Open—E. McCavour, D. Mollon, W. Dear
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All his life and go and go across the restless wild footsteps ever showed 5 every time #275.
Our God is light and glowing.
Our heart being blind. So what shall I have a great joy.
Because I need.
OK.
Yeah.
Uh.
Retrieve.
Proteins of shine by grains of one.
Desert. I've never had anything but in the Lord in the world.
But really?
Uh, no credit card.
Now.
Let's take a look at.
First Corinthians.
Chapter One.
I'd like to read the first few verses here in this chapter.
Paul called an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and so thesis our brother onto the Church of God, which is that corner to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called Saints. With all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both stairs and ours. Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which has given you by Jesus Christ, that in everything here enriched by Him, in all utterance and in all knowledge, even as a testimony of Christ was confirmed in you so that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, you shall also confirm you onto the end.
00:05:04
That he may be blameless.
In the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, God is faithful.
This portion before us I like to.
Speak a little bit today on our internal security that we have in our savior.
And uh.
We read this book. It's a, it's a book of, uh, you might say.
A lot of failure in Corinthians.
They were mixed up about a lot of things. Mixed up about.
Baptism or mixed up about marriages, mixed up about going to law, one will go with a brother or mixed up with both gifts. If they had to, they could post no gifts and perhaps eating and drinking and other things that they were allowing on holiness in their midst and so on. And so they had a lot of failures and perhaps.
Uh, if we examine ourselves, we can find 2 That we may have some of these same failures today.
Uh, individually in our lives and uh, the Apostle Paul, he, he sought to bring before the Corinthians Saints.
Uh, before he, uh, spoke to them about the things that were wrong in the assembly he brought before them.
Their perfect standing that they had in Christ.
That in hopes to draw out their hearts, I believe, to the Lord.
That would be my objective today, that perhaps if we read about our perfect standing, that the Lord has won for us on the cross of Calvary what He has done for us.
And where we stand for all eternity because of that finished work.
Perhaps a little draw out our hearts too, to be drawn closer to the Lord and, uh, if there are any of these things that it's inter interrupting our, our lives with the Lord, perhaps we can put them away. I believe in the second crisis, we'll look at it a little later. That did have an effect on these Saints. And I think we'll see a portion there that indicates that.
Anyway, we're reading that.
I left out, uh, to be. It's not, uh, in the original, Paul says you're called to be an apostle. Paul was called apostle. He was.
Called out for the Lord to be an apostle.
On that it seemed the Lord and umm through the will of God he didn't have to go to seminary school and have to hustle ship by Jesus Christ through the will of God. This is on to the Church of God which is that corner to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called not to be Saints but Saints recall Saints that is what the Lord calls us it's.
We're we're holy ones by calling separated, uh, to God.
Uh, through calling.
In some places in Christianity and some.
Perhaps we call them the vision, but.
They hold that the state is something that you have to work to, uh.
Uptake become a state. They require that even that a miracle has to be done before somebody would be ordained in that system with the title of St.
But really, God's Word and every believer. Every believer.
That is purchased with a lot of price if you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
You are a St.
We picture us safe. We think of someone that is almost someone that's, that's, uh, so godly that he that he can't do anything wrong or make a mistake even.
But that's not what it means. We're called to be holy. We're called to walk worthy of God. But we do have the flesh in us and we make mistakes, but we're called not to be Saints, not something that we have to work to, uh, to obtain. We're called Saints by calling called out ones and, uh.
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It says that, uh, them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus.
What's that mean? To be sanctified in Christ Jesus?
It means that God has set you and I if you're a believer today. He has set us apart in Christ for Himself.
You set us apart.
That is where this is something that.
That started actually before you and I were even born. This is something that God had, and it's hard to do before Enos McCabe or whatever your name is, if you're a believer here today was even born into the same. This is something that God had purposed to his heart to do and time come when we were born into this scene and God had to, uh, work to give us a spiritual life.
We're quickened.
And born again into the family of God. And uh, he, he separated us. That separation took place on the cross of Calvary when the Lord Jesus died, took our sins upon himself by one offering He had perfect, perfected forever. Then they were sanctified.
And so that is our position, our standing before God. We have a perfect, uh, sanctification in Christ. God looks at us as separated onto himself in Christ. That's how the reason that we can come into the God's presence through the rent sale into his very presence because of that sacrifice that has been made. And so to be in Christ means that we're.
Separated ones to God.
And be in Christ. He is a new creature or a new creation. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And so we were looked at by God as being in Christ.
In the 30th verse it says, But of him of God are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom.
You know, the wisdom that that we have is advanced wisdom, the wisdom that.
That we have from God.
Is the wisdom that is, that that God has given to us. We have it in verse 24. But on to them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God, all the things mentioned here in this verse.
Wisdom. Righteousness.
Sanctification. Redemption.
All go back to the cross of Calvary. Every one of these things that we possess are given to us by God in Christ Jesus Christ. Jesus has won these things for us on the cross.
I stand before God in his wisdom.
It was God's wisdom that gave us Christ, God's wisdom that put the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross for you and me, that through believing in what He has accomplished there I have salvation.
God's wisdom. That wasn't man's wisdom. It came from God.
And I was made righteous before God. I didn't have righteousness that God could approve of on my own.
I was made the righteousness of God, it tells me in 2nd Corinthians 5 and 21.
For he have made him to be.
For he had made him that did no sin and knew no sin. It might be made the righteous of God and him. Let's just read it because.
Probably murdered at first.
00:15:00
Psychopathy is.
5 and 21 For he hath made him to be sent for us, and knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God and Him, and that's the righteousness that we have, that God can accept. We have it in Christ. Where was that one for us on the cross?
Sanctification. We're talking about sanctification being set apart.
That happened also in the cross.
By one offering he had Perco perfected forever. Them that are sanctified. And so we are set apart for God's glory. It happened there at the cross of Calvary Redemption when that happened at the cross.
Not redeemed with corruptible things that tells us that Peter, such as silver and gold, but with a precious fly of Christ, the land spot Fleming.
Nan has man likes to think that he.
He has, uh, he has righteousness of his own that God can accept. He likes to think that he can separate himself, uh, from certain things and, uh, do certain works and things that God can accept through his own, uh, estimation of what separation is. He likes to think that he can be redeemed in some other way except by the blood of Christ.
You know or mentioned about different evils and Kristen in the day one of those evils is.
There's a mixture of works and faith connected with salvation.
I re Recently my wife and I attended a funeral.
And the person that stood up to get a funeral was.
Umm, a gentleman from Salvation Army. Any poll of $20 bill out of his wallet. A brand new $20 bill.
And he showed that and he said in reference to the person that was had passed on, he said, you know, he says this, uh, $20 bill, he said is Chris the new? He said it's perfect.
And he wrinkled it all up and he said, you know, he opened it up again, he says.
He said even though that's been all wrinkled and, and, uh, I straightened it out, it's still worth $20. You put it on the ground and he stepped all over and picked it up and he said, you know, it's still worth $20. He said I was a foot grease and oil all over it and make it as ugly and.
Unattractive as they could, he said, they're still worth $20. I took it into a bank.
He says.
God sees.
He sees that there's good and bad in everyone.
He says God sees a good in this man, what he had done during his life, and he compared an analogy to that $20 bill.
He didn't mention anything about the person have to have be renewed from the inside of having salvation. He said God could accept him just like that $20 bill, no matter what the condition was, because God would look on the good things that he'd done and overlooked the bad things. This is what is coming in to Christianity everywhere. Almost every funeral I go to there's.
Works mentioned.
When it comes to the person that's there and they they're not sure where he is, they introduce works as.
A means of the person, uh, getting into glory Well.
That's not what the Bible teaches us because.
So we go down here we have this is umm, the third verse. It says grace beyond you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which has given you by Jesus Christ. As believers, we not only need the grace that saves us, but we need the grace that keeps us on the pathway. This is the grace he was Speaking of here.
And the peace we were justified and we have peace by God being justified by faith. That is the peace that we have when we get saved. But we also need peace with God as we the peace of God as we journey through the the pathway here and.
00:20:14
We need both of these things as believers as we journey through.
It says that everything ye are enriched by Him in all utterance and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.
The testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.
These Corinthian states.
We read an X.
Acts 18 I believe it is.
Is there in verse one? After these things Fall departed from Athens and came to the corner.
And uh, verse eight that says in Christmas the chief ruler of the synagogue believes on the Lord with all his house and many other Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized. That's the order they, they heard the gospel message that was preached. They believe that and then they were baptized.
And this is a testimony.
Of Christ that was confirmed in them. Who confirmed that God confirmed it. This is the only confirmation that matters.
Confirmation is something that is used all the time by man. We use confirmation if you're in business to confirm a contract. You want it not only verbally, but you want it in writing.
When I come to a conference, they want me to confirm that I'm coming within a certain date because there's responsibilities connected with the conference. There's motels to book and things like that. So we're all time confirming things. But with man, confirmation sometimes isn't certain. Confirmation means to be sure or certain about something. And so God says that we're confirmed because we believe the testimony of Christ.
It's a confirmation from God, and when God gives his word, it's a certain thing. It's a sure thing.
Another way confirmation is used today is when someone gets married, they confirm, uh, that it takes the marriage vow. They're really confirming their love toward one another in a public way. They do that by Mary Fowler, confirming their love toward one another.
Sometimes that marriage contract the ink is hardly dry when.
There, the confirmation is gone. Didn't mean too much. They don't want to live with one another. They're not compatible or they find some other excuse or they're unfaithful or whatever it is. And so confirmation is where it's a certain and a sure thing with man. It's not that way. Things can happen sometimes they're not intentionally.
But you have a contract with somebody and the person fails to live up to the contract. Maybe they went into bankruptcy, maybe something happened and they couldn't live up to it. There's other circumstances, but man breaks things that he says all the time, doesn't mean a whole lot to him. But when God confirms something, it's a certain thing. And so they were, uh, they were confirmed by God that they had this testimony, they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, even though they were carnal Christians.
And they were going on with a lot of things that were, that were unscriptural or they shouldn't have been going on with. They were believers. They, they believed the testimony. They believed the gospel. They heard it, they believed it. They were baptized and God confirmed this in them that they had this testimony.
So that you come behind and no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus.
Price, this, umm is coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's really the unveiling. It's a time when the Lord Jesus will appear with the Saints at the end of the tribulation period. And so this confirmation we see goes right on through the judgment seat of Christ, right on through to the Lord's unveiling. Isn't that wonderful that the Lord Jesus God has confirmed our faith in Christ?
Nothing, no harm can come to a believer all the way through. God has confirmed this.
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And we shall confirm you on to the end, it says.
That you may be blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That confirmation.
That we're believers in Christ is confirmed in heaven with God until the end end of her time here, but it says blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, or we a judgment seat of Christ and there will be an appraisal of the work that was done here for him, whether it be good or bad. The Lord will appraise our work just like A1 an art credit like praise a piece of art.
And we'll find what's wrong with it and what isn't. Everything will be turned upside down in that day, and the motive of the heart will be revealed. Everything will come out in that day. But our the confirmation that we have in the testimony that we believe the work of the Lord Jesus Christ for our sins, our sins will not come into question in that day. And it says in the day.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall confirm you once at the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. That word blameless is unaccusable or.
Unimpeachable. It's, uh, there'll be no blame. No uh.
No accusation can be brought before, uh, you and I as a believer there at the judgment seat of Christ, because we stand in all the perfectness.
Of Christ, we're in him. We, uh, God sees us as new creation, uh, with the Lord Jesus as a head. A Adam fell because of sin. That whole creation fell. And the Lord Jesus is ahead of the new creation. He was down into death and when he rose, he was the first fruits of the new creation. And we have in a figure gone down into death with him and were raised up again with him on the other side of that death.
And God sees us completely new in Christ.
A new a new head. The the church is a body here. And in the coming day, we're we're going to be with him and like him for all eternity. But God sees us that way now. And God wants us to see see ourselves in the same way that he sees us. He wants to see yourselves in Christ and all our sins remove everything that stood between US and the holy God.
Has been removed in Christ. We know that this new creation that we're in, in crisis ahead of it, it hasn't all come into completeness yet. Even ourselves, uh, we have salvation, we have eternal life of Christ, but we still have the old body.
Uh, as we get older, we realize more and more that it's a body of sin, it's a body of corruption, and if it dies, it will see corruption.
But we're told because we belong to the new creation, that we're gonna be risen.
Up. God's going to raise us up and we're going to receive a new body of interruption and we're gonna be fashioned onto his like Gloria's body. So we're going to be complete in the coming day. Body, soul and spirit brand new and a new creation with Christ. Even the world that we see around us is part of the atom creation. The heavens will all be done away, it says.
The with a, with a, with a loud noise, they're going to be, uh, done away in the great white throne judgment will be there in space, having an earth fled away. And so all the cities and everything that we see around us today here eventually because of sin, because of the fallen creation will all be done away. Everything. Let's go. And that ad creation, the whole creation is going to go and God is going to bring in a brand new heaven.
A new earth where as well as righteousness. And so we we have certain things now that we enjoy as believers, but we only have have them in part. God sees it already in partition. We're already in God's eyes raised up, seated with Christ in the heavens. That's how God sees us. We should see ourselves that way too. We should see ourselves as being separated to God in Christ from the world for everything that's around us.
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And we're in this world, uh, really a new creation in, in Christ.
Just before I close, there's that. I mentioned that in Second Corinthians chapter one.
It seemed to have an effect on the Corinthian Saints here because they umm.
It says uh.
In the night burst. But we had this had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raises the dead who delivered us from so great a death. And Thou delivered in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us. He also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
So here we raise any commends on because.
Of their prayers for in the work, helping together and, uh.
You know, in so many places in scripture we have we have mentioned about prayer and how God uses prayer.
In in so many different ways in our lives, privately and collectively to bring about blessing in the lives of not only ourselves, but in our family and in others. And how how important prayer is. And we think of this assembly that here in Cornup that they had.
They were a carnal, uh, assembly. They were worldly going on with all kinds of wrong things and they said they came behind and no gift. They had all the gifts that God could, could give out. They had every gift that doesn't, he doesn't commend them here. Anything to do with the gift prayer.
Prayer, everyone can pray is not a believer here that can't say they can't pray to God because the Lord Jesus has rent the veil and we have entrance into the holiness, holiness and we are able to come at any time and make a request known unto God. And so every believer has the privilege of prayer and nice to see here that it would take in the sisters.
We also help them to gather by prayer for us to take in anyone in that assembly because everyone is able to pray. And, uh, what a nice, uh, uh, way to commend them that they, they were exercised about the Apostle Paul and his welfare, even though they questioned it one time as apostleship and, uh, so on. But now they, they seem to.
Realize that that, uh, they were together. They were together, that they, they were no better than the Apostle Paul, that they needed him and the Apostle Paul.
He, he needed them. He, he, he valued their prayers. He wanted their prayers. And they realized that how important the, the work was that the Apostle Paul was doing was through the gospel that the Apostle Paul preached that they got converted.
And come into all the blessings that they enjoy.
So I guess we leave these thoughts with us that it may help us to draw us closer to the Lord and and go on for Him.
Relation and I've been looking at this morning a little bit and.
I can do some land. All winter we look at the stars.
Somebody's moon.
But I wanna step off from Timothy, our chapter where we woke up.
Of, uh, Timothy.
Being encouraged.
So purposefully fine with somebody else.
Therefore, my son, be though strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
We've been considering that the fossil Paul was trying to encourage Timothy to, to go on in a day when things were being given up. And uh, we, we already considered that there was much being given up here and much turned away. And so we trust that the apostle Paul.
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Uh, affected a work in Timothy and of course by proxy or work in us as well. And, uh, it's my thought to, to touch on this, the strong integrates and.
The apostle Paul wanted Timothy to look up her brother Bob before us the heavenlies the section. So I was thinking of something I've been looking at and I brought a diagram. Have you ever I wanna.
When I was a teacher, I was never a dynamic teacher then speaker. So I always had to use tricks to get, you know, you know, people in the back of the road, back in the back of the room. Usually one's up front. We're always paying attention at first, right? The ones in the back, in the back row, you're gonna go down doing something else. So you had to have a little trick of the word.
To, to pitch off guard, you know, to get them interested in and so and knock them out of their, uh, their orbit a little bit. So if you don't mind, I use the same trick with you, even though you're a great client anyway. So have any of you heard about the ESP constellation?
So I brought a diagram, a very small diagram, but this is how it would look, ESP Constellation. You can see that there's this eight points on air. And I joined them and the waiter joined in Scripture. All right.
Any clue yet from the diagram?
Well, maybe if I helped you a little bit.
And give you the full name, the full title, I call it ESP Constellation.
But it's it's probably our name is ESPESTL constellation.
Include yes.
ESPESTL constellation.
I couldn't make a word of it.
It's not a constellation you'll see in the night sky.
But I believe it's a constellation that.
We're at the Lord has drawn our attention to at least it drew my attention to it.
Have I told you that?
Maybe I'm still old school. You see, you wouldn't be able to file notes I got up here.
Maybe I can help you now. See where this constellation is. This is a map.
Idea.
Found the revelation.
Episode chapters two and three. Chapters 2:00 and 3:00.
If you go from Memphis.
Smyrna Pergamus over here to what's the next one?
OK I brought women wrong. I believe Pergamus should be peace. That was the Smyrna Pergamus and on the way around to make a trip around 230 miles round trip this year. But if you turn to revelation two chapter one.
We'll see.
We'll see.
This constellation not found in the night sky found here.
In verse.
Verse 12 of chapter one.
And I turn to see the voice that speak with me. I'm being turned. I saw 7 golden candlesticks.
And, umm.
A little further down, all right, read 1St 13 as well. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like on to the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and gird about the foot. So I bet the paps of the golden girdle. And verse 16, and the item in his right hand seven stars, and above his mouth sharp sword, seven stars in his right hand. And at the end of verse 20, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.
And the seven candle suites for sale saw as far as seven churches.
And and this was, I picture it like this in the Lord, what he saw was in his hand was seven stars and seven candlesticks. And that's the constellation, ESP constellation. Why is it put like that?
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Because I believe the Lord when I was first of all days heavenward.
We are to see a heavenly people and so represented here all the believers.
All in Christ, all.
Purchases out of the earth in heavenly places, and that's how he wants to see us in heavenly places. And so the assemblies are in his right hand, and the angels are the stars.
OK, well I want to look at that. I want to look at one just after search.
And, umm.
I've enjoyed the thought that.
Not the historical approach as these are going to this great, but.
These exist now throughout this world, this very moment. There are individuals or assemblies or.
Even gatherings.
That would find themselves in one of those places to be identified as Smyrna or Pertimis. The case might be. And so we can learn from the message then is to us wherever we are, where we see ourselves. You might say, you know, there's no Smyrna this past.
But is it really?
We were in England last month or so, months half ago, when that young lady found herself on the wrong side of town.
In the in the Muslim populated area made the mistake of carrying across on our neck only across and she was attacked and beaten and kicked and finally as her throat slit and died. I think Smyrna would apply, wouldn't you?
And how many more?
Christians as we, as we hear enjoying this liberty that we have are in that same situation. So I believe it can apply that this is now to for every believer in the world would find themselves somewhere. So the question is where do we find ourselves?
Where were we looking to place ourselves? Well, I wouldn't say Smyrna, would you?
Let's just consider ourselves as the emphasis.
The important thing on this, what I've enjoyed about this is like any good letter, it's to somebody and it's from.
And in every case there the Lord is speaking from a different perspective, and it's so important to see the perspective He speaks from. And we haven't got time to do all seven of them do one.
And he brings up a concern every letters but a for the problem or difficulty is a concern, a major concern. And then there's a major need like that stumbling or person or event needs. And then there's the encouragement to be overcomer in that. And then for the overcomer, there's the reward.
As beautiful to look at all seven of those.
Well, we're gonna look at emphasis. Let's just read the little section of emphasis.
And on to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus, right? This is chapter 2, verse one.
These things save you the whole seven stars in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven golden cannon sticks. I know thy works, and thy labor, and my patience.
And although against not bear them which are evil, and they'll ask 5 them which say they are fossils, and are not, and has found them liars, and as born and as that patients, and for my name's sake has labored and has not fainted, nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because I was left at first love.
I want to draw your attention to if I came in I when I started meeting my announcing the positives.
Here is an assembly.
That the Lord, if I know thy works.
And thy labor and thy patience.
And Mr. You can't bear Very evil is rooted out there.
You've tried them with, say, the Era apostle. You put them to the test and found that they're not apostles at all.
Door good door keepers, you might say.
And it says you found them to be liars. Go ask Born, I suppose, born that he is of the day as patients, and look for my name's sake, past labor for my namesake, as labored and not fainted. Would you not like to come from the assembly that has those attributes?
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They sound very, very positive on the air.
But then the Lord says I have somewhat against it.
As Saints gathered to the Lord's name, I think we when we use the word pride ourselves, but we're thankful ourselves for the truth that we have.
Amazing truth. There's nowhere else I know that as it enjoys this troops. If there were, I'd probably be there would be so with you. It wouldn't be content to be here, right? We've been brought into that.
When John pins this.
Paul has already pinned Timothy.
All of those in Asia have already departed from me, he said. John writes this afterwards. These assemblies are still existing in Asia. When John writes this, we're talking about 60 something AB when Follows was murdered and later on I was 90 something revelation.
These are summaries that have gone on, but what has happened?
Look, for the Lord speaks to and promised these things. They could owe the seven stars in His right hand.
A new Walker in the midst.
Of the seven golden candlesticks.
The Lord says ease in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. But the problem with Ephesus is they removed Christ out. He's outside, He's not the center. They lost their first life. It's possible that I can be in the place where all this truth is the highest truth we have. Excuse me, there's an Ephesus.
The Saints we enjoy, but I can still not have that be Christ centered.
In that place. This is what the problem was. We have all these things in .2. Almost like I am. I have needed nothing. Kind of lay a scene isn't it?
They had all these positives, but Christ is on the other side. There's an interesting thing. I put an extra 1 on there.
At the very bottom, 12 miles from Laodicea, is.
One of the churches was not mentioned in Revelation.
It's colossi.
It's colossi.
The highest truth about the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossus Colossians in Colossians. He must have the preeminence first place. He must be first place in my life.
He's outside. Philosophy is outside of the constellation.
The person of the Lord Jesus himself is outside does not set a lot left her first love.
I can have all these things and point to all the things that I that's going on in my assembly or my life and I can be as.
Frost, my first love.
There's one thing I've said over and over again to the southeast. 7 repeats.
EOS ears to hear. Let them hear. Everyone of the churches. Everyone.
So he speaks as one who is in the midst still and reminds me to go walk your place is go to Hosea Book of Hosea. A similar thing happened to Israel just before because Hosea was the last prophet to Israel.
And before the Assyrian came in and took him away, we see Grace here as well. I wanted to cover both planes in Chapter 11.
In Chapter 11 and verse 7.
To parallel between what Upton and Israel just before carrying OEF Israel and the last day of the year, verse seven. And my people, he says, are bent to backsliding from me, though they be called, though they call them to the most high none at all with exalt the immoral margin that says.
None at all would. Together, together they exalted not.
00:50:04
Together they exalted none.
God was not exalted in Israel.
Though they were called, they called into the most eye, but they too have removed Him from the midst, the Center for the next verse, and my people are back to backsliding from me. Verse 7. Verse 8. How shall I give the up, Ephraim? He says, How shall I deliver thee in Israel?
Send something first. I will not execute the fierceness of my anger. I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not man, the Holy One in the midst of rape, and I will not enter in this city. He was in the midst of Israel, the Holy One. They recognized, but not. They thought they were full and they refused. Hosea and I'll be passed through. And this is our danger to it is a danger.
We need to be Christ centered. We need to realize that we're not earthly people or the constellation is heavenly, running out of time all over.
And he wants to draw our attention to there. So let's.
There was much going on in Ephesians.
I'm gonna show you something I enjoyed yesterday and brother Robert spoke and Luke order Luke Chapter 9.
A little different take on something in Luke 9. Now it ties into the chapter.
In loop 9 looking at umm.
The Appearance and Glory, verse 30.
Lord, we know the portion well, and behold their talk with him, two men, which were most, and Elias, who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish in Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with them were heavy with sleep, and when they were awake they saw his glory and the two men that stood with them. And it came to pass as they the two men, departed from him, Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here.
And let us make 3 tabernacles and so on.
My brother was speaking and my mind went through that. Why? Why did Peter say that?
He wakes some sleep and seasonally stray. Master, you know what? Peter reminds me of me. He gets himself in trouble real quick. Something he says. He says, Master, so good for us to be here.
Why did you say that?
And then the answer is then what he says next.
We'll make 3 Tabernacles.
One for you, Moses and Elias. What's he saying? It's a Tabernacle.
It's a booth. All he's saying. They're top of the mountain, they're exposed. He wants to do something 00 We'll build 3 booths, one for you and one for your shelter from the sun and the wind and so on. That's all he's saying.
That the voice from heaven doesn't say to him this.
Anything but this.
Voice verse 25 and there came a voice of the cloud saying, this is my beloved son ere him the US ears to hear hear him. In other words, listen. It's not time to be doing.
That's what he's saying. Don't be talking about building booths. What you're gonna do for him. I mean, it's a time to listen. We need to listen, and that's what's in these.
This constellation the US ears to hear let him hear and they did we know Peter did go farther down you look at the.
For 44 Saint Joseph, let these things sink down into your ears.
And they did. We have first and second Peter. We know they sank down to Peter's ears. No time to get back.
So back to our portion.
If you had a problem, left your first love.
I got a message.
Devotion to Christ is lacking electric first line that affection for the person of the Lord Jesus that's it's not like doing something for him, it's listening to what.
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What he has to say to me and when do I hear that? Where do I, where do I find that now I want to be? Well, let's just go a little further before I say that.
To him that overcometh will I give to Edith the tree of life? Where is it which is in the midst of the garden of God? There's no going back to Genesis. It's not to be found down here. It's outside now. It's past. They've given up the apostle Paul.
And now which for the overcomers and the portion here for the overcomer is that we can still, even if Christendom will say has removed the Lord under the center, he can still be center in my life and yours. That's the encouragement.
But is focusing on the person of the Lord Jesus and enjoy our giving sister the lead of the tree of life. That's not future, that's now. I can enjoy the person of the Lord Jesus now.
In the center, in the midst of the paradise of God. That's the heavenly portion. That's where he is. He's in glory. He's up there. The enemy wants to bring our thoughts down here, make us earthly mind in considering all these earthly things. He wants to lift this up.
P Umm, Paul said to Peter through Timothy, teach those things and commit thou them through faithful men. And I'm sure in this room here, we all want to be that, right? But where do we get that? We touched on it yesterday. I didn't elaborate on. I apologize very much. Some of all of these things. I was focusing on the thought.
To be in the place of the Lord's appointment.
Now when the Lord came and joined those two, and wrote to Emmaus, she went along with him, He wandered her hearts, and so on. But they were He was made known unto them in the breaking of bread.
And.
The importance of center having the Lord and the center being worth isn't free as plaintiffs to be in a place where he's put his name to remember that he did this morning and not only that the time has passed.
It's the meetings, the prayer and reading meetings. The church don't teach, the church is taught and the church is taught when the the assembly meetings with both Sam brother.
Extra 2.
Where the Spirit can use whomsoever to teach us these things is true. So we think in value and learn them. They come, as it were, knowledgeable. And the things of God, He's not going to surgically, you know, implant them in my brain. Go on. For Him. I got the desire. I got the desire to be where He is so that He can teach me these things and touch my heart. And I got to be in prayer about it. I got to be sincere about it.
And I got AB on Tuesday night.
I want to know where I want to be, where I want to be. Have it send the **** to these. My family knows and I come with it.
I want to be in the place whereas he wants me to be so I can learn from him.
And that's.
There's no other way around that. There's no shortcut. There's no other way, so.
I'll stop there, we said.
But that's the point.
In other words.
He must have the preeminence. We gotta bring this one into the 70s.
Someone else at the moment. Thank you.
But this highest truth, Colossians, he must have the preeminent place that ought to be in my heart. I cannot be faithful, I cannot go on, and I cannot do things like Peter to build those booths for him.
I don't listen.
To him and desire to put him in the center because right now he's outside.
He's in the center, but we see him as outside and as.
Even in the place where we are, it's possible that I could be Philadelphian in position and lay the CNN in her.
And we have that, that desire. He is worth it. We are in those days. The Lord is soon coming.
And he will laugh the testimony unto himself. And I want to be part of it. I trust you do too.
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I so much enjoyed that.
What's been brought before us, our brother Enos. It's a wonderful thing to enter in and to enjoy what our true position is in Christ.
We are accepted before God involves the beauty and loveliness of Christ. It ought to rejoice our hearts.
And then with her brother Derek brought before us. So beautiful to realize that.
The center of the assembly is Christ.
And the question is.
Do we see him?
In that way.
As the center, you know it's gonna be the center in glory.
God will see to it that His dear Son and He alone will be the center of attraction.
There in the glory in the Father's house. But it's a wonderful thing that you and I, we can enjoy the presence of the Lord right here and now on this planet earth.
And I speak to you, I speak to my own heart, did I see the Lord Jesus Christ?
In the mid here this morning as we were gathered.
Are we thinking about him?
Well, you know, it's been fit.
We need to have.
John, 2020. Vision.
And I wonder, Satya.
And I looked up John 2020 and I see what it's all about. So could we just in this few minutes here that we have remaining, look at John 2020?
You know, we all appreciate.
When we go to the optometrist and we do an eye test, he said. You know you got 2020 vision.
Well, I don't think you can ask for better than that, can you?
I know I don't have 2020 vision, that's why I got these And uh, seems like sometimes our vision kind of deteriorates the older we get.
But you know, our spiritual vision does not need to deteriorate.
And here's what it says in John chapter 20, and I'm going to read from verse 19.
Then the same day, that evening being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
August 20. And when he had so sick, he showed unto them his hands and his side.
Then we're this type of glad when they saw the Lord.
No, the disciples.
It tells us here they were glad.
But it wasn't too long before this that they were sad.
And reference has been made to those two that were traveling away from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
They were saying their hopes had been dashed. They thought that Jesus was the Christ, that he was the true Messiah and he would be the one to establish.
His authority in this world?
And he would reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
But you know, he was crucified and weak.
And very hung on that cross.
And he died a picture of defeat.
And then he was taken down and he was buried.
And these two on the way to Emmaus. They were said to read about it in the last chapter in Foca Luke.
Your hopes were dashed, buried with that man that was in the pool.
Little did they realize that Jesus had risen and we know the story. He drew an eye and he went with them.
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But your eyes were holding as to who he was.
And he opened under them the scriptures and.
Beginning at Moses and the prophets, it tells us that He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures things concerning himself.
And then they wanted Jesus, not realizing who he was. We want this one to come and.
Abide with us well tells us that He was made known unto them in the breaking of bread.
And what joy filled their souls? And they returned to Jerusalem.
And you know.
Here we find that the disciples are gathered together.
And Jesus appears in the midst.
And they see him. They recognize who he is.
And it tells us more than once in this chapter that he appeared amongst his disciples in the midst, in the center.
That's where God wants his Son to be.
You know, in the past we read about On the Cross.
There was two malefactors crucified with him and Jesus in the beast.
And that's in the past.
What about the present? What about today? The Lord Jesus says, where two or three are gathered together on from my name, there am I in the midst.
Of them.
And I trust that rejoice is your heart as you gather on a Lord's Day.
Or in any assembly meeting for that matter, to realize that Jesus is in the midst.
And I know many have the assurance in their soul that this is the case. Now. Some don't know that they're not clear about that.
And I think it's something that the Lord really wants us to enjoy and to be sure about as to where He has placed His name. I can't force you to believe my way.
But I like what Derek said.
If the Lord is not here.
Would you tell me where he is? Because I think I'm kind of like Derek. I wanna be where he is.
And I enjoy the Lord's presence, and I know many in this hall do the very same. You enjoy His presence as well.
Well, what about the future revelation chapter 5 We have the heavenly sea, and it tells us there that in the midst of the.
Elders and so on. There was a land.
That's a future day. God will see to it that His Son is in the midst. And so here we have him.
He appeared in the midst, and he shows his hands and his socks, and they saw the wounds.
That spoke of his passions at the Cross of Calvary willing to give this life.
A ransom for many, shed His precious life to save us, to cleanse our hearts, to make us whole. And they were glad when they saw the Lord.
Now let's go to the next chapter in the last couple of minutes.
And talk about 2121 vision.
You know.
That could be a big problem that's not so good.
Let's read here.
In verse 21 of chapter 21.
Peter seeing him. That's John.
Back up.
It's the disciple whom Jesus loved. He was leaning on Jesus Christ and Peter sees and he says to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry, shall I come?
What is that today? Follow thou me.
You know, it's a great danger.
To be getting our eyes.
On another brother or another sister and to be thinking about what they should be doing or what they shouldn't be doing.
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And the danger is that we get our focus off of the masters.
Of the Lord Jesus. Now I think that Peter, he did perhaps have a loving interest in John. I know he loved John and no doubt.
He was wondering, you know, what is John going to be doing? But the Lord says, don't worry about John.
You follow me.
Keep your eye on me. And you know, I think we all need that. So maybe we keep focused on the Lord Jesus Christ.
You're looking unto Him, and may we each one have John 2020 vision.
74.
174.
All patience.
Minute discrimination.
That the beginning, and that's from today.
No, no, no. SO.
Understand.
Well.
The Shine.
Of life.
In the living.
Environment.
Of God.
Every new day because of all that.
And.
Everything.
Aloud of God.
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I have everything.
Bringing your fries and fries a lot of water. Only thy blood that you may think of. Some can come pray and.
Whatever you know, I'm about to write down the light, and every day the beginning shows how.
Light every day should be sure thou art.
One within our lives for our deals of God, our love.
You know.
I have bring it into everything.
Uh, without that, you know we may deliver a blessed God can hear love and son.