Open—L. LaBenne
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
We have just sung that beautiful hymn.
#140.
O Lord, our hearts are waiting.
The archangels heaven sent cry.
Beloved brethren here today.
The Lord has brought before us through our experience.
That life is only that which we're passing through.
We won't always be here.
We're waiting for that blessed moment for which every other moment was made.
When we're going to gaze into the face.
Of our precious savior.
We're about there. We're going home. Beloved brethren, may the truth of this so speak to our hearts. So grip our hearts that we might have eternity values before us.
Be but before we say anything more.
I would like to turn to the 7th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.
And 1St to read verse 49.
And they that sat at Meat with him began to say within themselves.
Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
May our hearts first dwell upon that blessed that word.
Who Who is this?
Oh yes, who is this on Calvary's throws? Ask for blessing on his foes.
Who is he in deep distress?
Crying in the wilderness, tis the Lord, O wondrous story, tis the Lord the King of glory. And then we have brought before us that he is the one who forgives sins, and this is the thing that one has on his heart today, to speak briefly about the importance, the blessedness, of understanding a little bit of what we learn in God's precious words about forgiveness.
Forgiveness in many precious aspects to our hearts.
You know, I think of the words of chapter Macintosh when he said all the blessedness, transgressions forgiven, Sin covered. This truly is blessedness. And I would just like to mention something here. Beloved brethren, I remember it was approximately 70 years ago.
That I was sitting in a little meeting and her brother was speaking to us about the precious things of Christ.
And in this case I have to tell you, perhaps because my memory is getting more feeble all the time.
But anyway, I've forgotten everything that he said.
But there's something I didn't forget.
And that was his enjoyment of Christ.
His enjoyment of Christ.
And I believe it was a turning point in my life.
And I'm praying today that with each one of us here, that there might be that deep exercise, that Christ may be so written upon our hearts that we might truly see no man save Jesus only.
That we might know something what it is.
To sit at his feet, as Mary did of old. She sat there as a learner. Then we find.
She sat there as a mourner.
And then we find that ** *** sat there.
As a worshiper.
Oh, I've often quoted, and I quoted again those words that were found in dear Brother Darby's Bible, perhaps after he had gone to be with the Lord.
And it goes like this, And so good to be reminded again, Lo, at thy feet, Lord Jesus.
00:05:04
This is the place for me.
Here I have learned deep lessons.
Truth has set me free.
Free from myself, Lord Jesus, free from the ways of men.
Chains of thought that have bound me. Never can bind again.
None but thyself, Lord Jesus.
Conquered this wayward wealth.
But for thy love constraining, I had been wayward still. Can we relate with that beloved brother?
How precious it is to know that we as Job tells us who teacheth like him, that we not only.
Are in the in the school of God, but we're also in the school of a loving father.
Who is weaning us and wounding and wooing us?
From earth to heaven.
And so again I say the desire of the heart of Christ, far more than anyone here could ever feel for each one of us is that Christ might be so written upon our hearts.
That we will return to our own country another way, beloved brother.
You know, I remember. And thinking of the many aspects of forgiveness.
There's a little track that I read many years ago. I don't know if it's available anymore, but it the name of it was forgiveness of sins in three aspects.
I'd like to look at that a little bit, but I'd also like to look at some of the other, uh, ways that we are encouraged in connection with forgiveness. And I tell a little story here of a man that I met.
Some years ago.
In a restaurant.
And he had such a happy smile on his face.
He looked so happy that I went up to him and I said you look very happy. Do you have something to really be happy about?
Do you know Jesus as your savior? And he said, oh, I sure do, and I had the best fellowship with him. And then he told me this. He said, You know, I wasn't always happy.
You see, I'm an accountant and I kept very meticulous records.
Of the wrongs that people had done to me, I had it all alphabetized. I had not only written records, I had them in my computer, and I had so many in my in my mind. And I was on AI was feeling very sorry for myself and I was feeling very angry and I did not have a happy face. But he said the Lord spoke to me.
And then I took those records.
The paper records and I put them in the fire.
And they were all burned up.
I deleted all my files in my computer.
And I asked the Lord to help me to forget.
All those things that I had remembered about other how other people had hurt me.
And he said all the relief, all the joy, the blessedness.
Of leaving all of that behind, of forgetting it and all I think of the precious word of God.
Who that tells us their sins and iniquities?
Well, I remember no more.
In Luke 23.
Verse 34 We read and Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Here we have that blessed One who is a perfect example for us as to the subject of forgiveness.
And then I think of that well known verse that I think we quoted a number of times here.
But so important those words if we confront first John 17, if we confess our sins.
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What does that verse mean?
He's faithful and just to who?
To the Savior, to the Lord Jesus, who there on that cross and how our hearts were stirred this morning and we could say it was good for us to be here. We have seen the Lord. Oh have we truly seen Him, beloved.
00:10:04
Have the things of earth become dim because of the glory of His person, of His grace? But we have seen the Lord, and so we look at that work of Calvary. There were stroke upon stroke of God's holy wrath.
Fell upon that blessed one.
The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Oh, do we begin to enter into what it meant for Him to be made sin for us, the Holy One who knew no sin.
That we might become the righteousness of God in him.
What grace, what infinite love that is. And so there we have it. He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
And then what? And cleanse us from all unrighteousness?
What a blessed thing it is to know that my sins are gone. They are gone.
They could never come up against me again. They're forever gone. And so I think of Jeremiah.
Who could speak of his compassions that are new every morning of his great faithfulness? And He's with us, beloved brethren, every day He's ever looking down upon us, ever living, to make intercession for us.
That we might be kept, and also when we wander, he restores my soul.
And so we have a Savior who knows everything about us and all beloved brethren here today.
Sometimes I have to be reminded many times.
Of how great that love is.
We had this morning brought before us in the Sunday School. What is the definition of love? I couldn't begin to fathom the depths of that, couldn't begin to but all there's a blessed thing in thinking of how much you are loved, how the Savior is looking down upon you with that great love. He cares about every sorrow.
I would say that as I look into your faces and here I see.
That what I feel in my own heart hearts that are so prone to wander, and hearts that are so easily burdened, and many of us with such deep burdens of such we've been reminded of late those who have suddenly lost loved ones, those who have lost little children, and all Does the Saviours. Does the Saviour care about that? We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
But was in all points tempted, such as we are sin apart.
He feels what we're going through. And oh, may we feel those blessed arms around us. Beloved brethren, how wonderful it is to see that. You know, I'm reminded of something here too. There are perhaps many of you knew this, but you know the many times that maybe many of us have gone through the word of God and read it. We read it again when we find something else that is so special and new to us may be well known to the brother sitting next to me. And this may be the case as I present this.
And it's this in three books.
Of the Word of God, the very last.
A verse in each of these three books we read something that is most profound and blessed. First, in the book of Galatians we read the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ Be with Thy Spirit.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit.
And then in second Timothy, the very last verse.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit.
And again in Phile Philemon.
The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit, and grace be unto you. Grace is mentioned in all three.
Unmerited favor, O beloved brethren, as we deal with one another.
Are we willing to give up and to forget every wrong and remember that we are those who have been redeemed at such a cost of how much we have been forgiven and if we would always see one another from the tops of the rocks?
How blessed it would be. And so that is why the Savior has for us. And so we read in in Ephesians 4.
Verse 31. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking would be put away from you with all malice. But I'm thinking of the next verse, especially here, and be kind one to another.
00:15:06
Tender hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake.
Has forgiven you. Think of these words even as God for Christ's sake, has forgiven you.
All what love there will be if we see one another through the eyes of Christ, our brother, for whom Christ has died.
That verse that I was thinking of in First Corinthians 13, I believe it's verse five. It says in one translation. Maybe it was in the maybe somebody could help me. I don't remember where I saw this. Maybe it was in the margin. But love does not keep a record of wrongs. We've spoken to that and how good that is.
But I'd like to read a little more in the seventh chapter of the book of UH of Luke and here, verse 37. And behold, a woman in the city which was a Sinner when she knew that Jesus sat at meeting the Pharisees house, Uh brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears and to wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet.
And anointed them with ointment.
I'm reading this to get a little bit of the background here first. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself saying this man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touched him, for she is a Sinner.
To go on.
Surely as we get into the presence of God, we realize.
That we're not simply 50 percent $0.50 pence debtors, but 500 pence debtors.
Well, we'll read on and see what we're talking about here.
Jesus asked, and said to him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee, And he says, Master, say on have we felt in these wonderful days of these meetings that we've had together?
That the Lord Jesus has said, I have somewhat to say unto thee.
Well, we find it here.
The Lord is saying there was a certain creditor which had two debtors, the one owed 500 pence and the other 50, and when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.
Tell me, therefore, which of them?
Will love him most.
Excuse me for a moment while I take a little drink of water here.
He frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I have entered into thine house. Thou gavest me no water for my feet. But she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
All these verses are worth many hours of meditation. There's so much for us that we don't have time. I want to be brief as I can.
But how good they are. Verse 45. Thou gave us me no kiss, but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet, my head with oil, thou didst not anoint.
But this woman?
Hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Wherefore, I say unto you, her sins which are many, are forgiven.
For she loved much.
But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
And he said unto her, Thy sins be forgiven thee.
And again that 49th verse, and they sat at me with him, began to say within themselves, who is this that forgives sins also?
MMM, there's something very interesting to notice here.
She did not receive forgiveness of sins because she loved much. That's not what we read, and as we look at the context here, we we will realize that.
00:20:04
She loved much because her sins were forgiven.
And how blessed it is when we see ourselves. I often think of Job when he got into the presence of the Lord. And he said, might I see a sea?
And I abhor myself and repent and dust and ashes we when we get into His holy presence, we get a little picture of what we really are.
I think also the 17th chapter of Luke and just read a few things here. At verse three it says take heed to yourselves. If thy brother should sin, rebuke him, and if he should repent, forgive him. And if he should sin against thee 7 times in the day, and seven times should return to these saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him.
Oh, we wait for that very next time, don't we? Sometimes. And then we hear this thought too. Sometimes. Well, I've forgiven him, but I can't forget.
But isn't it wonderful that the Lord has chosen not to remember? And so I think of the verse that was on the calendar the other day that so spoke to my heart and my conscience. It's this fret not thyself because of evil doers, how often our hearts are troubled because we're looking at things down here.
All they looked unto him, and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed. And looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith.
And we see, Jesus, how many verses there are that bring before us the importance of having our vision on that blessed one. And as we mentioned the other day, how beautiful it was when that dear brother said, if you knew the exhibition I had before my soul, you'd have never asked me to go and see the exhibition to see what this world can boast about in their accomplishments.
The vision before our souls, beloved brethren, is coming, glory and all. May we so have eternities, values before us that these things down here will have. We'll see them in a right perspective. Well, I'd like to go on a little bit. I'm thinking of. Uh uh.
The uh, subject here of uh, Forgiveness of sins and three aspects. And they're so important. There's a lovely story in that little tract and I'll try to tell her this briefly as I can. Uh, it was so helpful and and as correctly as I can, I might add. But we find first eternal forgiveness and that is what we've been talking about in connection with salvation, The salvation of our souls and the next one is restorative forgiveness. We've gotten away from our Lord.
And that's why we sin, isn't it?
And then the third one is governmental forgiveness.
And so we have UH, in Ephesians chapter one. We've had this before us. We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.
And in Hebrews we read but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sin.
Sins forever sat down at the right hand.
Of God. There was a father of a large family who lived on an orchard.
And well, I think it was 10 children that he had. And he told his children, you've got lots of room in this large amount of land that we have to run around and enjoy yourselves and have a good time and partake of the fruit of the orchard and play games together and do what little children do. And incidentally, we see the little children sometimes running around here after sitting and listening to a meeting for a long time, and it's so delightful to our hearts to see them here.
Oh, let the little children come unto me, the Lord says.
And I think of Zechariah Chapter 8, where we read of little children playing in the streets. This is what little children are designed to do. And then it speaks of the old men. They're sitting. And I like to think they're enjoying watching these little ones as they're doing what God gave them to do. And so how lovely it is to have the little ones here. I know it's sometimes embarrassing to the parents. They feel a little uncomfortable and the children make a little noise. But all I think of the heart of Christ in connection with that, he loves these little ones.
But anyway, to go on with the story here.
The father expresses his desire. Children, I want you to stay within the confines of the uh fence that surrounds the property and don't even get near the edge of it.
But there was one of the sons who became curious, and he would edge closer and closer to the.
00:25:01
To the fence line and he would get up there where he could look over the fence and he saw the young men and children that were playing on the other side of the fence and he was starting to envy them a little bit.
And so, little by little, he became more and more interested. And you know it. It reminds me of something that's so important for us.
How easy it is and how subtly we can get away from the Lord in our souls because of the cares of life.
Innocent things to begin with. Little by little we're attracted to those things of this world. This world is still crying out. Away with him. Will not have this man to reign over us.
Little by little.
Things seem good, the pleasures of sin for a season and we start following those things. We start following those things which are the dictates of our own wicked hearts and we're soon taken away. That happened with this young man. I believe his name was Walter. And Walter he went, he went over the fence and he goes downtown and there's a big fight that is going on downtown and there's a rock throwing. And Walter picked up a rock too. He was with them in this. He'd gotten so far away from the love of his father and.
Of his home and the happiness he had there.
He threw a rock in it went through a merchant's window.
Perhaps some of you are familiar with the story?
And things are broken. There's quite a bit of damage that's done.
And soon the father gets a call from the police station and says, we have your son.
He is guilty of a crime and.
There's a great death that he has incurred because of his.
Bad actions because of his sinful actions, I might add that.
And so will father with a broken heart.
He goes down to the police station.
And he said, what would it take? How much would it cost?
To pay that debt in full.
And now I'm gonna add something to this because I think it was the heart of Christ in connection with this.
Let's say he paid the debt in full.
But let's say he paid the the debt a million times over. What's the cost was?
He fully paid that debt.
The sun is now free.
He doesn't have to stay in prison, you might say. He's been saved. He's been born again.
He's come to Christ.
And now the sun is taken home.
And so he goes up to his room and.
He comes down the next day and wants to eat with the rest of the family and the father, said son.
You know the debt is paid. You're my son. I love you very much.
But there's some things that I want to come home to you. We don't have any happy communion with each other anymore.
How important, beloved brethren, is communion with the Lord to us? How precious is it to our heart?
To be in fellowship with the Lord Jesus.
Well, the sun stays up in his room and 1St he's troubled by it.
And then his brother came down and said.
Father, that Walter wants to speak to you.
And so Walter comes down and says.
Father.
And he pours out his heart how I was not listening. I did not respect what you had to say.
All the sorrow I often think of that verse.
Sin is a reproach to any people.
How many I've seen, young and old, who have chosen a path of their own well, And I've watched the disappointment. I've watched the heartbreak. I've watched the broken lives.
All because I wanted my own will.
I wanted to do what was pleasing to me.
But what a blessed place it was that this young Walter came to. He confessed it all to his father. He owned his disrespect. He owned his hardness of heart. He owned how the focus of the of the things of the world had so captured his heart.
And so now we find a picture of of a sun that has been restored. Now he's there together and he's eating with the family and he's enjoying.
00:30:03
A happy time with the family together. Then the time comes out when all the children are gonna go out and UH and play.
And so Walter gets up to go out and father says Walter, Uh, you can't go out and play with the rest of them yet.
And have we not known something of the government of God, governmental forgiveness?
And so Walter is told that he cannot go out and play in the Orchard with the rest of them.
And he first he's unhappy about it. I thought I was forgiven. I thought the debt was paid an old son it is. It's paid. We're we're we're enjoying each other's company. We're restored. But.
God often allows us to feel something of his government. Why?
Is it in sternness? Oh, it's because of his love.
That he woos and he wings us.
From this earth.
Well, Walter goes on.
And soon learns his lesson and he submits to his father.
He does his schoolwork and gets high grades.
He obeys his father in what he wants him to do.
And soon, the father says. Now you can go out and play.
And may I pardon the personal reference.
But two years ago, on June 24th.
I had a very serious accident.
And I learned soon after that I was being sued for $1,000,000.
And I have to confess.
I knew the Lord was speaking to me.
The Lord is speaking to Me, and I would read those verses, cast thy burden upon the Lord.
And he shall sustain.
I cast my burden on the alarm, but then I take it back.
Cast my burden on the Lord and take it back again.
All the unbelief.
And realize that a loving father was allowing me in his school.
To learn a lesson, I won't tell you that I've learned a lesson.
I hope that maybe.
It's going that direction at least.
But it came to the point where it seemed as though the Lord was saying.
That he loves me and he loves each of you.
More than you could ever love yourselves. He loves you, your children, more than you could ever love them.
And more than that, he never makes a mistake.
I love that little hymn that says be not dismayed what ere betide.
God will take care of you.
The Lord will often bring us to a point where.
We can at least look at it a little bit and.
Thy will be done.
Perhaps a little bit of that.
I wouldn't boast of that. I hoped there was a little of that. It came to the day.
It happened to be the June 18th, that was the day that Richard.
Was suddenly taken home.
So on that same day.
That I received a letter saying.
That everything has been resolved. The man who who was suing you was fraudulent. He was doing this kind of thing for a living.
And he got found out.
Even for him, be sure your sin will find you out.
But what a lesson, and I'm sure that each one of you could probably tell a similar story.
And where you've felt your emptiness, well, what is God doing in all these things?
He's loosening. I'm using the old expression I've heard so many years ago. He's loosening our tent pegs.
He's making us realize more that we're only on a journey. We're not here to stay, we're just passing through.
And it makes me think.
Of this blessed portion in the 16th chapter of the Book of Psalms.
Where we read first of all in that first verse a prayer that should be the prayer of everyone of us every day of our lives.
Preserve me, O God.
For indeed do I put my trust.
Or may that come from our.
There are some blessed things for us to notice in connection with that. First of all, it expresses our great need.
00:35:08
Not that spirit of.
Self-sufficiency.
But there's something more.
For in thee do I put my trust.
I love the remark that I used to hear so many years ago.
Sin and sorrow spring from unbelief of the goodness that is in the heart of God, the goodness that is in in his heart, and it's the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance all how the Lord would bring us into.
Fellowship with himself, he restoreth my soul.
But there's more than that. You go down and it's the last verse, 11 verses in that.
16th chapter of the Book of Psalms. You can look it up.
We read those words in Thy presence is fullness of joy.
At thy right hand pleasures forever no more. What a comfort these words have been to many who have been bereaved of loved ones, and I think of it in that way too. It has to do with His blessed presence. But I'd like to think of it another way as well this morning as we gathered around himself. Or may we ever treasure such a privilege that God has given us.
Gathered around himself with his presence there, we feel his presence. Perhaps that's what led some to read such beautiful verses. We spoke much of the Lamb of God. We started with that.
And the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.
Oh, what a subject. No subject, so glorious as he. No theme so affecting to us.
You know, I would just like to look at something here before I close with this. That beautiful hymn #103 is enjoying it earlier. Uh, we. It starts out. We'll we'll sing of the shepherd that died, that died for the sake of the flock. His love to the utmost was tried, yet firmly endured as a rock when blood from a victim must flow. This shepherd by pity was led to stand between US and the foe and willingly died in our stead.
Our song then forever shall be.
Of the shepherd.
Who gave himself thus?
No subject so glorious as he, no thing so affecting to us of him and His love, while we sing His praises, our tongues shall employ.
Till heavenly anthems we reign, and Yonder bright regions of joy loveth the way a dear brother used to put it. That scene of coming glory that is before us is the moment for which every other moment was made.
Everything you've been through in life. And I love this little hymn too that says it will be worth it all. When we see Jesus, life's trials will seem so small. When we see price one look at his dear face all sorrow will erase. So gladly run the race till we see Christ.
If just one look at his blessed face well, forever remove every sorrow of this earth.
We could ever know what will the sun sign of His presence prove, what the unmingled fullness of His love throughout all eternity.
Or may our hearts get a hold of this and of what a future we have.
Not only to be with Christ, but to be like him.
To be like him for all eternity. And is it so? I love that hymn.
I shall be like thy son. Is this the grace that he for me has won? And so on, and then it then that verse end.
Thy love hath not its rest. Were thy redeemed not with thee fully blessed. This has brought up beautifully in that 140th hymn that we've just sung as well.
The Father is satisfied. The son is in happy fellowship.
And all I think of a shepherd's heart beloved today.
And I'm thankful for everything I have learned as being one who from my.
Oh, I think 75 years ago.
Sitting there in the meeting, not knowing too much was going on, is probably about.
00:40:02
See, I've been four or five years, 5-6 years old.
It was about at that age, but sitting there.
When I had to get up to say my verse in the class and we think of the little children and what memories there are, and may I just say this about all that. It's wonderful to look back on those times. I'm thankful for such a privilege.
Of the heritage that I have.
How many of us here can join me in that?
I'm sure that most if not all.
But all what a day it will be.
When we're up there in glory and remember all the way that the Lord has LED us these many years.
O beloved brethren, again feebly expressed, but may the Spirit of God.
So speak to my heart and to each one of us here, that we might truly have a new glimpse of the Savior and the things of earth will truly grow strangely dim. We've often heard the story about the little girl who had a a doll that was really ragged and falling apart. And it was so dirty, it was so messed up. And and whatever they tried to do to get it away from her, she would just try. Oh, I want my little my little raggedy Dolly.
But then someone thought of this. They brought her a brand new beautiful little doll, little cloth doll, and she uh they she looked at it and her eyes lit up.
And she dropped the other doll, and she picked up for that. And what made me think of this? What has stripped the seeming beauty from the idols of the earth?
Not the sense of right or duty.
Mr. Seitz.
Of peerless worth.
O May our eyes be open to see more.
Of the beauty of Jan. Lovely man. Where are we gonna find it?
May there be that diligence with me and with each of us in the region of his precious word.
There will find it. Then we can stir up our pure minds by way of remembrance, and have these precious things brought home to our hearts, to our souls. The things of Christ. And you can't read His word. How lovely without being blessed, blessed beyond and and we've enjoyed so much the the that which was impressed upon us. We don't ask for blessings. They are ours.
And I thought of this as things were being said about these blessings.
You know there's a hymn that says count your many blessings. Name them one by one.
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. But now if you sit down, you know, with computers, you can do a lot of things faster than you can just writing on paper, like our dear older brother had to do when we have gotten this precious ministry.
Ministry and all. I would encourage you to read Sound Ministry.
Knowing of whom thou hast learned them to read that which has been proven, that which is of God. Maybe be diligent in this too, and thank God for the help that he has given us in these things.
This way.
We will be searching the heights and the depths of that love. We'll be learning and ask through learning as to how to learn the word of God.
I've often thought of it this way.
There is one teacher.
And it it'll never make us a problem.
When we're sitting at his feet.
That place, that posture of sitting there at the feet of our Savior.
As He speaks to us, as He teaches us from His blessed word, may our hearts be encouraged. Beloved brethren, we've got the glory before us.
Our future could not possibly be brighter than it is. It is. And to quote another God.
Could not give us more and he would not give us less.
He's given us all things even in this life that pertain unto him life and godliness.
Oh, May God bless these thoughts to our hearts each one, beloved brothers.