Address—Jim Hyland
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Umm.
Going out your feet and I lost a lot of bloody paintings and you're getting anything. I'm going to make you feel better for last night. So 55 5/1.
Well, I'll order if you're ready to get into the conclusion. It's a little harder and after all, I'm pretty good jumping on.
Everything. I'm like, I'm going to get to you. Wait, stop waiting for it. I'll find the.
To my blurry, blurry thing, I'll learn what I'm going to do. I'm going to do anything. I'm going to make it out of the way. I'm going to go, Oh my God.
So I am considering that no, you may never mind if they give you anything.
To drink, please. How far is why are you getting anything?
Up the front, right, right side, that's pretty.
I swear to him I have a life where I can take anything. Uh. I also want to be very good. Uh-huh. Uh huh. That's a lot of experience.
Umm, phone number? I don't know if you're ready for that, but I'm glad that's what I'm saying. Bread.
Man, this is well, I'm back to the bottom of the day. And she's like, no, no, no, no, no. Everything really sounds painful.
I replied to you, now I replied everything.
Ah, 400 kids coming from a lot of blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Dial Mike, where are you in the house?
Umm, how long do you want me to give you anything?
Umm, yeah.
Let's ask God's help and blessing our blessed God and Father how thankful we are for our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we're thankful that we can lift up our voices and sing of the worthiness of that blessed one.
That one who came into this world went to Calvary's cross and offered himself without spot to the.
We thank thee, too, that that Blessed One is risen, ascended, seated, and glorified at thy right hand.
And we look forward to to that day when he's going to come forth in power and glory, not only to call us to himself, but then to take the throne of His glory, and all will own him as universal Lord. And so we look forward to that moment. But we thank thee that in the meantime we can have Thy living word before us once again. We thank Thee for this happy weekend we've enjoyed together. And now, as we have a young people's meeting scheduled, we pray that there might be a portion for each of us, but particularly for our precious young people.
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So we asked by help and blessing. We ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and for his glory. Amen.
By way of introduction to some expressions I want to look at in the New Testament, I'd like to first of all connect some scriptures in the Old Testament. The first one is in Psalm 1.
Psalm one and verse one.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night, and then in the 119th Psalm.
Psalm 119 and verse one blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord and one more portion in Isaiah chapter 40.
Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 30. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as Eagles.
They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. Well, we were just singing about the worthiness of the Lord Jesus, and we had that much before us this morning, didn't we? In the breaking of bread, His worthiness. And in a few moments we're going to turn over to the New Testament, and we're going to look at some exhortations in connection with our still being here in this world, Exhortations to walk worthy.
And there are four of them, and we're going to look at them very briefly, I trust for our practical profit and exhortation. But I began with these verses here in the Old Testament because I have a particular burden, particularly for you who are younger. And again, we're only speaking to you who are younger because this meeting, especially for you, it isn't that we who are older don't need these exhortations. In fact, I would just say to the young people.
If you think it gets any easier as you get older, you're only fooling yourself. No, it doesn't get any easier as you get older. And those of us who are older, a little older and further along in the path of faith, we think back. And I remember sitting in meetings like this and thinking, oh, I'd like to be a little bit older and beyond those exhortations and beyond those difficulties and twists and turns in the path of faith. But, you know, the twists and turns seem to get even more complicated.
As we get older, perhaps they're a little different. The exercises and the trials and that which we face may be a little different from what you young people face, but nevertheless they're very real. And so wherever we are in our Christian pathway, we need these reminders, these exhortations and these encouragements from the living word of God. But I was thinking of these portions we read here first of all, in Psalm One, you know, in the Psalms we have.
Some very beautiful things, particularly the Psalms, are prophetic and Jewish in their character. But you know, there are some wonderful encouragements and exhortations for the Saints of God in any age. And we find here, as the book of the Psalms opens, in this first Psalm it says blessed or happy is the man. Do you want to be a happy Christian? You know, we speak about happiness. The world speaks about joy and happiness.
But you know, it's really only a person who knows the Lord Jesus and is seeking to follow him.
Who can speak of true happiness? And God wants us to be happy. He wants us to be joyful Christians, and we have a joy. It says your joy no man taketh from you. But in a practical way this joy and happiness can only be felt and experienced in relationship to how we desire and seek by grace to follow the Lord and walk in obedience to His Word.
And so he says, Happy is the man who walketh not in the council of the ungodly. You know, this world has its counselors. When you go to school, there are guidance counselors. But those counselors often give just the wisdom of this world and maybe what they tell you. A lot of it is good. Maybe it's helpful in channeling you into a line of work, a vocation or profession that is going to help you to get along through this life.
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But I say, sometimes they just give the council of this world and everything they tell you needs to be weighed in the light of God's word.
There seems to be, in business and in every facet of life today, a consultant for everything. In fact, sometimes I wonder if you can't get a job in your field, if you just become a consultant. But there's consultants for everything. There's an 800 number to answer, it seems, every question that arises in the work a day world in which we find ourselves. And again, I'm not saying that sometimes those things aren't helpful, but blessed is the man that walketh, not in the counsel of the ungodly because young people.
We have one whose very name is Counselor, one whose name is Wisdom. And we have a book in front of us, a guide book for our youth and as we get older too, a council for this life. And it's the wisdom of God, it's heavenly wisdom, it's that which is going to make us fruitful, happy Christians as we walk through this world. And so he says, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord.
And in his law does he meditate day and night? Do you read God's word? Do you find your joy and delight in it? Is it your meditation? Later on, the psalmist said, all, how I love thy law. It is my meditation all the day, not just to read the word of God and then set it aside, but to consider it, to find it the joy of your heart. Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and they were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, and then to seek grace, to walk in it to be as it says in James, where the subject of practical faith is taken up.
To be doers of the word and not hearers only. And so again the 119th Psalm starts the same way.
Blessed or happy, this 119th Psalm, it's often been pointed out as a very remarkable part of the Bible. It's the longest chapter in the Bible.
And you notice those letters at the beginning of each section, the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. We would say we've got it all from A-Z. And where are we going to get all the instruction for life? Where are we going to get everything we need? Well, we're going to get it from God's precious word. And this chapter, this Psalm, abounds with references to the word of God, either called by precepts or commandments, Thy law, thy word. Almost every verse has some reference to the word of God.
But it begins with this exhortation. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord, not just those who read it, not just those who hear it. Ministered on an occasion like this because it's wonderful to come to meetings like this. It's wonderful for two days to hear the word of God read and ministered. But young people and all of us, that's not enough if we go away and we don't take take heed and seek grace to walk in what's before us.
It's not enough just to come and to hear it. Not happy is the man who hears it, red, not happy as the man who hears it expounded. But happy is the person who seeks grace to walk in it. And I want to encourage you as you go home, to seek grace, to take what you've heard and what you've enjoyed and meditate on it and put it into practical use in your Christian life. Because as you go home, you're going to go back to the trials and difficulties.
Of the path of faith and service. And it's not easy. I realize walking for the Lord is not easy. It's never been easy. We heard yesterday in the young people's meeting about Daniel. Was it easy in Daniels Day? Not for one moment, because it's never been easy. Whether it was Daniels Day, whether it was our Grandfather's Day, or whether it's today. It's not easy to live for God's glory in a world that is opposed to everything that God has set up.
Instituted and established for the blessing of man on the earth. And so we read in Isaiah 40. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. You know, young men in Scripture bring before us the vitality of youth, the prime of life, That strength. We think of young men, we think of strength. And I'm thankful to see some strong young men here. And I'm getting to the point in life. I'm glad to let them lift a few boxes if there's a young man around.
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Or left a suitcase for me. We appreciate the natural strength of youth. But young people, natural strength, even of youth, isn't enough to meet the situations of life today. No, the enemy is busy, perhaps like never before. This world is getting worse and worse. Things are winding down for the judgment of God. There's no principles or standards. Today we go back to not an immoral society, but an amoral society. There's no right and wrong.
There are no morals today. It's not that the line between right and wrong is blurred. It's removed altogether.
And so even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. And they have a lot of young people who were so promising, seemed to have a lot of energy in the things of God. But you know, they've fallen. Not that they've lost their salvation, but they've become discouraged and down hearted, and they've stumbled and fallen in the path of faith and service. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. And then He gives us three things.
They shall mount up with wings as Eagles. You want to go back and be an overcomer. You want to rise above the difficulty.
You know, we love to watch an eagle soaring over the treetops, over the mountain peaks. Why, If there's a difficulty, the eagle just rises up and he's above it all. The Lord can help us to get above the difficulties. And then it says they shall run and not be weary, because as we're going to mention later on, we're in a race. The Christian pathway is so often likened to an athletic event or a race, and they shall run and not be weary, as thy day so shall thy strength be. But then it says.
And they shall walk and not faint. You know, there's a lot of Christians today and they're just fainting under the burdens of life. They're saying that life is too much, the circumstances are too great, and they're just giving up, throwing up their hands. Because I believe, young people that the great tactic of the enemy today is to wear down the Saints of God. I know it's a little different context, but in Daniel, Speaking of the man of sin in the coming day, it says.
He will wear out the Saints of the Most High. Isn't that what the enemy is trying to do today?
Just wear us out. I've often said we're on a treadmill of society that's being pumped up faster and faster all the time. And as many young people just saying I can't take it anymore. And I wonder sometimes if that in application for us in the Western world, isn't the roaring lion character of Satan. I know that when we think of the roaring lion character of Satan, we usually think of violent persecution, and certainly many of our brethren have, and even today.
In some corners of the world are suffering in that way. Sometimes we think of the roaring lion character of Satan as discouragement, and rightly so.
But I wonder too, if it isn't just the fact that he's wearing out the Saints of the Most High. You ever watch a cat with its prey? You know the cat doesn't kill its prey right away. No, it plays with that prey until that prey is so exhausted it just drops from exhaustion. Isn't that what the enemy is seeking to do today? Just to get us to drop from exhaustion? Just give up to throw up our hands to say I can't do it anymore. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with the wings. As Eagles, they shall run and not be weary.
And they shall walk and not faint. Well, in connection with that last expression, they shall walk and not faint. As I say, I'd like to go to the New Testament and look at 4 expressions that are brought before us. And I trust these will be for our exhortation and for our encouragement as well. Let's go to the first one in, or the first one we're going to look at. It's in First Thessalonians.
First, Thessalonians chapter 2, and we'll begin reading at verse 10.
Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holy and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you, that believe, as you know how we exhorted and comforted, and charged every one of you as a Father doth his children, that you would walk worthy of God.
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Who have called you unto his Kingdom and glory? Well, as I say, we're going to look at 4 exhortations in Paul's epistles that encourage us to walk worthy or in a worthy manner, and we're going to find that in each case it's a little different. And the exhortation is relevant to the subject of the book because, as we've often heard, the exhortations are the practical instructions of the epistles.
Are always in relationship to the light or the subject that's taken up in the book. Because, you know, when God brings us into a place of blessing and relationship with himself and gives us light from his word as to that place of blessing and relationship that we've been brought into with himself and with the Lord Jesus Christ, then there's always responsibility connected with it. And I would just say again, young people that the blessing, the fruit and the joy.
And the happiness come in our Christian life when we seek by grace.
To walk in relationship to the light that we have. If God brings some truth before us, then the only happy thing is to seek to walk in a practical way in regard to that truth. And so we find here that they are to walk worthy of God. Now we might say, why were the Thessalonians exhorted to walk worthy of God? Well, these Thessalonians hadn't been saved very long.
And there were many things that they didn't understand in connection with, if we could put it this way, the deep things of God. They hadn't yet entered into Colossians truth or Ephesians truth, but they did understand one thing very clearly, and that's brought before us in the first chapter. They had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven.
These Thessalonians believers had once been steeped in heathendom. They had once bowed down to dumb idols. You know, it's a very sad and solemn thing to see people bow down and worship dumb idols, to see those who looked to that which is made of wood and stone, things as Isaiah says, that they've made with their own hands, and expect them to help them and deliver them in their circumstances.
But the light of the glorious gospel had reached into these dark hearts, and they had been turned from darkness to light, and they had been turned to the true God. They knew God now, the true God. And this they understood, and they had been turned to God. And so they are to walk worthy of God. Maybe there's someone here, maybe a young person, and you haven't been saved very long, you know, recently at the conference on the Sinai Peninsula.
There was a man attended there, his wife's been in fellowship a year or two, and he confessed the Lord during those meetings.
At the conference. And you know, he said, there's a lot of things I don't understand about what the Lord wants me to do, a lot of things I don't understand about how I can grow in the Lord and follow the Lord. And we told him, oh, don't worry about that, don't worry about that. That'll come as you spend time in the Lord's presence, as you read his word, as you're encouraged by by other believers. Those things will come line upon line, precept upon precept, hear a little. They're a little.
But there was. It was a joy to see. There was one thing he did understand. He'd been turned to the true God.
He knew God and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and maybe there's a young person and you say, I haven't been saved very long. There's a lot of things I don't understand about the Bible and following the Lord Jesus. Maybe a lot of things you didn't understand about what was ministered in these meetings. But as another has said, don't let the things you don't understand keep you from enjoying and walking in. The things that you do understand, you know, it's like the blind man in John Chapter 9 is it? He said finally in desperation when they tried to question him about.
Things and getting his sight back. Finally he said this one thing I know well, a lot of things he didn't know about this man, the Lord Jesus, who had given him his sight. But one thing he knew, he was blind. But now he saw, and I love to meet a Christian who says, well, I don't know a lot of things, but one thing I know, I know the Lord Jesus is my savior. I know God is my Father. And so these Thessalonians believers, they're exhorted to walk worthy of God. And Paul before he does that, he reminds them.
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That when he and others were amongst them, why they had walked in a worthy manner.
Why, they had walked in an unblameable way amongst them, and so, having having done so with moral weight, he could exhort them in the same way, you know. It tells us in Philippians that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. And I often think of Daniel in that connection, in the 6th chapter of Daniel.
His coworkers were jealous of him because he'd been promoted under the new king and so on. And they got together and they had a little conference and they tried to come up with something that they could accuse Daniel of. And finally they said we're not going to find anything to accuse him of except concerning his God. You know, that's paramount to you going back to school or work or in your neighborhood next weekend, your friends at work, your associates at work, or your fellow students try to come up with something against you and they say.
You know, the only thing we really have against that person is they're a Christian. I wonder if that would be true of you and me, that the only thing they could come up to blame us for is that we belong to the Lord Jesus. That we know God and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, we need to walk with that exercise to be blameless and harmless. And so Paul had operated in this way amongst them, had this testimony, and now he says, I want you to walk in a worthy manner, too worthy of God.
Oh, when we think young people of the God of the universe to think that he's the one who sent his son.
But he's the one who chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. He's the source of all the blessing that we have and all that we are going to enjoy in a coming eternity. Oh, it ought to motivate us to walk worthy of him. And so he says here that ye would walk worthy of God, who have called you unto his Kingdom and and glory. You know, there's a wonderful day coming when we're going to be associated with him.
In his Kingdom and in his glory.
Now grace gives us a common place as far as glory. We're all going to share in that glory. But you know, the government of God comes in, and there will be degrees in the Kingdom. Be thou over 5 cities. Be thou over 10 cities. There's not going to be equality in that sense in the Kingdom our reign with Christ our part in that reign, and the administration of it is based on our faithfulness now.
When Paul spoke of loving his appearing that day when the Lord Jesus is going to reign.
Over this world as universal Lord, he spoke of a crown of righteousness that was laid up for him and not for him only, but all those that love his appearing. Because in the measure in which we walk worthy of God, now in view of the Kingdom, why there's going to be reward and administrative position, administrative responsibility in that in that regard?
And that ought to motivate us to leave the things of this world. You know, the devil came to the Lord Jesus in the in the temptation, and he showed him the kingdoms of this world in a moment of time. Young people, that's all they are. It's just a moment of time. You know, I've been in Egypt several times and in going back and looking at some of the historic monuments in Egypt, the pyramids and so on, and other places, visiting the Cairo Museum on more than one occasion.
I've realized what a glorious Kingdom it was in the days of Moses and the children of Israel. Egypt is a base Nation Today, but it wasn't a base nation in the days of the Pharaohs. And to realize what Moses gave up what to realize that he esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt. I never realized the import of that verse until I did two things.
Visited Egypt and went over some of its history and then traveled through the Sinai Peninsula.
To see what Moses gave up in relationship to what he got the Sinai Peninsula.
It is a forsaken, barren wilderness of nothing but rock and sand.
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And he never did get into the Promised Land, though he saw it from the heights of Pisgah. But, oh, and you come to the New Testament and there he is on the Mount of Transfiguration. Well, preview of the coming glory. Would Moses have traded it for anything? What do you have traded it for a pyramid or some monument erected to his memory in Egypt? Not for one moment when we talked to Moses in the coming day and say, was it worth it all to give all that up?
To travel for 40 years with a murmuring, complaining people through the Sinai desert.
Oh, you'll say it was worth it all. Oh young people, if we could just get a little glimpse of the glory in the Kingdom.
That's ahead. It would wean us from this world we wouldn't be going after.
The things of this world looking for position down here, you know?
Elect This is election year in the United States and I'm interested in what's going on. But, you know, we don't have to be overwhelmed by it. We need, we need to be intelligent bystanders as to what's going on, even in the political arena. And aware but not overwhelmed because there's one in control and we're looking forward to a day when he's going to reign in righteousness and Princess will rule in judgment. Now, young people.
Are we walking worthy of God in view of the glory and the Kingdom? I think Brother Bruce brought before us yesterday that verse where there is no vision. The people perish. Let's get a little vision of what is ahead. Let's have a vision of the glory. Let's have a vision of the Kingdom and realize that we're going to be part of that time when he's going to establish his Kingdom and the throne of his glory. Why the Pharaohs have long passed off the scene.
Other kingdoms have risen and fallen. Great empires have come and gone.
They're just parts of history now, but oh, there's a Kingdom going to be established for the glory of the Lord Jesus and we're going to be revealed. It says he's coming to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that are about him in that day. But young people, before we pass on, I say again, we need to walk worthy of that. I want to repeat a little story that I sometimes told in this regard, but I remember reading of one of the.
Uh, Crown Princess of France when he was a young boy. As we know many years ago, France had a had a royal family and there was a young Prince and he had an English tutor to teach him English in preparation for the day when he would take the throne of France and be able to communicate with the outside world. And this young Prince was a very unruly young student and this English tutor had no control over his student.
Because of who he was, couldn't discipline him the way they did when I went to school. I know they don't discipline the way they did when I went to school today. But he, this tutor was at his wit's end. And this young Prince knew that he could take liberties because of who he was. And finally this tutor came up with a very novel plan. One day this young Prince showed up for his English lessons and as he was coming into the room.
The tutor had in his hand a purple rose and as the student took his seat he pinned the purple rose on his lapel and he said to the young Prince, he said when you act up and disobey in class, I can't discipline you because of who you are. But the tutor said you remember that purple is the official color of the French royal family and every time you misbehave I'm going to point to that purple rose on your lapel and that will be remind you.
That there is a conduct in keeping with one who is heir to the French throne. They say the effect was amazing and all. We need to realize that we're going to be associated with Christ in a coming day of glory, and there's a conduct that is worthy of that. I'll tell another little story. When I was growing up, we used to hear a little story from an older brother that illustrates this as well in connection with the Prince of Wales.
Years ago the Prince of Wales was traveling on a ship South and as they crossed the equator, which was quite an event back in those days, there was a celebration put on by those who were on board that ship and many dressed up in various costumes. And there was a a celebration and the Prince of Wales dressed up in, I think it was a jester's costume and there was someone there with a camera.
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Who took his picture? And his picture was splashed across the front pages.
Of the British press and it caused a great hue and cry in Britain.
And the general consensus by the British people was, that's OK for anybody else, but not one who is heir to the British throne. This was conduct that was not in keeping with one who was a child of the king. Well, I think you get the point very quickly. But now let's pass on to another portion in Colossians chapter one.
Colossians Chapter one and verse 9.
For this 'cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you.
And desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work.
And increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power.
Unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, well here we have another exhortation to walk worthy.
And this time we're to walk worthy of the Lord, I'll just say before I comment on that.
That if we were to back up in these verses, there had been a report brought to the Apostle Paul of the faith and love of these Colossians Saints. And when Paul heard of this, he rejoiced. But you know, when he heard of it, he realized that the Colossians Saints were going to be a special target of the enemy, because there's nothing the enemy hates worse than the people of God going on in faith and love.
And Paul says here that since the day they heard of it, they see he ceased not to pray for them.
I've often said that Paul uses prayer as a preventative measure.
In his epistles, usually when you read of Paul praying for the Saints, it wasn't at a time when they were going on badly. Now it's good to pray for the Saints when things go wrong. But you know, if we would use prayer as a preventative measure, it might spare us from many things. And Paul knew when the Saints were going on well and happily together that that was the time, as I say, when the enemy was going to be right there to seek to bring in discord.
And difficulties. And so he was praying for them. And his desire was that they would be filled with not all, not with knowledge, the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Three things here. Knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. You know, you often have those three things brought together in Scripture. In fact, they're brought together in connection with Daniel, who we heard about yesterday afternoon.
You know, I was no never good in math or science and I never liked formulas. In fact, when they started at in school adding and subtracting letters I dropped out of math algebra I saw no relevance for. But you know there is a little formula here that I've sometimes presented to the young people and that is you might say that K + W = U That is knowledge and wisdom gives us.
Understanding in the things of God.
Because there first of all has to be knowledge. That's why we encourage one another to read God's word. How do we know what's going to please the Lord if we don't read His word? No, there has to be a knowledge. But then knowledge, as has often been pointed out, is not enough. There has to be wisdom with it. Because if we just have knowledge and no wisdom to use it, then it's the knowledge doesn't do us any good.
You know, when I was going to school, I never was good with my hands. I had to take a shot to graduate from junior high. It's the only year I took a shop and I think the shop teacher gave me an A for the little bookends I made and said don't ever send this man back to any place where he has to use his hands. I could tell you all the theory. The theory was fine, the knowledge was fine. But to take that knowledge and put it into practical use with my hands, I couldn't do.
And Dave Mearns and Paul House and those who help us at home in practical situations, they'll well confirm after this meeting. In fact, I think it was Dave or Paul one time, said Jim, call us before you wreck it. Call us before you destroy it. It's much easier that way. And so there has to be knowledge. But knowledge isn't enough. There has to be the ability then to use that knowledge in a right way. And only God can give us that ability and when he does.
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Then there's understanding. You know, there's a lot of people with knowledge. It may be even scriptural knowledge. But there has to be discernment of the times as we learn in another place that is the wisdom to take that knowledge and apply it with understanding to the situations that face us and the people of God in the day in which we live. And so we have these three things. And then he says that ye might walk worthy not of God.
But of the Lord, because that's the subject of Colossians. In Colossians, the subject is that he is the head of the body. It's the lordship of Christ. And Paul's desire was for the Colossian brethren that as members of the body of Christ, they would, as we sometimes say, hold the head, or that they would look to the head for every direction, for guidance in every situation.
That arises amongst the people of God. You know, young people. You ever wonder why at a brothers meeting we don't take a vote or cast lots when a decision has to be made? No, we look to the Lord for the decision. You know, in the in the first chapter of Acts there was a decision had to be made and they cast lots. It was in the connect in connection with a replacement for Judas because there had to be 12 apostles and they cast lots and the lot fell to Matthias. But you know, they never cast lots in the book of the acts after that.
Why? Because after the Spirit of God came and linked the members of the body of Christ with their glorified head, they always, in the power of the Spirit, look to their head for direction in every circumstance that arose. But I want to apply this now in connection with our personal lives as well, because I'm not going to ask you this afternoon if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior. That's important.
That's the beginning, of course, But I'm going to ask you, have you owned the lordship of Christ in your life? You know, we sometimes sing a hymn reign thou within our hearts alone. When we were young people we sang that hymn Lord of my life, I crown thee now thine shall the glory be. And to realize young people, that we have one who has every right to be Lord of our life. We're not our own, for we're bought with a price and it's a great price that we've been bought with.
We belong to Him now. Are we going to walk in all the dignity worthy of the of the one who is not only our Savior, but desires to be Lord of our life? Because if we're willing to do this, then there's going to be fruit. He speaks here immediately a fruit. And I know every believer here desires down deep to bear fruit for God's glory, to have something of Christ reflected in your life and mine. But it will only be in the measure in which we walk worthy.
Of the Lord in which we bow every day and own His Lordship in our life.
I heard of a young man and he had a little motto on his desk at work. It simply said 2 words.
Yes, Lord, I thought that was a nice exercise because he wanted to own the Lordship.
Of Christ in his life, whether it was at home, Oregon, whether it was at work, He wanted to say yes to the Lord. Are you and I really, really willing to bow our hearts in that way and say yes, Lord, in everything we do, whether it's in our personal lives, whether it's in our business life, whatever it is? And, you know, I would just say it's a little aside, but I just say there are things in the word of God, too, that he has asked us to do.
And if we're not doing them, we really haven't said yes, Lord, We're not really walking worthy of the Lord. For instance, he's asked us to remember him at his table at the Lord's table. Not the table of Jesus, not the table of Christ, but the Lord's table where His authority is to be owned and maintained. Have you bowed and remembered him? Has your heart responded? Did you partake of the loaf and the cup this morning?
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Did you say Yes, Lord this morning? And remember him? He's asked us to eat that loaf and to drink that cup, and that's just one of many things he's asked us to do. And so we're to walk worthy of the Lord that, as he says here, there might be fruit in our lives and we'd be fruitful in every good work. Good works are so important. Just read the book of Titus. Someone has said Titus is the epistle of good works, not for salvation, and Titus himself makes that very clear.
But good works as the fruit of the work of Christ in US. And he desires that there would be those good works, that fruit for his glory. And then he says, increasing in the knowledge of God. You know, Peter at the end of his epistle, says growing grace and the knowledge. You know, there ought to be a deepening of the knowledge of God, an increase in that way. We need the grace to go with it, of course, but.
Can we honestly say that as we've progressed in our Christian life, there has been a taking in of that knowledge? And then he says, strengthened with all might according to his glorious power. You want power? We spoke of how the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But there is power at our disposal. And then he says unto All patients are endurance and long-suffering and joyfulness. Oh, it's a path of endurance. It's a path of long-suffering.
But young people, it's a happy path as well. Now let's go to the book of Ephesians.
Ephesians chapter 4.
And verse one. I Therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you.
That ye would walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness.
With long-suffering forbearing one another in love, well, here we're told to walk worthy or in a worthy manner.
And here we're to walk worthy of our vocation or Our Calling, because that's the subject of the book of Ephesians.
In the chapters that precede, the spirit of God has given us what Our Calling is. The spirit of God has brought before us the fact that we're a heavenly people, that our hopes and our goals and our aspirations are not centered or connected with this world, but they're heavenly. And he's brought before us that vast panorama of spiritual and heavenly blessings that are ours in Christ. We're seen positionally seated in heavenly places in Christ.
And now, having brought all that before us, we're told to walk worthy of that vocation or calling. Many of you are training for a vocation. They talk about vocational schools where they train you because a young person may feel they have a certain aptitude or calling in life. And you know when you get through and graduate and get a job in that calling, often there's a code of ethics. There's a standard.
That you must sign or adhere to that is in keeping with that calling or vocation. Lawyers have a code of ethics, and if they don't keep it, they're disbarred from practicing law. A physician may lose his license because he didn't live up to the standard or code of ethics that he agreed to when he when he received his physician's license. And you know, you and I are called to a heavenly calling.
And there's a there's a walk that's in keeping with that. There's a conduct, there's a lifestyle that's in keeping with it. Now, we often speak of the follies of pride or self esteem. And I'm going to repeat another little story that a brother and I know this name is just names to you young, just a name to you young people. But when I was growing up, we often heard practical ministry from a brother by the name of Albert Hayhoe.
And he told us one time in bringing out these things, that he had listened to his father in a meeting like this, talk about the follies and evils of pride and self esteem. And after the meeting was over, he went to his father. And with all the respect he could muster, he said, you know father, that's fine for you to talk that way. But you know, if I didn't have a little pride or self esteem I wouldn't make sure that my shoes are shined, my hair is combed, that my.
Ty was straight. You've got to have a little bit of pride, Something to take care of those things.
Well, he said his father listened to him till he was done. And then he very wisely looked at his son and he said, Albert, if you remember at all time you're calling and that you're a son and heir of God, it will take care of all those things without one little bit of self esteem or pride. You know, we talked about upholding a family name sometimes, and sometimes people tell their children. Now make sure your conduct upholds the family name. But oh, what about the Lord Jesus Christ? What about that wonderful calling that you and I have? Are we walking?
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Worthy of it, and we don't have time to go into what follows here. But there's a spirit and attitude too. It's not again, in a legalistic way or a hard way, but it's with meekness and with loneliness and long-suffering, forbearing one another in love and so on. Now I want to go to the next one in Philippians chapter one.
Philippians chapter one. I'm going to read the first part of verse 27. I'm going to read it in Mr. Darby's translation.
Only conduct yourself worthily of the glad tidings.
Of the Christ. You know, when Paul wrote to the Philippian Saints, there was a great testimony and exercise in Philippi.
Concerning the gospel, these brethren I believe were very, as we would say, gospel minded. And I've never counted. But over and over again he uses the word gospel in this epistle. But the Apostle Paul needs to remind them to walk in a way that commended the gospel or the glad tidings, because, you know, it's very easy for the enemy to come in and allow something in our conduct.
That spoils our testimony collectively and individually in the gospel.
I want to just say this. In the second chapter he talks about working out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And I know that many have struggled with that verse, and it's a verse that's been grossly misapplied over the over the years. But I believe you have to realize that working out your own salvation with fear and trembling is not an individual thing, it's a collective thing. Because there was a great testimony in Philippi. It was an assembly that had a testimony in the gospel.
But the enemy was coming in with a little wedge, a contention between two sisters that Paul felt was going to spoil their testimony in the gospel. Now he says, you need to work that out with fear and trembling. Don't let something come in to spoil your testimony in the gospel. And so young people, whether it's collectively or individually, we need to walk worthy or conduct ourselves worthy.
Of the glad tidings of Christ, because it doesn't take much to bring reproach on the name of Christ.
It's again, just like Daniel the enemy was watching for any opportunity that they might find to accuse Daniel, something that would spoil Daniels testimony. You know, I think of Lot, what a sad history Lot is. It was a true child of God.
He was a righteous man, and he'll be in heaven another day. But you know, he spoiled his testimony. And when he sought to warn others of judgment coming it, he seemed as one that mocked his conduct, wasn't worthy of what he said. It wasn't worthy of the message that he tried to give there in Sodom. And so we need to be careful. We're going to go back to the world, and we're left here to be a testimony by our actions and by our words.
To be a testimony in the gospel and to speak for Christ here in this world.
Are we going to be careful that what we say and do is worthy of the glad tidings of the gospel of Christ? Well, I want to. Now we've looked at these four exhortations. I want to close by looking at one more time when we have the the, the expression walking worthy. This time it's not an exhortation. Let's go to the Book of Revelation, Revelation Chapter 3.
Revelation Chapter 3 and verse 4.
Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. Well, I want to mention this at the end of the meeting to encourage your heart and mind. We've had exhortations from the word of God to walk worthy, and as long as we're here, we're going to need those exhortations, no matter whether we're young or whether we're old, whether we're just starting out in the path of faith and service.
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Or whether we're further along, we need those exhortations and reminders to walk worthy.
But our young people, this ought to motivate our hearts to walk worthy now.
To realize that there's a day coming when we're going to be associated with him, when we're going to walk with him because we are worthy. There's a day coming when we're not going to need the exhortations to walk worthy anymore. We're going to be beyond that. We're going to be in a sphere where we won't need to be stirred up, Where our feet will never go astray in the path of faith and service again, Where we'll never digress.
From what has been set before us, everything is going to be perfect there. We're going to walk with him in that day because we are worthy. And why are we worthy? All nothing of ourselves but His worthiness, Those robes that were going to be arrayed in the blood of Christ. The basis for it all. What a day it's going to be when we're associated with Him and walk with him for all eternity because we are worthy. Now, if that doesn't, isn't the springboard or the motivation?
For us to walk worthy now, I don't know what goes on within our hearts. Oh, let's seek to be exercised.
All of us to be exercised to leave these meetings, to walk in a worthy manner, to walk worthy of God in view of the coming glory and Kingdom, to walk worthy of the Lord and to own His headship in our lives, to walk worthy of our heavenly calling.
To walk worthy of the voca of that that vocation, to walk worthy of the glad tidings that we might be a testimony for his glory.
As long as we're here to be used in blessing to souls and then to realize that the day is coming and it's not far off. It's not far off when we're going to be associated with him in that scene of glory and to walk worthy. This ought to encourage us, as he sought to encourage these Saints here to walk and to keep themselves unspotted from the world, to walk with no other name in view than the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To walk with his glory in view, knowing that that day was going to come when they would walk with him.
In that coming day of glory, all young people, we desire the best for you. We desire your happiness. We desire that you would walk worthy of that blessed one until He comes. Let's pray our God and Father how thankful we are that we can open Thy word and find encouragement, exhortation, comfort for our pathway here. And we think of these verses, these scriptures that we've looked at so quickly. This afternoon we pray.
That thou bless them not only that are the hearts of those who are young, but to each of our hearts, that we might seek grace to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. So we commit ourselves to the and ask thy blessing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.