of doing something wrong, saying something wrong with their mouth? I don't think there's too many of us.
Let's look in numbers as the next book over Chapter 15.
00:20:12
Numbers 15 and verse 32. Remember when the Old Testament God is giving us an appreciation of His Holiness.
And what he requires that we obey him absolutely.
Numbers chapter 15, verse 32.
And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found the man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day.
And then I found them gathering sticks, brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation.
And they put him in ward because it was not declared what should be done to him.
And the Lord said unto Moses.
The man shall surely, shall be surely put to death. All the congregations shall stone him with stones without the camp, and all the congregation brought him without the cap, and stoned them with stones, and he died as the Lord commanded Moses.
This man, he didn't curse somebody else.
He didn't do any harm to any of his neighbors.
All he did was pick up some sticks on the wrong date.
You weren't allowed to pick up wood on the Sabbath day or do any kind of work. Maybe he was tired on the Friday.
Didn't have time to pick up the wood he needed to cook his hand and his eggs.
So maybe he got up early in the morning and says nobody will know, I want to have breakfast. And he went around and he gathered these sticks and he got caught gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.
And what happened to him?
Terrible.
If I was a Jew in the Old Testament, I'd tell you I'm going to sleep in Saturday morning.
I'm not going to go out gathering sticks. It's dangerous.
You see, is God foolish to punish someone for that? No. He's telling you. He's telling me that he's a holy God and he cannot make an exception for sin. He has to punish sin. This might have been a father with children. It doesn't matter. He disobeyed God. Did God care about this man? Of course he did. He cared about the one that had cursed his name. He cared about him too. He cares about each one of us. But he can't change himself. He's a holy God, and he has to punish him.
I'm convinced of that when I read this. He has to punish it and I'm sure you know this is how they.
Passed the judgment in Israel. They picked up stones. The people, the whole congregation, they had to pick up stones and they literally were the murderers of this man.
So you might want to know, you know, somebody said today, boys outside, no throwing stones. Well, God says here to his people now you're going to throw stones. You're not going to throw it on cars or windows. You're going to throw it on this person there. Why do I have to do that? Because he cursed the name of the Lord.
Because he picked up wood on the Sabbath day.
Because he told a lie. Because he coveted Because. Because. Because.
If I applied the law to you and to me, we'd all be found guilty before God.
These were found guilty. You say there was. These are small things, small things, big things. No difference with God. You're guilty and without hope in this world and this is your standing before God. The law of Moses. We're talking this afternoon about the synagogue of Satan. People believe they can present themselves to God and say, look at me, I'm clean, never said anything wrong. You just said something wrong right there. You're just told a lie. That's what God says. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
That's you and that's me, and if you want to stay that way.
If tonight you want to leave this room as a Sinner, guilty before God, I can only pray for you.
The terrible things that fall into the hands of the living God. I don't want to fall in his hands that way. Somebody else fell in his hands for me. Somebody else fell in God's hands for you. And ask the Lord Jesus, will you have him tonight?
God would want you tonight to realize that you've been bad. Some of you have been worse than others, but you've all been bad. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And tonight God says it's time for you to change your mind. It's time for you to repent, to realize that before me, you can't stand before me the way you are if you don't have the Lord Jesus your Savior. And if you have him as your Savior, you can stand in my presence as close as you want forever, because the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us.
00:25:15
From all sins.
Now let go to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 21.
Deuteronomy 21.
Verse 18.
Deuteronomy 2118 if a man have a stubborn.
And rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and that when they have chastened him, chastened him, will not hearken unto them.
Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city and unto the gate of his place, and they shall say unto the elders of his city. This our son is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice.
He is a glutton.
And a drunkard.
And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones that he died.
So shalt thou put evil away from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.
What can I say?
Have you read these verses here?
You know, it says of the man that cursed the name of the Lord that they stoned him.
And it says of the man that picked up those sticks that they stoned him.
But it doesn't say of any sun ever being delivered this way.
And being stoned.
The description of the situation, but you don't read of the actual father and mother bringing their son and saying this our son.
You won't do what we say.
Children of greater parents. Did God mean it in the Old Testament?
For sure meant it.
Remember that son in Matthew's Gospel chapter 21, the Father said go and do this. What did he say?
I won't.
Should read Deuteronomy 21 before you say I won't to your mom and dad.
But praise the Lord, he had a change of heart.
And then he went, and he did, and the will of his father.
God your Father, tonight he has a will for you, and His will is that you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
You say I won't.
You young people having a good time sometimes out in the world, it seems to me from what Mark was saying, partaking of some of those little pleasures, playing around with things that can ruin your life.
Now the Lord has been gracious to me. He's opened the door in a center right by where I live. It's really the Lord opened the door, you know, He's the one that opens, the one that shuts.
And every Wednesday night, I meet with men. Some are in their 50s, some in their 40s, some in their 30s. Ruin lives. Ruin marriages and families, Ruined businesses. And you know why?
Because they thought they were smarter than the Lord, smarter than the devil. They're going to play his game and try and win. And they tried drugs, alcohol, gambling.
And he got caught in there.
You don't start it, you're going to not going to end up in that situation. But I warn you, I warn you, if you start it, there's no guarantee you're going to be able to give it up or get out of it. God says don't touch those things.
I'm sure your mom and dad say don't touch those things.
You're going to obey.
But if you're a wise young man, a wise judge, I'm going to obey.
And Dad like to walk down the street and have to pick up stones to have your son slain because he's stubborn and rebellious.
00:30:03
I don't think too many moms and dads would deliver their sons this way, but I want to tell you we're going to read the next verse in this chapter.
And I want you to read that verse and to think of another son. Not the rebellious and stubborn son, but another son. Let's read in verse 22.
And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on the tree, his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt any wise bury him that day. For he that is hanged is accursed of God, and thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. You know in this very book, in this very portion, a Spirit of God records to us the judgment of a man.
That has committed a sin worthy of death to be hanged on a tree.
Who is that Speaking of? Well, certainly not the Lord Jesus that was guilty of sin, but he's the one that was hung on a tree. I made a curse for you and me. Why is that? It's because you and I have committed a sin worthy of death. You and I, boys and girls, older ones, were guilty before God of having done things that would cause us to be separated from him forever and be punished forever. And he won't give you that. And tonight he said, I don't want to give you that.
If you insist, you're going to have it. But tonight, what I want to give you is my son.
We're not going to walk down the street and pick up stones to slay a boy, somebody elses boy. You're going to walk with me along the way to Calvary and watch my son the Lord Jesus, the one who never said anything wrong, the one who perfectly kept the law of God. He wasn't rebel or stubborn. He was obedient and perfect and everything. A loving person that helped everybody he met up with saved. Those Pharisees that were hypocrites, the light of the Lord Jesus would manifest them.
And he's walking there down that aisle into the Mount Calvary with a cross on his back, and he's been whipped on his back and he has a crown of thorns on his head, and they're mocking him. Who is that? That's the Son of God. That's the one God our Father sent for you and sent for me and sent for these one that perished in the Old Testament because of their sins, that they would trust in God. Tonight, my friend, God wants you to walk with him on the way to Calvary and to see on that center cross the one that was hanging there.
That had never done anything to deserve to be there.
Do you know why he's there? So Dave, you know why he's there. He's there for you. He's there for me. He's there for many of us in this room tonight. Is he there for you?
You ever said anything wrong? Never thought anything wrong? Ever did anything wrong? Yes, he's there for you. Will you have them?
Will you say tonight to God a Father? I won't.
Well, change your heart tonight.
Maybe you've said I won't in the past. Why don't you say right now, Lord?
I will right now.
Now if you get saved because you're afraid I'm going to hell, well, you get saved. It's wonderful if you're drawn to God because you realize how much He loves you, because He does love you. That's why he gave his Son for you. And that's why I trust no. No father or mother ever delivered their boy this way to be slain because they loved her boy.
Parents who you love, your children, you wouldn't give up your children that way. They're bad. You pray for them. You know many of you have been bad and some of you are still going on badly and we pray for you.
We don't want you to be stoned.
We want you to know this one who was the perfect son and was delivered up for you and for me.
Well, let's look in the in the New Testament for a moment. John's Gospel chapter.
Eight, I believe.
John's Gospel, chapter 8.
Verse one Jesus went into the Mount of Olives, and early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him, and he sat down and taught them.
And the scribes and Pharisees, these are religious people.
They brought unto him a woman taken in adultery.
And when they had set her in the midst, they said unto him, Master.
00:35:03
This woman was taken in adultery in a very act.
Now Moses in the Law commanded us.
That such should be stoned.
Well, the law came by Moses.
And that's what the law said.
But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Is one that's true. He's perfect. Like some of the questions he could have asked them is where's the other party?
We're missing some evidence here. They were partially being righteous righteousness for others. They have to be righteous. Oh, that's not right. You're not allowed to do that. You gotta do that.
I have excuses, I have all sorts of reasons for my sin.
That's the way we are naturally, and religious people are the worst.
Self-righteous.
And wanting to prove the Lord no better than Moses. Oh, what did the Lord say? Let's go out there and stone this, this woman. Is that what he said? Is that what the Lord Jesus says? The guilty Sinner, you've sinned, you've disobeyed. Let's go and stone them. Is that what the Lord Jesus says? Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, not to condemn them. And tonight, my friend, we want you to know this one whom this woman met up with. And perhaps dire circumstances, she might have lost her life that way.
But it says here verse 5.
And most in the law commanded us that such should be stone. What sayest thou? And they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted himself up, or lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you.
Let him cast. Let him first cast a stone to her.
You see, in the Old Testament, God was vindicating his righteousness and He was having one punished. Many should have been punished, but one was being punished and everybody else was taking heed. And we're going to be careful as how they live. We didn't bring them everyone for their acts into judgment. But those were examples He set before them.
Righteousness.
So he rolled on the ground and he says OK, first one here, who doesn't have a sin? Pick up a stone and Stoner.
And again he stooped down and rode on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning, beginning at the eldest until the last. And Jesus was left alone. And the woman standing in the midst, the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those dying accusers?
Hath no man condemned thee?
The accusers were all gone because they were all guilty themselves of different things. They're all gone. No more accusers. You know there's only one true accuser.
And God is the one that can accuse you, but he doesn't want to accuse you. He doesn't want to condemn you. The only one that had no sin there that could have picked up a stone is the Lord Jesus.
Did he pick up a stone? What did he say?
She said No man, Lord and Jesus under her, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.
Which she condemned. Did God approve of what she had done? No, God didn't approve in the Old Testament. God doesn't approve in the New Testament. But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. And this woman's sin, she met up with the Lord Jesus. He'd come in his sin worthy of death. That would make her liable to be cast away from God's presence forever and to everlasting punishment. But she met up with the Lord Jesus. And I believe if she put her trust in the Lord Jesus.
And when the Lord Jesus hung on that cross and was made sin for us, he bore our sins in his own body on the tree. He bore the sins of this woman also, and he bore the sins of every boy and girl, an older one too, that are going to be in heaven forever. And He hasn't borne your sins in his own body on the tree. You're not going to be in heaven forever. You're going to be somewhere else forever. And we don't want that. I want you to notice here the Lord Jesus. I just takes a beautiful picture in John's gospel.
You know in the Old Testament when God gave the law of Moses, it tells us in Deuteronomy.
That God was writing with his finger on the earth. He wrote the law with his own fingers. And God wrote those commandments for Moses on the stones. He wrote it with his own hand.
00:40:06
And here we have in John's Gospel chapter 8, the Lord Jesus, the very same God in the form of man. He's writing on the ground with his finger.
And in the Old Testament, you know, God had to do that twice because the first set of law that Moses brought into the camp, he had to throw to the ground and break them. He had to go back again and God had to write them over a second time. And in our chapter we see the Lord Jesus twice. He kneels down and he writes with his finger on the ground.
That's God riding on the earth with his finger. And I don't know what he wrote, but I've enjoyed the thought that if he had written something from the law to touch these men's consciences, just like in the Old Testament, he had to repeat twice what he had written in the Old Testament. In the New Testament twice he writes on the ground. And I suggest to you just that thought that if he'd been writing the law, they would have seen in the law from the eldest to the youngest, those commandments that they had missed in their own lives. And nobody was sinless to pick up a stone and say I'm righteous according to God's standard.
Our righteous save those that are washed in their precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, just one last thought in James, in the book of James.
Chapter 2.
Verse 10.
What does it say here? For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, that means he's almost kept the whole law.
Because he kept it perfectly, it wouldn't offend in one point, but he kept the whole law, saved that one point that he missed.
And yet often in one point, he is guilty of all.
No difference. For he that said Do not commit adultery said also Do not kill. Now if thou committed no adultery, yet if thou killed, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
So some kills, some commit adultery, some lie, some cheat, some covet in their hearts, one way or another disobeyed the law of God. Yet God and His Holiness, he's not going to change one iota of his law, but what he's provided is a savior for guilty ones. This woman was guilty. She was spared. And tonight, I don't know what you're guilty of, but in your standing before God, you're guilty before him and you'll have no excuse. And God says tonight you trust in the Lord Jesus, and I'm going to forgive you everything.
Trust in the Lord Jesus tonight. John chapter 3 and verse 16. Just a person closing.
You know, in the Old Testament, when that man was caught cursing, he had an Egyptian father. But it says there that even a stranger didn't matter. They were going to be judged by the same standard. And it doesn't matter if you had received the Law of Moses or not. Every man on the face of this earth is going to stand before a righteous God and going to be judged according to his responsibility before God. And it says in Romans chapter 3 that the whole world be found guilty.
Before God.
So you can know tonight.
Younger one, older one. You want another verdict? When you stand before God tonight, you can know ahead of time.
Either tonight you're saved on your way to heaven, or when you stand before God, you're going to be declared guilty.
Unless you believe this verse, John 316 For God so loved the world. He loved the Jew, He loves the Americans, the Canadians, the Dominicans. He loves everyone on the face of this earth.
He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, the one that wasn't rebellious or stubborn, obedient in all things.
Always did those things that pleased the father he gave him.
That whosoever.
Believeth in him should not perish.
But have everlasting life, Oh dear one tonight. I know many of you have heard this verse many times. Would you believe it tonight and make it your own?
God hearing from your heart tonight, I won't.
Oh, we pray if you haven't had a change of heart like that sun in Matthew 21, that tonight you change your mind.
You're about to face and say I will tonight. I will trust the Lord Jesus and my Savior. I know God is a God of love and a God of light and he cannot look lightly on sin. He has to punish sin. Either He punishes me or he punishes the Lord Jesus for me. Well, I chose that. He punished the Lord Jesus for me. He helped me to choose. He gave me faith to believe. He had me heard the gospel. You're hearing it tonight.
00:45:24
Did he die for you?
Did he pay for you or you want to pay things for yourself?
Just bow our heads.
Our God and our Father, we thank You for Thy great love. Thou did so love the world that Thou didst give thine only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We just thank thee, Father, for so many in this room, that Thou is saved at such a cost to Thee of delivering Him up for us all, having him bear our sins in His own body on the three, striking Him and our stead, making him a curse for us, having all those waves and billows of Thy judgment pass on Him and fall on Him, and come into His holy and righteous soul. Father, we thank Thee.
And we pray thee for every boy and girl and older one here tonight that we would just be serious about these things and that if we haven't done it yet, we just come to thee, Lord, and say, Lord Jesus, save me. I want to believe in thee. I'm guilty. I've done things that I shouldn't have done. But we want the Father to help us produce that change in our hearts that tonight would be on our way to heaven and be saved from that lost eternity. We thank thee, Father, it's thy desire. We thank you for thy word, blessed Savior, for that groaning on the cross for us and for thy life for us at the Father's right hand, we ask these things. Father, we thank thee.
And is worthy and precious name. Amen.