Address—P.L. Johnson
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I want to turn to the Prophet Zechariah Chapter 11. Zechariah Chapter 11. I trust this doesn't fill anyone with apprehension reading from the Prophet Zechariah as if we were going to get involved in some prophetic subject, but I want to refer to a couple of verses there that might be used of the Lord I trust to.
Produce an exercise.
In the heart of each and everyone, and again.
As we mentioned in our prayer to the Lord, our burden being especially for those young in the faith.
Chapter 11. It might even be attached with some if you can find the book.
Zechariah 11 and verse 12 And I said unto them.
If you think good, give me my price.
And if not for Bear?
So they weighed for my price 30 pieces of.
And the Lord said unto me, Cast it into the Potter, a goodly price.
That I was prized at of them.
And I took the 30 pieces of silver and cast them to the Potter in the house.
Of the Lord.
Now turn back to.
Genesis chapter 37. I'm going to read these passages before we speak on them.
In Genesis 37, a couple of verses there verse 26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What prophet is it, if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood come?
Let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him.
For He is our brother, and our flesh and his brethren were content.
Hebrews chapter 12, Hebrews 12 and verse 15.
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God.
Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled, lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Ethan, who for one Marshall of meat sold his birthright for you know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected.
Where he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
And back in the Old Testament again in First Kings.
Chapter 21.
First Kings, chapter 21.
Verse one.
And it came to pass after these things, that neighbor.
The Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace.
They had King of Samaria, and they have spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near into my house, and I will give before it a better vineyard than it.
Are If it seemed good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it and money.
Lab off said until he had the Lord forbidden me that I should give the inheritance of my father's.
Unto thee.
Now in Luke's Gospel, chapter 4.
The Gospel of Luke.
Chapter 4.
And verse one.
And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
Being 40 days tempted to the devil, and in those days he did eat nothing and when they were ended he afterward.
Hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone, that he be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me.
Whomsoever I will, I give it, if thou therefore will worship me.
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All shall be thine, Jesus answered and said unto him, Yet be behind me, Satan.
For it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hints.
Lord is written, he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee.
And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against the stone.
And Jesus answering, said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Well, these passages that we have read.
I trust that the Lord might use them to bring before us what?
Is the exercise upon my heart, especially in regard to the younger ones in our midst meeting, being designated, especially as addressed to young Christians?
I think of.
Paul, Second epistle to Timothy.
Which is, to me, so appropriate for the day in which we live.
And more so in connection with the young believers who have an exercise.
In regard to the testimony of the Lord, we know, of course, that in the company that is gathered here this afternoon.
I rather imagine that among the young people so-called.
There's quite a mixture.
There might be some in our midst.
Though they have heard the gospel many times and they are aware of the facts of the gospel.
And they know the way of salvation, yet they are still on the road to destruction.
We believe perhaps this is true when a gathering of this size and this number of young persons.
It is very likely that there are those who are still in their sins.
And indeed, one would just caution again.
That word of caution that is needed to such a soul that.
To believe or did not believe and go on as you are means one will die in their sins.
And be judged Father sins.
I didn't really have it upon my heart as we have scheduled a gospel meeting this evening to go into the thought of the gospel.
So I'd like to refer to perhaps another group of young people that are our midst.
That is, those who have very little, if any exercise as to their walk and wave, And I'm not speaking harshly. Sad to say, we find that they are those who seem to be content to be an outward association with the Lord's people, but without a real exercise as to their own.
Place at the Lord's Table.
And not only being there at the Lord's table, but being there in a way suitable to the Lord and to the testimony, and being there in such a way that they contribute to the testimony.
And not any way of being a hindrance.
And I trust that if there are any in our midst in that state this afternoon, that you might be exercised through the word.
That you too might be a part of the testimony.
And seeking to maintain and continue the testimony until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then no doubt there are those young believers in our midst who have a genuine exercise.
To go on in the truth according to the word of God, and for the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And to contribute to the testimony. And as I say, I think of Paul's writing to Timothy.
As a young man of that we might say that type in Sark with a real exercise, and he says to Timothy that good thing that was committed under the key by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us, that good thing that was committed under the And so I have especially before me those in our midst this afternoon.
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Who have been blessed.
With truth, not only the gospel, but the truth of the assembly.
The truth of separation, that which honors the Lord Jesus Christ.
The truth of that which belongs to the people of God as they pass through this scene.
As pilgrims and strangers.
And as Paul would say to Timothy, that good thing committed under the teeth.
We want to maintain it. And then he also says, Continue thou in the things that thou hast learned, and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. So we were thinking of the continuance of the testimony. Now I believe that as the days approach, and it might be only hours, we know.
Before the Lord Jesus comes to take his own out of this scene.
The pressure of the enemy will become more and more.
Greater and greater in regard to the maintenance and continuance.
Of the testimony of the Lord.
You know, we read in Revelation. I just I know that strictly speaking and interpreted Lee, it refers to something else, but he speaks about Satan there when he's cast out of heaven and says knowing that he has for the short time.
And perhaps Satan might feel that he has only a sharp time to completely obliterate the testimony through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that was revived graciously by God in the last century.
Testimony that was found in the Word recorded in the word, when the apostle gave the whole council of God, and when he gave the light of God that was to govern the assembly.
As during its pilgrimage in this scene, that testimony that was allowed to let and to go Into Darkness, and which God has graciously revived and restored. Perhaps Satan realizing he has only a short while there will be.
Great pressure to give up this truth are to alter it in some way.
Various efforts.
And that was why I was exercised to read what we read in Zechariah 11, there the Prophet.
In a symbolic way, no doubt he it's prophetically Speaking of concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and the fact that he was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, that he was valued only with 30 pieces of silver by Judas representing that nation that saw no value in him. And the prophet, you remember, says give me my price.
In other words, he's saying, as it were, Will you set a price upon me?
Will you sell me out for a price? He said. If not for bear.
But that was the challenge. Will you sell me out with a price? And I would say beloved young people.
That this should be our exercise. Would we sell out?
To the world or to the enemy? For a prize? Is there something that can be offered?
That would induce us to no longer seek to maintain or to continue the testimony.
Well, that's the real challenge. Give me my price and what price would you set upon the Lord Jesus and the precious truth that has been made available to us? And it may be that many of us have entered into very little of it. But I would say this, that however small the portion that you as an individual believer have entered into the truth.
You want to buy the truth and sell it now. We don't want to relinquish even that little bit.
That you have entered into not even a little bit those who have entered into more.
Perhaps have more that they might be able to to sell out, but whether it's little or more.
We want to be exercised that we would not place a price opponent. We would recognize the pricelessness of knowing the Lord Jesus, not only a Savior, but knowing him in the various ways he's revealed in Scripture and the things that he reveals to us, as we shall see, as we touch on a few examples in regard to what we might speak of as selling out to the enemy.
Now I read in Luke.
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Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, because we have Him.
Here as the perfect model for us, the perfect model for you and me.
In the wilderness. But that's where the Lord Jesus is found in Luke 4. He's in the wilderness.
And the wilderness is the place of Satan's power, and that's where you and I are, beloved young people. We are in the wilderness. That's what this world has become to you and me since we have believed on the Lord Jesus. And this wilderness is the scene of Satan's power, and it's a scene of testing. And we will never get out of the place of testing until we're taken out of this world entirely.
Sometimes young believers feel that the testings that they're called upon to go through and their teens are greater than any other time in the Christian life. And when they get a little older, the testings will not be so severe. And then when they get into the next stage, they feel well as a young mother or father, the testings.
Are are greater than they were than the younger, but when they get older they'll get less.
The beloved As long as we're in the wilderness, it's the scene of testing. The scene of testing because.
It's the place of Satan's power, and there will always be the challenge. Give me my price.
And is it where we can sell out at any stage along the way?
But I would say to the dear young people.
Do not sell out that which God has graciously brought to you and your youth.
In your childhood.
From a child having known the Holy Scriptures.
The things that you have learned that you know are the truth of God, not only I say in regard to salvation, but in regard to the Christians walk and testimony.
The place outside the camp, gathering together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and all of these precious things.
They'll always be testing for us in regard to them. Well, now, the Lord Jesus was tested here in three ways in Luke's gospel.
And the effort of the enemy was to get him, if he could, to give up.
That which he had undertaken as man here in this scene.
And you remember the 1St test was this, If thou be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread.
The first task to give up the place that he had taken.
Was a temptation to satisfy his own personal needs, self gratification. And you know, beloved young people, we can sell out the truth.
If that which satisfies our own personal needs self gratification.
Is the primary object in life.
Satan will be sure to put things in our pathways that will take us out from among the the large people or get us occupied in such a way that we'll not have time to read and to pray and all of that. If self gratification, the meeting of our own personal well needs or ambitions is number one, the Lord Jesus says man shall not live by it by bread alone, but by every.
Word of God.
Every word of God He doesn't say just by the truth, but every word of God.
We know, of course, that the Word of God is the Scripture.
But it's called the Word of God because it is that which forms the practical link.
Between our souls and God now every believer has a living link with God as a child of God.
We all have the life of Christ, but as a believer in a practical way.
That link cannot be realized and enjoyed.
Unless there is the feeding on the Word of God, it's only the Word of God that brings us into contact with God.
I might read the writings of this world whether it be current event.
Of whether it be history, whether it be any other pursuit that man has. And it does not bring my soul.
Into contact with the living God. But when I read this book, it brings me into contact with God. It's God's voice speaking to me.
And there is a living link, a practical link between my soul and God, he says. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. He would not.
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Neglect, you might say, or he would not avoid that which formed a practical link with gone. Now you remember the 2nd temptation.
In offering him, the kingdoms of this world was in order that the Lord Jesus might bow down and worship him.
That his allegiance might be to Satan rather than God. Or we know the perfection of the Lord Jesus as we have prophetically in the 16th Psalm. I have set the Lord always before me. He would have no other gods before him. He would have no other object.
Even if having another object might have brought honor and might have brought gain, as far as humanly speaking was concerned.
You know, in Isaiah we read of the Jews and that day they'll have to say, oh, Lord, our Lord, other Lords have had dominion over us. Yes, they sold out to other Lords than the Lord.
And they got under the dominion of other Lords.
Well, the Lord Jesus would not be brought under the dominion of anyone save His God, upon whom he was cast from his mother's belly. No, he valued. He valued having God is the object before His soul. As a man passing through this scene, He valued God so much that He would not take anything that was offered that would bring Him under the power of another.
The Apostle Paul says all things are lawful unto me.
But I'll not be brought under the power of any. There is such a thing, you know, of being brought under the power of things that would rob us.
Of having God is our object, and God is our joy, and God is our delight.
You know, beloved young people, in being saved, it's not only that we're on our way to the glory, with our sins forgiven.
And judgment, death and judgment behind us. But in Peter we're told that we've been brought to God, we've been brought to God. And in Roman five, we joy in God.
Well, you can. You can sell that out that joy in God, and you can sell out the practical.
Blessing that comes in being brought to God by being brought under the power.
Of the things of this world are things that are not according to the mind of God. Our Lord is a perfect example.
Then finally, the third temptation, when he takes him upon the pinnacle of the temple.
And tell them to cast himself down. He quotes from a song, and I'll read it. He shall give his angels charge over these to keep thee.
But we know that if we were to turn to Psalm 91 and read what was written in the word of God.
Satan omitted 3 little words that are found there.
And that is in all thy ways forward.
Satan did not use those words. He was trying to get the Lord Jesus out of the place of dependence, out of the pathway that he had taken up.
As a dependent man here in this world, there was a pathway marked out for the Lord Jesus.
Given to him of God, and Satan wanted to get him out of that pathway.
So there are three temptations here in regard to personal gratification.
In regard to one having another object than God and then also to get one out of the path.
Of dependence and obedience and the Lord is ever is our perfect model and example. He says take my yoke upon you and learn from me literally. He's the model from whom we ought to learn. But I'd like to turn to those passages that we read and briefly.
Point out three examples that we read in regard to these three things which the Lord Himself stood perfectly.
And we see two ways in which we might fail, and another as an example of faithfulness for us.
Turn first of all to Genesis 37, where we read concerning Judah.
And some very solemn words in regard to Joseph, verse 27.
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Imagine Joseph, or rather Judah saying this.
Come.
And let us sell him.
You know, just the reading of those words. Come, let us sell him.
Obviously, Judah did not value Joseph.
He had set a very low value upon Joseph. Come, let us sell him. He was willing to sell Joseph Allen.
And no doubt Joseph here is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But the time of our Lord Jesus Christ in a special way.
We know Joseph was loved of his father.
And his father made him a coat of many colors.
And Joseph was sent to seek his brethren.
And later on.
In connection with the Pharaoh king of Egypt.
He became the one who was called a revealer of secrets, and I would like to apply this to the person of the Lord Jesus in this way.
Now I know this, that every young person who is saved a believer on the Lord Jesus.
As far as the salvation of your soul is concerned, is as secure as the most devout and godly brother or sister in this room or who has ever lived.
My sheep hear my voice, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Then he goes on to say, Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. There is never a question raised in the word of God as to the salvation of the soul, that trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His sufferings on the cross of Calvary for salvation.
And what I'm going to say and what I'm referring to has no reference at all.
As to the salvation of your soul, we're speaking now as.
In regard to the testimony and maintaining and continuing the testimony in the face of the enemies pressure in these closing days just before the Lord come. So it's entirely possible that while our salvation is secure, our testimony may not be.
Now here we find one who had such little value of Joseph that he could say, come and let us sell him.
One might say I would never sell out the Lord Jesus.
I would never sell him out. I'm sure that's true. As a believer, you'd never sell him out. As the Savior. You're never give him up. No true believer will ever give up the Lord Jesus. I believe it can be said that in the heart of every child of God is found love for the Lord Jesus.
Now there may be many things on top of that, so to speak, in the heart that that obscures the visibility of it so that it's not seen. But there is love in the bottom of the heart of every child of God, young as well as old, irrespective of his walk. But there may be many things piled on top, as I say. So then in a practical way.
One can sell out his own enjoyment and appreciation of the Lord Jesus.
That's why the Apostle Paul writes to the Colossians. Let no man beguile you.
Let no man spoil you, for they couldn't be lost. He wasn't afraid they were going to lose their salvation and go to hell after all.
No, he says. But you might be spoiled, you might be beguiled, so that you are not enjoying the one in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, so that you're not enjoying that mystery of God, even Christ, in whom he had all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
And you know, I thought of this in regard of Joseph here, Joseph in type brings before us the Lord Jesus as that one who is loved of the Father. And you know, it's a wonderful thing as we read in the Word of God, as was mentioned in the reading this morning about one who was reading in the Gospels because he wanted to have fresh in his soul and in his heart this wonderful person.
Loved of the Father, the code of many colors, the various glories that attached to that blessed person.
As well as the fact that He was the one who came in grace to seek his brethren.
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And not only that, but we know the Lord Jesus is the revealer of secrets. He says many things I have to say unto you, and you cannot bear them now, but when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. So all that has been revealed throughout the epistles is really the Lord Jesus by His Spirit, revealing the secrets of the heart of God and His own heart to us. I say, beloved young people.
You know there is found in this precious book.
Enough to occupy us in meditation and in study and admiration for a lifetime.
And I'm sure that the oldest brother in the room, who has read the Scriptures more than any of us over the years, can say that he has in no way even come close to exhausting the wonderful stars of treasures of wisdom and knowledge, the things that are revealed, and the various glories of the Lord Jesus. Do we value this?
Do we value this? Are there other things that we value instead? Well, we can sell out all of these wonderful things by coming.
By like Judah here selling out Joseph, now I'd like to turn over to Hebrews 12.
Where we have Esau brought before us.
And Esau was one who sold out.
Verse 16.
The end of the verse. Who for one Marshall of meat sold.
His birthright sold his birthright.
Now we know that Esau was blessed of Isaac.
But he lost the birthright.
And I have no doubt that what Esau did desire blessing from Isaac.
It wasn't just blessing that Esau.
Despised. It wasn't blessing that he despised. What he despised specifically is called the birthright. Well, the birthright of course, of course is connected with blessing.
But you can have blessing without having the birthright, which he so did. He was blessed, but he never had the birthright.
He despised it, so we don't want to make these two things equal the birthright and blessing.
It's possible for one desire to desire a blessing from God and to be blessed of God, but not desire the birthright. What is the distinction? I believe, beloved young people, is this. The birthright, as I say, is not only blessing, but it connects one with the blesser personally. The birthright brings one into that line of Abraham and Isaac. So we read in the Old Testament of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
Not Esau.
It would have been, well, I say would have been. We know, of course, that God's purpose was that the elder should serve the younger. But as far as Esau responsibility was concerned.
Having the birthright, it would have been Abraham Isaac Esau. No, no.
He saw despised at birthright and so he's not brought into that line that would connect him.
With the Father's Abraham and Isaac, although he desired a blessing.
And I thought sometimes, you know, young people, there's one thing to to desire blessing. You want to go to heaven.
You want to be the Lord?
You don't want to go to hell, you don't want to be left in your sins and God is perhaps met you and saved you and blessed you. But do you really want to be connected with the blesser? Do you want to be connected with the person of the Lord Jesus himself? Here in this scene? You want to be identified with God as one of His children in a public way. Or would you rather just have the blessings without the blessing?
That was Esau.
He wanted the blessing, but he didn't want to be connected with the blessing. I think of another example.
The elder brother in Luke 15.
You remember there when the elder brother hears.
The music and the dancing, the making merry and the father's house. And when he inquired and found out what it was he didn't want to go in, his father came out to him and spoke to him. And the elder son says, father, he says, I've served thee all of these years, and I've never gone astray, and thou never gave us me a kid that I might make merry with my friends.
You notice he did not say that I might make merry with thee.
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He had no desire to make Mary with the Father, he said with my friends, he wanted the fatted calf. He wanted what the Father had to offer. But he says that I might make merry with my friends. He didn't want it on the terms and in connection with the Father. And the Father's house, well, that's where the blessing is, and that's where the blesser is.
And he saw, I believe, would be one who despised the birthright while seeking the blessing or wanting a blessing.
He didn't want it in connection with the Blesser and in, you might say, under the terms.
In which that birthright would be found. Like the elder brother, he wanted the fatted cows, but not in the father's house.
Not in connection.
With the way in which the Father has provided the fatty care. And I feel sometimes that this is one of the efforts that is going on in Christendom, even among fundamentalists and evangelicals. That while there might be the presenting of blessings in connection with the gospel gets divorced, as it were, from the connections in which it's supposed to be found. Because even the gospel is associated with the truth of the assembly.
And the believers walk and separation from the world. You can't really divide these things. They all go together.
God has provided blessing in the gospel for souls, and not only that, but they might be brought to the knowledge of the truth.
The gathering together of the children of God scattered abroad, and it's all in connection with what the Father is set up here, the habitation of God through the Spirit and and many other truths.
And we don't want to divorce the blessings from the blesser and beloved young people. We don't want to be one like Esau, to be content to have the blessing of salvation. That is as far as knowing that our sins are forgiven and on our way to the glory and yet not desire to be.
In practical connection with the Blesser himself, God, here in this scene and with his people and in his pathway. And that brings us to the other one we read in second first Kings 21.
First Kings 21.
You remember the Lord Jesus is our model.
Would not sell out for personal gratification. That's like Esau.
Esau, as it were, was willing to sell out that which gave him.
The living link.
With its forefathers.
Brought him in, would bring him into the line of the promises of God. He was willing to sell it out for personal gratification.
For one Marshall of meat, the Lord Jesus would not do that.
And just as we have seen, the Lord Jesus would not come under the power of Satan and lose. God is the object before his soul. Well, Judah would be the antithesis of that in selling out.
Joseph as one upon whom he said very little, if any value.
But you remember the third temptation of the Lord Jesus? Was that an effort of the enemy?
To get him out of the pathway.
The Scriptures had said in all thy ways he would be kept. That was the promise.
The pathway that God had set out for him and Satan wanted to get him out of that pathway. Well now in First Kings 21 we have, I believe, a lovely example of one who follows.
The model, the Lord Jesus, and he refuses to sell out to the enemy.
Notice verse 2.
Ahab comes to him comes to neighbor. Neighbor had a vineyard which was an inheritance.
It was an inheritance.
It wasn't something that that Naboth had originated.
And you know, those of us here in the room this afternoon are not those who were used of God to restore the truth.
Of the assembly, the truth of Christianity to recover it and restore it to the people of God. That happened many years ago.
In that sense, we are not the originator.
But we are those who have, in a sense, inherited it.
It has come down to us and God is graciously preserved it and as young persons this afternoon.
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I am speaking primarily to those who have been raised in connection with the truth.
And you know the truth. You have been in contact with it, perhaps from infancy.
What an inheritance. What an inheritance. Somewhat like Naboth here, who had this vineyard has an inheritance from his father. Now Ahab came to him. Ahab wanted that inheritance.
And perhaps they have here which speak of the pressures of this world which has Satan behind it.
Seeking to to seize upon that inheritance that you have as a young person, as a young believer in connection with the truth.
But now notice the subtlety of this man Ahab. He didn't first of all say, now I buy it from you. Because no doubt he knew that Nimoff valued that inheritance, and the very thought of selling it out would have been important. So he's very careful in the verse two. Notice this Abe Ahab, speak unto Naboth, saying, Give me thine inheritance, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house, and I will give thee for it a better.
Vineyard.
I'll give you for it a better vineyard.
He says now I have something that is better than what you have.
Believe we find this sometimes round about us beloved young people of those who.
Would insinuate, if they do not say in so many words, we have that which is better.
Than what you have. Look what we're doing.
I am sad to say sometimes it enters into the mind of some. Well, maybe it is better.
Maybe it is better, it looks better, it sounds better, maybe it is better.
Or what a temptation this is to sell out when something is is presented that appears to be.
But Naboth knew that he had received this inheritance properly.
From the Lord. No doubt he came down through his forefathers, but he received it from the Lord.
Says to Timothy, Continue thou on the things that thou has learned and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned it. You say, I learned it from my Sunday school teacher, from my father and mother. Well, we want to learn it from the Lord. The Lord might use various ones to have brought the truth to us. But if we have received it from the Lord, like Naboff, we know that there is not a better vineyard. If it's the truth of God, there is not a better vineyard. It may look so.
It may be that there are other things roundabouts that have a better appearance.
That appear to be more successful, but it isn't the inheritance according to the mind of God, is it according to the word of God.
Is it that which God has restored graciously in His goodness to us?
Well, this man neighbor would not give up his vineyard.
He says I won't sell it, I will not exchange it. He refused either either offer that was made either to sell it or to exchange it.
And while sometimes we might say we would not sell the truth, you know, beloved young people, we want to be careful about exchanging it, too.
I don't like to make personal references.
But in my own case, I was not raised among those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
And I received as a young man among what we refer to as systems. And there was much light there where I was too. And there was blessing and all of that. And sometimes there is the tendency, I believe, on the part of those who were, who were, who have been raised among the gathered Saints, to think that perhaps there is more light there, there is more blessing there.
That there are other vineyards that look so much better.
But it isn't necessarily so, because I believe there are those in this room who were raised in the truth.
And who have never known what it is to be with systems. And they perhaps value the inheritance more than I do. You don't have to have to go out and be in other vineyards to really value this vineyard. If one receives it as from the Lord, if one enters into it as being that which God is given in His precious word according to the truth, one can value it without having to go out and sample other vineyards. If you have the truth, you know it's the truth.
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Is an answer like neighbors they have I'll not give up my vineyard. You won't argue with him and say I'm going to compare it and say well now your vineyard is not better because of this and that. No, I'm not going to give up my vineyard. Beloved young people, if we have been, have been taught, have gone what little we know.
I'm not speaking now about one who perhaps entered into great truth, but what little you know to be the truth of God.
By maintaining and holding and walk in the light of it and if there's pressure that come.
They come from the outside and say come with us, look what a nice vineyard we have. Look how successful we are.
Look what we have to offer. Examine it according to the Word of God in the.
You might see examine it according to the vineyard, the inheritance that you have received of the truth from the Word of God.
And then may we take a stand like this man. They ball and say no. Well, we know that it cost this man his life. Wicked woman Jezebel had him put to death. It cost him his life. But he was faithful and he maintained it and he continued it. He followed the model of the Lord Jesus. In contrast to an Esau who sold out his birthright, in contrast to a Judah who would sell out.
His brother Joseph, because he saw no value in him.
He followed the model of the Lord Jesus Christ, so may there be the continuance as well as the maintenance.
Of the truth, as the pressures increase and the word comes to us, Give me my price, and it's not for bear. May we full bear to set a price upon the precious truth in the Lord who has blessed us.