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Second Kings Chapter 6 and verse 17.
The Elijah prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see.
And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man.
He saw.
Turn to the Gospel of John.
Possible John Chapter 9.
Gospel John Chapter 9 and verse 35, The end of the verse.
Does thou believe on the Son of God?
He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast full seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee spray.
Our daughter.
We thank you this afternoon that we can be here.
We're about ready to open my word, and we desire that the Spirit of God would direct us to a passage.
That would meet the need that is present in this room.
For God, we live in a day that has its unique challenges.
We know that there are parents here that have come and perhaps.
The prayer of Elijah is on their lips.
We desire that eyes would be open.
That they would see the Lord Jesus.
That as a result of being here in the reading meetings.
And in the addresses that they would feel.
That it is Jesus himself.
That has talked to them.
We desire this to his parents.
Because we feel that same need, Lord Jesus.
To hear thy voice.
To see thee in a very fresh and real way.
And that our hearts would be drawn out to thee. And so we just ask.
That there would be sensitivity on the part of those that take part.
Be LED of thy spirit.
That the need would be met. We ask this of thee, Lord Jesus, and thy precious and most worthy name. We pray it. Amen.
My heart that I would like to suggest.
I particularly appreciated our brother Andy's prayer that we just heard.
Many times at general meetings like this we take up chapters which bring before us principles which bring before us the glories of the Lord Jesus.
Wonderful.
However.
Some of us, And maybe I'm not the only one.
Get a bit of feedback, especially from our young people.
And I understand they are fully 1/3 of those that are here at the conference.
That they are facing difficulties and problems in their lives for which they need.
Practical answers.
I appreciate that even though.
It's been a while since I was in their position.
And I wonder if the Brethren would be happy to go to the book of Ephesians.
Where we've often been in chapter one or chapter 4, something like that.
But I wonder if the brethren would consider taking up Chapter 5.
Plenty in it for our souls as to the wonderful position which is ours, that's brought before us in Ephesians.
But equally true, some really practical things that bear on our Christian pathway.
And would my brethren consider that? And if if not and someone else has a chapter, I won't be in the least bit offended?
I think it's a good suggestion. Let's do it.
00:05:07
Ephesians chapter 5. Be therefore followers of God as dared children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour, the fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness. Let it not be once named among you, has become a Saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving a thanks. For this you know that no *********** nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolatrous, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For you were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light.
For whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is, and be not drunk with wine, wherein his excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
Give me thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting yourselves 1 to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be it to their own husbands and everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish, so ought meant to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth that even as the Lord the Church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined in his wife.
And they too shall be 1 flesh.
This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ in the church nevertheless. Let everyone of you in particular, so love his wife, even as himself and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Perhaps just a few comments on the chapter?
Excuse me?
In the context in which it's given, and I know this is going over familiar ground with the vast majority here.
But we know that the book of Ephesians.
Gives us the highest truth as to the believers blessings in Christ.
And so we read the first chapter, and we find that we're blessed with all spiritual blessings.
In heavenly places in Christ.
And we read the second chapter and find that.
Christ is head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the Fulton.
The fullness of him that filleth All in all we find in the 4th chapter the precious truth that there is one body.
And so on.
But then.
Excuse me?
US poor Easterners have trouble with dry air in the West.
We find in the latter part of the 4th chapter that.
We come right down to earth where we have to be told, even though we're risen and seated in heavenly places in Christ that were not to steal.
And whether or not not to tell lies to one another and we're not to get angry with one another and so on.
And once again, of course, in this chapter we find exhortations too. But as always with Scripture, the exhortations.
00:10:05
Every exhortation in Scripture is based on what we already possess.
God doesn't exhort us to do something in order to get into a position.
He puts us in the position and says, now I've given you everything to enable you to walk in the good of that position that I placed you in, and the exhortations are based on that position into which we've been placed.
And so this chapter begins with the word therefore in the first verse.
And exhorts us along very simple and yet very important lines in our Christian lives.
And as we get into the chapter, and I trust we have time to do it, we have three meetings and a potential of four depending on the character of one of the meetings. That has not yet been determined. But we see things that are just as needful today, I suggest as were needed in the days of the Apostle Paul.
And allow me to say that they are particularly apropos.
For our young people, even though they are good for all of us.
A brother told me earlier today that one of the prayers of the local assembly here in Aberdeen was that there would be ministry for every age group and I trust the Lord will will give us that and I believe He can from this chapter.
And so you will agree with me, will you not rather, Bill, that, well, these things may be very apropos for our young people. Yet as we get older, there are struggles that are unique to every, every age. And so there are children here. There are those who are young people, There's those who are raising families, some of us a little further along in the path of faith and service, some here a little further along than some of us. And so these things.
Are the scripture is applicable to us?
In anytime in at any age. And so we all need these things. I will agree that there are things that our young people are facing today that I never faced just a few years ago when I went to school and and was in the workforce and so on.
And sometimes we have to say we've not passed this way heretofore. But isn't it wonderful, as we launch out on a familiar book and chapter like this, to realize that the word of God is as applicable today as it was in the days of the Apostle Paul? It's as much for us as it was for the Ephesian Saints. And I'll just say this too, in connection with a little introduction to Ephesians in this chapter.
That, as has been said, when we think of the Book of Ephesians, we automatically, perhaps, revert in our minds to the precious truth.
That Brother Bill has outlined to us and the doctrinal side of what we have here, it's tremendous. It's wonderful. I trust these things, to some degree at least, are clear in our souls and that we're walking in the enjoyment of them. But I've been struck recently, in going through the book of Ephesians myself to realize how practical a book that I really is. And there are a number of occasions, in fact, we won't take time.
But here's a little challenge, a little homework. There are seven times in this book that were exhorted. As to our walk, I'll give you a little hint. The first time is a reminder of how we once walked before we were saved. And that's in the beginning of the second chapter, when we did follow the course of this world. In this chapter, as we go down these verses, we're going to find three further exhortations in connection with our walk.
We're to walk in love. We're to walk as the children of light, and we're to walk circumspectly as those that are wise. It's very, very practical.
Because sound doctrine leads to sound behavior. We need sound doctrine. That's true. That's the basis of it. We can't have sound behavior. We cannot have proper behavior in our walk without the fundamental doctrines of the Word of God before our souls. But if that doctrine does not lead to a sound walk in our lives, if it doesn't have a practical effect, then it is just mere doctrine. I don't want to speak.
Disparagingly are disrespectful, but it is just simply doctrine. It must if it's going to have the effect that the spirit of God would desire for us, it must get down into our souls and affect our walk. And so I think the chapter like this is very helpful for us to take up. And again, I just challenge you to go through the Book of Ephesians. Notice the practical exhortations right through the book. Yes, more specifically.
00:15:30
In the last three chapters 4-5 and six, but even before that.
Interspersed with the precious teaching that were dead and that were risen with cry, were seated in heavenly places in Christ, that were a heavenly people were disconnected with this world in every way except the fact that we're still here physically, and so on interspersed with that precious doctrine. High truth has been said, but there is a walk that ought to correspond with it, and, brethren, if taking up a portion like this.
Has a practical effect on our walk this weekend, then it's well worth taking up a portion like this.
Well, I agree very much with all that.
And in the beginning of the chapter here it says first of all.
Walk in love.
Followers of God as dear children and walk in love, and we find that mentioned a number of times in this chapter.
Because whatever the exhortations are, and whatever the truth that is before us, how needful it is that love be there.
And in Ephesus and also in other epistles, we are exhorted to demonstrate that love first of all among ourselves. Also it mentions the family here in the later verses of this chapter and ultimately in our interactions to one another.
But there is something very, very precious. And again, we don't want to go through the chapter either too quickly or too slowly. But in the second verse it reminds us there of the love that Christ had for us.
And I'm not a Greek scholar, but anyone can verify this, that the word used here both for our walking in love and the love that Christ has loved us.
Is the word that Scripture generally uses for divine love. It's that love that doesn't require an object to return that love.
Walk in love, but then it mentions.
And it's very, very beautiful to me. The way the chapter begins, it mentions, it doesn't say, and hath given himself for us in order that our sins might be forgiven.
That is blessedly true. That's the sin offering. But before the sin offering, there came the burnt offering. And we might ask, well, what is the significance of that?
I suggest this, that the burnt offering was offered up wholly to Jehovah. It was a sweet savour offering. Now, of course, we can't separate them when we bring them to the person of Christ. But the sweet savour offerings were primarily for the Lord's eyes. They were for God's eyes. That sweet savour went up to God because here was one who offered himself up to God.
And in that sense, sin was not the primary thought in the burnt offering.
We might say, why is that brought in here?
I suggest that the main reason is that for.
Your behavior and mine in the Christian pathway. It is not, for the most part, in order that I might lead a happy life, in order that things might go well for me in order that I might have a profitable time in my life. All of those things are blessedly true in the pathway of faith.
But if my eyes do not go above the horizon of myself.
I'm falling short.
The place that the Lord puts my eyes when it's a question of my walk.
00:20:05
Are all the way to God himself. And so the Lord Jesus, he first of all offered himself as the burnt offering. And it's significant that that's the first offering that we have mentioned in Leviticus. And when you and I think of following Christ, I say this very kindly, but there is often a tendency to think of ourselves.
And that it'll give me a happy pathway and the Lord will look after me well, and things will go smoothly for me. And I'll have a clear conscience and be able to sleep well at night. That's blessedly true. But let's go one step higher.
God is looking in you and me.
For the eyes to be turned upward to him to do all of these things, not simply because it will benefit me.
But because it will be pleasing to the one.
Who looks down on me with love? Who sent his son to die for me in order that I might be redeemed? And the thought?
Uppermost in my soul ought to be.
Will this please the one who gave his son in order that I might be redeemed?
Is that is that a right thought? Yes. And so, as you say, with the Lord Jesus, his first and foremost motive in offering himself was I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do again. It's hard, isn't it, to move beyond ourselves in view of many of these things?
We think of the work of Calvary in connection with what it means to our souls. That's wonderful, I trust, brethren, the work of Calvary means everything to your soul and mind. But I believe that there will be feelings produced in the heart that are only produced by moving beyond what things mean to ourselves and seeing what they mean to God on Lord's Day morning. I'll just say this in passing. So often we think more of the burnt offering.
And other aspects of the work of Calvary in connection with what it means to us.
But again, I believe to move beyond that and see what things mean to God. That is, what is going to produce true worship, That is what is going to produce affection for Christ in a way that I don't believe in any other way it can be. It can be produced. And so to walk in love as Christ also loved us. And again, I don't want to go too slow either, as Brother Bill has said. But brethren, I I'd like to just take a minute. And I I know these verses are familiar, but I'd like to go back to John's Gospel for a minute.
Just to bear out from scripture what we have been saying and first of all to read a verse in the end of John's Gospel chapter 3.
Because again, as we have this before us, it really is a question of the heart, isn't it? If if the truth doesn't get down and affect our hearts, it's simply head knowledge. And as we've often said, we can be clear as ice and just as cold and we can take in all these things in an intellectual way and it not affect our walk if the heart, conscience and the heart aren't engaged. But I just want to read a little expression here in the 35th verse of the third of John.
He says the Father loveth the Son. Now usually when we start with the subject of love, we back up to the 16th verse. God so loved the world that he gave and so on. And again we think of it in relationship to ourselves. It's a wonderful truth, wonderful aspect of the love of God. But isn't it interesting that he says here the Father loveth the Son Brethren. I believe if we can get a hold of this a little deeper in our souls, it's going to affect.
Our love.
God, our love for the Lord Jesus to begin, first of all, not with ourselves, not with His love for us, but with the Father's love for the Son. You get this expression. We won't turn to it, but we get it three times in John's Gospel. You get it in the 10th, in the 5th chapter, and you get it again in the 10th chapter, where the Father loveth the Son. But now just go over to the 17th chapter for a moment.
00:25:04
Chapter 17 and verse 23.
I'll read the whole verse. It's particularly the last expression. But I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved them. Now notice this as thou hast loved me. You know we I believe, from this expression.
We understand that the love that God has for his children, for you and me.
Is the very same love that he has for his beloved son.
I can't take that in. If it wasn't a statement of scripture, I couldn't take that in. That is a tremendous thing to consider. And that's why I say if we're if we're going to have an appreciation, a real appreciation of God's love for us, we've got to begin with His love for the Son, because it's the same love that he has for us. Now just follow along with me just for one more minute here, back to the 15th chapter.
And verse 9 As the Father hath loved me.
So have I loved you.
In other words, the love that the Father has for the Son is the same love that the Father has for his children. And the love, and I'm sorry, the love that the Father has for the Son, yes, is the same love that he has for his children. And that same love is the love that the Lord Jesus has for you and me. Now just drop down in this 15th chapter where we we are in John and notice the standard for us.
Verse 12 This is my commandment, that ye love one another, and he doesn't stop there, as I have loved you. That is the the love, the practical love, that is to be expressed and walked in. In our relationships, one with another is to be no less love than the Father has for the Son, no less love than the Son has for than the Father has for his children, no less love than the Son has for each one of his own.
That is the standard for the practical expression of love in our walk and in our relationships one with another. So this is a very, very.
Wonderful, but very serious and potent expression. Exhortation. We have at the beginning of our chapter in the book of Ephesians to walk in love. Yes, that's true. We are to walk in love. But again.
What is the standard? As Christ also hath loved us and given himself, and so on. That is the standard for the love that is to be displayed in our walk here in this world.
I add to that a little bit, Brother Jim. In the 13th chapter, John.
The same thought.
But a little bit more towards us in our responsibility and our character before this world. In the 34th verse it says a new commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you and you also love one another. And this is the verse.
But this shall all men know that you are my disciples. If you have loved one for another, this really should characterize us as to the world around us, that we are his disciples to the Lord.
Yes.
And so.
The world looks on as we have seen, and they recognize whether believers demonstrate that loved one to another.
But I believe one of the things we need to be reminded of, and we are perhaps giving this thought a little more emphasis, which is important. We live in a world which is focused on itself.
We live in a world where what might be called secular humanism.
Is the standard by which men live and secular humanism ultimately views everything in terms of the happiness of man and self has become the motive spring in this world.
And I speak to my own heart.
00:30:02
It infiltrates.
Our lives too, doesn't it? It rubs off on you and me as believers, so that we tend to think of ourselves. And there is a great danger. And again, I speak to my own heart, that in Christianity we look at everything is how it affects us. Does it affect us? Indeed, it does.
But as we've already said, and we don't need to keep repeating it, the burnt offering is brought before us here, before the exhortations are made. Because for you and me, first and foremost, we follow what we have here, because it is pleasing to the Lord and how it how it happens to me.
What happens to me as a result of it should not be in the picture now. Is it a happy path to follow the commandments of the Lord and to walk in what He has given us absolutely?
And I can still remember and pardon a reference to the past, but I can still remember an old brother well over 50 years ago, maybe more than that, sitting in a Bible conference and with a big glow across his face, he said, oh brother, what a blessed path it is. And he was nearing the end. Some here will recognize whom I'm quoting.
That's why this is brought before us in this chapter, because.
The blessed pathway for the believer is to have Christ first of all before us, and to remember what he's done for us. And then I follow the exhortation, not because it'll do me good, it will, but because it will bring joy to the heart of the one who loved me enough to come into this world and die for me.
Do we say that, Simply put, that we're here for His pleasure, not for our own pleasure? Christ, model that life. And as I say that I wonder if I ever have done anything that was just for his pleasure, that there wasn't something of self in it.
Well, well, we all have to hang our heads when you see that, Vern.
Self gets into everything that we do, doesn't it? And that's why in the Old Testament, the priest had to bear the iniquity of their holy things, didn't he? Even the best things that are done.
Which one of us would stand up and say self didn't get a little bit of it? Or maybe more than a bit?
But God doesn't lessen the standard because of our weakness, does he? And don't let that discourage you from following the Lord and living for him, you say I can never reach the standard. I've allowed so much in my life. Things come in, I try to do something for the Lord. And I look back in retrospect and I realized there was something a lot of self, and perhaps I didn't do things the way I really ought to have done. But don't let that discourage you, because I've appreciated more and more as I get older the thought that he's able to separate the precious from the vile, and isn't that a wonderful?
Comfort to think, brethren, that though we do something for the Lord, even on Lord's Day morning.
The brothers that take part, maybe it is there is something of self in a scripture read, a hymn given out.
How? Well, we can express things in worship and praise, but don't let that discourage you. I heard of a young man one time and he never took part all his life. He's with the Lord now, but he never took part in the assembly and all, all his life. You know why? Because his mother said to say had told him when he was a young man.
If you never open your mouth in meeting, you'll never make a mistake or say something you shouldn't. I think that was a very sad thing to to tell to tell someone. And from older ones that I've known, they said he never, as far as they knew, opened his mouth in an assembly meeting. So I just say that yes, things come in, but as Brother Bill has said, the Lord Jesus in it's typified by the high priest in the Old Testament he wears the mitre and we sometimes sing a hymn that sums it up so beautifully.
For us, he wears the mitre where holiness shines bright.
For us, his robes are whiter than heaven's unsullied light. We sometimes sing to all our prayers and praises. Christ adds his sweet perfume and love. The sensor raises these odors to consume. And when you and I stand at the judgment seat of Christ, he's going to take what was done with the proper motive and the proper spirit and attitude and according to the word of God. And he's going to reward with that, and he's going to set the other aside. It's going to be burned up and gone, and we're going to be glad it's gone and we're going to see a marble at the grace of God in in our lives. So I just say that don't let those things discourage you. Go on and enjoy the love of God, the love of Christ.
00:35:15
And seek to go on and walk for his glory in spite of those failures and things that come in.
Why the abrupt change here in the third verse?
I'll make a suggestion, Brother Vern.
Having laid, shall we say?
A good foundation on which to make exhortations, which we've just talked about.
Paul gets right down, as we would say in common language, to the nitty gritty.
And Ephesus.
As many of those large Roman cities were in, that day was riddled with sin, especially, let's face it, sexual immorality.
Very lightly thought of in the Roman Empire.
And.
Ephesus was full of it. So was Corinth. So were other places, and the capital of it all. Rome itself set the pace.
You and I, of course, live in a similar world today, and we rub shoulders with it all the time.
We hear it all the time in the workplace, in school, it's talked about and so on. You can you can't get away from it in this world. And I believe Paul is being very, very straight. Scripture does not mince matters when it comes to talking about the things that go on and the need to be careful about them.
But there's something very special. Well, that's not a very good word. There's something very important to notice. I would suggest in these.
3rd and 4th verses.
It mentions at the beginning fornication.
But what leads up to fornication?
Uncleanness that falls short of it.
What leads up to uncleanness, covetousness, wanting that which God has not given me. And that, of course is wrong in any realm, but especially in the moral realm.
Let it be. Let it not be once named among you as become a Saints. We see the same order in the fourth verse.
Neither filthiness, but what leads up to filthiness.
Foolish talking.
What leads up to foolish talking? Jesting.
Now, I don't mean that we should never have a sense of humor. I don't think that's what is meant here. But if our minds are continually turning to foolish talking and jesting, we will find out in the world of today that it will soon lead to filthiness. Because the.
Jesting that goes on in this world generally goes nowhere but downhill into that realm, and if that characterizes my talk, the world will not hesitate to carry it further, and pretty soon I'm right in the middle of it.
It says but rather giving of thanks. And then in verse five, of course it goes all the way to ************ unclean persons.
And then it says once again a covetous man. It goes through the same order as we have in the third chapter, *********** down to covetousness, or downed rather to uncleanness, down to covetousness, and then brings before us the Kingdom of God, and I say to each one of our hearts.
How many times? And I speak to my own heart because doesn't matter what age we are, we're capable of it. How many times we have seen a dear believer fall into a serious sin, Ruin their marriage, have to be dealt with by their local assemblies, Lost their jobs maybe, in some cases ruined their children's lives, perhaps.
It starts off with little things in the beginning and in the world of today. I suggest that we need to be very specially on guard with these things. And I point the finger mostly right back here. And so I believe the scripture is very, very clear and I'd like your reaction to that, Vern. Is that part of the reason why, Paul, if I could say it really takes, as we might say, the bull by the horns and goes at it very straight. Do you do you agree with that?
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I I do. I think you get the same thing in first Thessalonians.
Where they had, they had turned to God, to God from idols, and we're looking for his Son from heaven. They were a testimony.
Throughout like Kaya, they were going on wonderfully. And in the 4th chapter he says avoid fornication. And I think, Paul, why are you even talking about these? These people are going on well, but he knew that if they got away from the Lord, they gravitate right back to what they were before they were saved.
Even in Colossians you have those similar exhortations. In the third chapter you say did the Ephesians, the Colossians, or the Thessalonians that were in the freshness of having turned to God from idols, The Ephesians, this precious truth they were able to take in the Colossians Saints. They had wonderful truth presented to them. But the flesh and a believer never changes and brethren, no matter how far we have come spiritually.
And I trust there's been spiritual growth in our lives in the last year. Many of us were here for a conference last year. I trust that there's been spiritual growth and understanding in our lives since we were here last year. But no matter how far by the grace of God we have come in our spiritual lives, the flesh is still the same. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. Peter thought he could trust the flesh, but the flesh in Peter, a true believer.
Was just as corrupt as the flesh in Judas and unregenerate man. And Peter said, though all deny thee, yet will not I deny thee. He said I'll even go into death with you. But he had to learn that he, that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool. I just say this too. I think perhaps just another suggestion as to why there is an abrupt change here, and that is that in the 1St 2 verses we have something largely for the heart.
But now he reverts to something for the conscience. Because, brethren, the conscience must always be reached, and you don't have to read very far in Scripture until there's something to speak to the conscience, to prick the conscience. So I'm going to repeat an old adage that is not original with me, and I've often repeated it, but I think it bears it bears out what we're saying. The entrance of the truth is the mind.
Because there must be an understanding of the truth. Read your Bible. You want to know the truth, you've got to read your Bible. The entrance of the truth is the mind, the channel is the conscience. Because the conscience must always be reached. And the dwelling place is the heart. So I just suggest that as soon as he brings before us something for the heart here, then immediately he goes back and he says, Now I want to speak to your conscience. Yes, you Ephesians, you're able to take in this precious.
Heavenly truth.
But remember, no matter how far you've grown spiritually, how far you've come, these things are still there. And any one of us, brethren, can fall into any of these things. And one more comment that speaks to my own soul, and that is sometimes the tendency of my heart has been when I hear of a brother or sister that has been referred to, that has fallen into one of these sins. And there's been.
Excommunication from the Lord's table and a sad situation in the family and in their personal lives.
Sometimes the tendency in my own heart is to shake my head and say, oh, I can't believe that, brother. I'm surprised at that, sister. I suggest for my own conscience, brethren, Only I suggest that when I hear of a situation like that, rather than shake my head in disbelief, I examine my own heart and conscience and say, if that brother, if that sister is that vulnerable, then how much more myself let him that thinketh he standeth. Take heed lest he fall.
When he speaks of love, he talks of dear children, but when he speaks of.
The conscience here, he calls them Saints. Sanctified something.
00:45:00
What does the word St. mean for us, brother? Set apart one only ones, doesn't it? He takes us up on the position that God has already placed us in.
We don't want to flog this issue too much.
But in the last 20 years or so.
We've had the Internet.
It's a tremendous tool.
And probably the vast majority here use it. I certainly do myself.
But I would suggest that it brings more danger.
Than anything that ever went before.
I could hardly believe it when I talked to a good friend of mine. He's not gathered to the Lord's name. He was brought up, gathered to the Lord's name. But he still goes on faithfully for the Lord in what he does.
And he told me some time ago.
Several years ago now and gave me a statistic that shocked me.
He said. Do you realize, Bill, that 80% of Christian men?
In North America, are hooked on ***********.
I could hardly believe that.
But he assured me that that was not a made-up statistic, nor was it being put out simply to scare anybody. He simply said I have worked with people and I know that that is beyond any shadow of a doubt not exaggerating the problem.
I say to each one of us, let us be careful what we're looking at on our computers, because it starts with what we have here, the covetousness, the uncleanness. And as everyone knows, even unbelievers, as we think so ultimately we act. And if we judge our thoughts before they form actions, we will not find that we commit actions that we have to deal with.
And if we judge little actions before they get to be big actions, then we will judge those things before they get to the point where they have to be dealt with by our brethren. And so just just to comment on that, we don't need to say anymore, not telling anyone not to say anymore about it, but we all know what the Internet is like and.
All you young people here, you've grown up with it. Many of you have never known a time when the Internet didn't exist, and it's part of our lives. And most of you carry around a cell phone in your hands that has it all there. And I just say we need to be doubly careful in this modern world about what we allow in our minds, because the Lord brings before us here through the Apostle Paul.
How easily it can lead to serious failure in our lives. And again.
The consequences for us are very serious. But what about the Lord and what it means to him? What about that sweet smelling savour that he was? What about having him before us, even before the results for ourselves and maybe others that are dear to us?
Jim has said something that helped me and he said that says a television that brings the world into your home, but the Internet takes you out to the world, everything in the world.
What we really have here is a contrast between what we had in the 1St 2 verses as to what our position is in Christ and the love that he has for us.
But then it goes on in a contrast between the third, third verse through the 6th verse. But it gives us exhortations in between all that and it says in the fourth verse.
Of this list here. But it says rather giving of thanks and that should really characterize the believer isn't it? This world is not thankful for just about anything. We live in a self generated self gratification world and but what you characterizes the giving you thanks. And then he goes on to say here in the seventh verse be not ye therefore partakers with them and so as you say brother Bill, I'd like to.
We had such a.
Very wonderful instruction.
00:50:02
And a theme in Morningstar and I think it's very applicable as what you were saying Bill that if I repeat this if I may, in your pamphlet you wrote, I think it's it's a very good saying. It says so a thought Reaper action.
So, so an action. Reap a habit.
And sow a habit and you reap a character.
So a character and Eureka destiny.
So we have choices, don't we? And God does everything he can for the Christians pathway.
To lead and guide and direct us.
That we might.
Display his glory.
And the love that he has for us in our walk down here, we don't have to make the wrong choices.
As we have here. Is that right? Yes.
A covetous man wants what the Lord hasn't given him. A believer who gives thanks, gives thanks, because God has given him everything. And in this epistle we are brought, as we said earlier, into the highest place, the highest blessings that God ever gave to man in any dispensation. No Old Testament believer had what you and I have, nor will anyone in a future day, even in the glorious Millennial Day.
Have what compares to what you and I have, and so how wonderful it is here to see.
The contrast between the covetousness, wanting something that God hasn't given me, on the other hand, giving a thanks for everything that he has given me.
And so we come. I'm sorry, somebody else going to comment.
Bad brother Bill that if we cultivate.
The habit of Thanksgiving.
It is a safeguard for us, so when we come up against something that for which we cannot give thanks.
We're we're made aware of it. Good. Yeah.
Good. Amen. Perhaps it would be also helpful to offer any advice to any young person or even older person who may be struggling with some of these issues even now that are mentioned in verse 3.
How did they get free of it? How do they escape from it?
Well, perhaps I may be forgiven for repeating something we had at Morningstar because the whole subject there was choices and habits and some were who are here were there at the at the camp.
And.
Generally speaking, and I believe this is also borne out by Scripture, it's very difficult, if not impossible completely to erase a bad habit.
You have to replace it with a good one.
And with a habit, there are always three things. There's the temptation.
There's the, you might say, the routine of the habit. And then there's the reward.
Well, the reward, of course, for a bad habit is temporary.
We can't always replace the temptation, although I can remove myself, if possible, from temptation, but I can't entirely eliminate that because we live in a world where there is temptation. I have to go to school, I have to go to work, and the temptation is all around me.
But if I had find myself with temptation.
I replace what the world and what my old sinful self wants to do with that temptation with something better, and we don't have time to develop it in the meeting. But it brings us back to Romans 6, where we read that we are not merely cleansed from our sins by the blood of Christ.
But we are delivered from the power of sin in our lives by the death and resurrection of Christ, and so to be able to break a bad habit is usually not within my own power to do it. I may be able to do it for a short time with human energy, but the temptation will often be too strong. I need a power outside of myself. I need the Lord Himself.
And then I substitute something better for the routine of that temptation.
00:55:04
And we have that here in this chapter. Instead of succumbing to the evil thought, I turned my mind away from it and I give thanks. And then what happens? I have a reward which is not merely temporal and has a sting in it at the end, because it's only, as we know, the pleasures of sin for a season. I have a joy in my heart, and it lasts and it'll last and reward me for all eternity.
Now that's pretty brief and we could enlarge on it for a whole a whole meeting, but.
Basically I suggest that that that some of the ways that we can overcome something that we may have fallen into.
And.
As we've just said, it can happen to any of us.
Though the old illustration has often been given, if you fill a cup with wheat to the brim, there's no room for the chaff when they've just done a practical note. When they filled the water pots in the in John's Gospel at the marriage in Canaan of Galilee, it's interesting. The Lord never told them how full to fill them, but in obedience to His word, they went even beyond They filled them to the brim. You fill the water pot to the brim, there's no room for anything else.
And I'd like to go to a couple of scriptures, because James's question is a very good one. And I think it's a it's a very practical subject. It's a question of what are we filling our minds with. As has been said, we can sit in front of a computer screen and we or a television, and we can fill our minds with all the corruption of this world. Again, there's a way that those things can be used for God's glory, and I'm thankful for that. But two scriptures come to mind in this regard. The first one is in Colossians.
Chapter 3.
Maybe while you're turning there, I'll just draw on an Old Testament illustration as well. David in the 23rd Psalm said, thou anointest my head with oil. The head would speak of our mind. The oil invariably in in Scripture is a picture of the Spirit of God. It's our minds governed by the the Spirit of God in conjunction with the word of God. It's bringing every thought into captivity under the obedience of Christ.
But notice here in Colossians chapter 3 and I'll read the 1St 2 verses. If he then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above and you notice it's seeking its spiritual energy that has to be put forth where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Now I'm going to read this in in Mr. Dyer. The way Mr. Darby translates it. Set your mind on things above. Set your mind now our affections too. But I believe in the context here it's to set your mind.
Philosophy and Judaizing, teaching and other things were coming in to occupy the minds of the Colossians Saints, he says. No, be occupied with Christ where he is now.
And set your mind on those things that are above. Now back up a couple of pages in your Bible to the book of Philippians.
Philippians chapter 4.
And he's talking about prayer in verse six. We won't take time. Notice verse 7. As a result of prayer and Thanksgiving, it says. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your Now notice these two things, hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are, are honest. Whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure. Whatsoever things are lovely.
Whatsoever things are of good a good report. If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things and what are these things that are listed?
They're really the attributes of the person of Christ, aren't they? In fact, one time, and it was very edifying for my own soul. I took each one of these things that were to think about, and I went through and found scripture that denoted those things in relationship to the person of the Lord Jesus, his character, his glories, and so on. It's a very edifying study. But what is he telling us in Colossians and here? What is going to preserve us, brethren, from falling in to the degradation of this world and the things that the natural man follows and the lust of the flesh and so on?
Is to be occupied with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
01:00:02
How are we going to do that? We've got to open this book and read it. To see Christ from page to page, from verse to verse. Be occupied with him. Lift our eyes above the horizons of this world. Be occupied with the man in the glory. This is what is going to preserve us. And the more you and I are occupied with the person of Christ, the more our hearts will go out to him. And then when the conscience and the heart have been engaged, as we've been saying.
Then the feet are going to be preserved in a path of practical holiness and righteousness.
I'd like to add to.
What was said about? Well, the answer give some answer to the question you gave for a young man that might be struggling with *********** or something of the like.
And to start out, might be another shocking statistic.
But to a lesser degree, to the young women who might be struggling with it, I don't have an exact statistic, but.
And closer to 30%?
Christian women struggling with, and, from what I've read and heard, blame also on the advent of the Internet.
Bring it into the light.
Secrets thrive on.
Being secrets.
Bad habits thrive on not being faced and.
Not being named. Not being known.
We're told to walk in light.
Philippians chapter 2.
Verse 12.
Wherefore, my beloved, is ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence.
Workout your own salvation with fear and trembling.
I understand the work there to mean cultivate.
We have the salvation.
And with something like this, if we are believers, if we have that salvation.
There's probably been a lot of fighting against it.
In our own strength.
Turning over a new leaf again and again and again and again.
But in my own experience, verse 13.
It's very important.
Word is God.
Which worketh in you both to will and to do.
Of his good pleasure.
Without the.
Without the power of God.
Without getting out of the way, in a sense, and allowing the power of God to be exactly that, the power of God.
Any headway or success we might have in dealing with these sort of things?
Will only be to glorify myself.
Which sets us up for another fall.
It is God which worketh in you both to will and I think anyone who's struggling with.
*********** specifically, but many other unclean habits.
Can recognize that there's a will in us if we if we have Christ in US.
There's definitely a will in us not to be involved in those things.
But the doing quite often is.
Where we keep having trouble?
It is God.
Recognize that God has given power. He does not. He's not weak.
Sit down and.
Allow his power to work.
Name evil for evil. Talk to somebody that you trust.
About it. It's not something to stand up and confess publicly and think that, well, I've done that well, It's gone. It will never come back.
Talk with someone you trust.
And as I have talked with people I've trusted and and I've talked with a lot of young men about this specific.
About *********** and I can, I just want to put it out there for those of you who might be those people that people trust.
01:05:08
A lot of times.
People I've talked to say, well, I talked to so and so. Well, they didn't give names usually, and they sort of got that deer in the headlights look.
OK.
If someone doesn't know what to say, you can give them time, or you can go and find someone else that you trust. Because these topics, as you can just tell by the way people have sort of danced around them a little bit here.
People aren't used to talking about them. They're uncomfortable.
And it's not something that we should be used to talking about publicly, I suppose.
But to those that are older, be ready with.
To listen and to point people to the Lord.
Because any amount.
Good intentions.
Or good habits.
Without acknowledging.
Christ in US.
And letting him work.
Won't work.
Thank you, Tim. That's very good.
Guess our time is up, isn't it?
The offering of the Lord Jesus himself.
That voluntary offering, giving of himself.
We just thank thee now that we have the privilege to voluntarily live our lives for the Lord Jesus. We think of these things that we've considered to get in the way and ruin our joy, take away our confidence.
And would ruin our lives. Lord, we just pray without keep us and help us to go on and with thy strength to be able to overcome with thy power to be able to quietly.
Go over. Defeat the enemy in our lives. And so we ask for Thy help. Lord, we are here because we want encouragement. We want to have joy in our hearts. We want to be refreshed, and we just thank you for this time. Help us, Lord Jesus, to listen. Help us to pay attention, and help us to exercise our hearts to go over the things that aren't right.
To throw out with thy help those things that interfere with our joy and myself. And now we thank thee for this time together. Lord Jesus, we love Thee and we pray that they'll help us to show by our lives that we do love. So we give thee thanks and my precious and my worthy name, Lord Jesus. Amen. Amen.