Open—M. Payette, H. Brinkmann
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00:05:20
Our gracious God, our loving Father, we do bow before thee this afternoon with Thanksgiving Lord, and with praise. Thank you for this happy occasion, Lord. We can come together that we might learn more of our Lord Jesus Christ. May this Dee indeed, our gracious God, be the occasion where we indeed turn our eyes upon Jesus.
To look full in his wonderful face. And Lord, let those things on this earth may grow strangely dim.
In the light of His glory in Christ, we thank Thee, blessed God our Father, for the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, for that finished work which He has done upon the cross as we have sung together. It is finished here. Our souls have rest. His love can never fail. Lord, we thank thee and Lord, we pray now as we wait upon Thee this afternoon, we pray that that would lead and God and direct by Thy Holy Spirit.
Lord, we pray that Thou would help us to dismiss from our mind every foreign thought, and Lord, that we might have indeed open minds, that Thy precious word may find lodgement in them and receptive hearts. Lord, that we might indeed learn more of the blessed ways of our Lord Jesus Christ, even as we have been reading this morning, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. So Lord, we pray now as we bring.
Ourselves before thee.
Once again, Lord, to wait upon thee once again to pray that Thou would lead and direct by Thy Holy Spirit, and may we indeed see Jesus this afternoon to gaze upon Him and all of His moral beauty and glory, and that Thy precious Word may find His lodgement in our hearts. Lord, whether it be for comfort, instruction for reproach, Lord, we just pray that Thou would have thine own way and that Thou would bless us, Lord.
And open up our hearts to behold the wonders of Thy loving grace. Lord, we ask these things as we commit ourselves to Thee. As for Thy blessing, now through that ever worthy and precious name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Second Peter, the 1St chapter.
The Universe 3.
To the knowledge of Him that had called us to glory and virtue.
Or, as it reads in the French Bible, into the margin here that had called us.
By glory and virtue.
Just a few thoughts, dear ones.
And perhaps considering this verse.
And the perspective that in the end of this portion we would have been called by the glory and virtue.
Of the Lord Jesus.
If I.
Had written this concerning our life, I would have written virtue and glory, trying to manifest something of the Lord now and knowing that our path is going to end in glory in the presence of the Lord, we're going to be perfectly like him. But it says here, glory and virtue. And I would suggest to you the thought that we could consider some of the glories and virtues of the Lord Jesus that God would produce in our lives. And just a few, I know there are many, just a few that have been set before me.
It's.
First Peter, chapter 2.
First Peter, 219.
For this is thank worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure his grief, suffering wrongfully.
First Peter 2019, 20 For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently, but if when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently? This is acceptable with God for even Iran to Were you called? Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps?
00:10:25
Another verse in Second Corinthians chapter 10.
Verse one.
Now I call myself beseech you.
By the meekness.
And gentleness of Christ, who in presence and base among you, but being absent and bold toward you. But I beseech you that I may not be bold when I'm present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. Although we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
Casting down imaginations in every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God.
And bring it into captivity, every thought to the obedience.
Of Christ.
Well, you consider the first portion and Peter?
Where we have the path of the Lord Jesus, one who suffered like none of us will ever suffer.
Misunderstood. Misjudged. Hated.
But he always did that which was right.
And this is worthy of glory before God.
And I believe that we've been called, as we consider the person of the Lord, to consider the beauty of His pathway down here.
And to love it, and to seek by God's grace that it would be found in some measure.
In our life.
And it's in self denial, isn't it? It's an accepting abuse and.
Being treated wrongly and spoken evil of.
How do we react? Well, I mean, this is what we've been called to to manifest something of Christ in these circumstances.
We've been called by this glory.
And virtue. Here are some of the virtues. 2 Corinthians 10. There are many more, but I just put these before you. Meekness.
The gentleness.
Of Christ, not our natural meekness or gentleness. Perhaps some of them have characters that are leaning towards that, but this is meekness and gentleness of Christ. And then to the fifth verse, the obedience.
Of Christ.
Of that one that left the glory and became a man, and as a man found in fashionable, as a man, he went down, he went down, he went down in obedience.
What glory? We think of glory as light, unimaginable, but this is moral excellence. Here's one who is the Lord of glory, accepting abuse, our spittle being mocked and going down. And what was in his heart was obedience to the Father. But that would be found in our hearts, meekness, gentleness, obedience.
Virtues that are found in perfection in the Lord Jesus, that should be seen in your life and mine.
First Peter, chapter 5.
We touched on this this morning when we talked about Simon Peter and.
I mentioned that the apostle Peter when he speaks to himself as he speaks to the elders there. We're just going to read a few verses. I'd just be a few minutes. The elders which are chapter five of first Peter, verse one, the elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.
Seed the flock of God which is among you.
Taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not by filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being samples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, he shall receive a crown of glory that faded another way.
00:15:08
Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yay, all of you, be subject 1 to another, and be clothed with humility. But God resisted the proud, and give it grace to the humble.
We had before us this morning an appreciation of.
What we would think was the disposition of heart the Apostle Peter as he referred to himself as Simon Peter.
Certainly realizing himself, as he wrote in that first chapter, second epistle goes, that had forgotten.
The purification of their sins, well, Peter hadn't forgotten, I'm sure, reminded of us what he was and what he would have been in himself if the Lord hadn't come in for him, to save him, and then to restore him, and then again to forgive him as the brother singled out in Galatians there where he was at fault. And surely we could all recount in our history, the history of our lives as believers, times that we've failed and the Lord just came in for us and undertook for us, forgave us, encouraged our hearts and LED us along.
You know one of the reasons I believe we mentioned this this morning. God has left us with two natures.
He's left us, the old one, just to make sure. You'd be humble, dear one, I'd be humble. He's humbling things, I realized from the wickedness of the old nature to have these thoughts come in your mind and say what? How could I be thinking such thoughts? It's a humbling thing. And the very same person who is aboard at the thoughts that come in his own heart can contemplate the beauty and the glory of the Lord Jesus.
What a wonderful. Well, here, in connection with the leaders, I just have a little play on words, if you'll allow me. Talking with a brother just before the meeting said how English sometimes was difficult because the words mean different things. You know the word lead? Lead. I could pronounce it lead.
And it's written exactly the same thing.
But it's quite different, doesn't it? And I'd like to suggest a thought here to talk of leaders as letters.
People that carry weight, lead is a heavy metal that carries weight. And certainly those that take the lead among us carry weight. They carry moral weight, they carry moral authority, you might say, from the Lord to be a help to us. And the Apostle Peter exhorts them here because there's a danger for those who carry moral way to have a position of responsibility before the Lord that they carry out with their brethren. There's a danger that this old man in US might just get into those things that were called not to do.
And there are two things about lead that I just would like to compare. You know, lead is a heavy metal, and that is a good characteristic if you want something to be stable. And there's a virtue in this. I believe it's First Corinthians 15. It says there the word unmovable.
If I was physically in LED, you'd have a hard time moving me. I probably couldn't move around myself.
But this is a good thing to be unmovable.
And yet, once the question of the glory of the Lord, or the truth of God and fundamental things that the enemy would just like to rob us of, it's good to be just, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord.
But you know, lead, unless I'm mistaken, because one of the heaviest metals is also the softest.
Just the softest metal.
It's a wonderful thing, you know, if the Lord has given some of you to be in the position of oversight, you might call it for the people of God to be unmovable. Yet to have that virtue that James talks about easily and treated easily and treated to be soft hearted to be ready to to to listen to the difficulties of others and to be.
Unmovable, but easily untreated.
Then it goes on. A little bit later on it says, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.
Well, you know, it's the characteristics of youth of being full of energy and even in the things of the Lord as we understand the scriptures and perhaps we're young and we're full of zeal and perhaps we consider there's apathy and neglect and perhaps our hearts are led to to criticize. I know mine is.
And the Lord wouldn't have us do that or murmur. It speaks here of submitting.
It's a wonderful spirit to have, a submissive spirit because this was the spirit of the Lord Jesus.
And this is the ability, the power that God has given, the divine power to be mean, lowly, obedient and submissive. That takes divine power. Doesn't take divine power to get upset. I've got a lot of that natural energy to get upset. I'm sure you have too. Sometimes we get upset at each other, wives and husbands, children and parents, brethren together. We get upset at each other. Well, that's not meekness, loneliness, obedience, submission. That's not that kind of energy. That's energy, natural energy, energy of the flesh.
00:20:28
We have words here for the elders and we have words for the younger, and I have a word on my heart for those in the middle.
I want to thank my brother in the middle.
My brethren in the middle, I want to thank those that have taken the lead, and I want to thank the young ones for being zealous, but I want to thank my brethren in the middle.
Will kind of help us out become a tamper when?
Our spirits get riled up. I know in the last difficulties several brevin in the middle.
Had a talk with me.
And they really helped me, and I'm so thankful they did because I was upset. And I'm sure many of you were upset, but the Lord does come in, doesn't he? Meekness, gentleness.
Obedience, submission, glory and virtue that He's called us by in the Lord Jesus.
Turn to First Timothy, chapter 3.
Verse one.
This is a true saying if any man desire the office of a Bishop.
You know there are three words used for the office of a Bishop, overseer, elder and Bishop. That's an office in the assembly.
There's a difference between.
Office and gift.
And it is desirable that one who is in the office of an overseer that he might be apartment to teach.
He doesn't necessarily have to have the gift of a teacher.
But he has to be able to bring the truth to bear.
See, the overseer in the Assembly is responsible for the spiritual well-being of the Saints.
And when there are problems, then the overseer is responsible to try to help.
And he needs to have the scriptures to bring before not We're doing it this way. That's what we have been doing amongst us for all these decades. No? What does the scripture say?
Yes, it is even possible that we might be having certain ways of doing things that are not necessarily scriptural.
But what does the Scripture say? But there are those that are in oversight. We are not all in that position. There are those who take the lead and those who are led.
You know, the King James unfortunately gives those who take the rule in Acts 20 and also in other scriptures, but the correct rendering it says those who take the lead among you, yes, there is leadership in the assembly. There are those who lead and those who are left.
In the Apostolic days.
When there was Apostolic authority.
They would appoint elders and they would appoint deacons.
The deacons would look after the physical and material needs of the Saints.
And you have that also in First Timothy 3, and it's very interesting.
That while there is no wife mentioned with the overseer, the Bishop.
The wife is mentioned when it comes to Deaconess Service A.
Think that in itself is very helpful. Why?
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Women are more sensitive.
They are more loving.
They're more able to recognize needs that exist and if a Deacon has a godly wife.
She can be of tremendous assistance to him, making him realize.
The needs and making him aware of the needs that she has realized.
But how important it is that we recognize that there is leadership in the assembly?
Even though there is no Apostolic authority to put anybody into that position.
In Thessalonians.
The First Epistle to the Thessalonians.
Was written only a short time after the Thessalonians were saved. There were no official elders in the church in Thessalonica.
But in chapter 5 we read in verse 12.
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them, which labor among you, and take the lead among you in the Lord, and admonish you.
While we do not have official elders.
There are still those who lead.
And.
It's wonderful that the Lord raises up such people in the assembly. And the Thessalonians, while they didn't have official elders, there were those who took the lead, and it was their responsibility to recognize them and to acknowledge them. That's the same position we are in today. But let me also emphasize.
That oversight is local. I want to very emphatically state that.
Oversight is local.
One cannot be an overseer in any assembly other than the home assembly.
That's what we learned from Scripture.
Do we want to be popes?
Does any assembly take the position that they are the Rome amongst the Gareth Saints?
Handling matters in utter assemblies.
Now you might say no, Brother Hines, isn't it possible that there might be situations in a local assembly that should be?
Taken care of, and the local brethren might not be doing it.
Yes, that's a possibility. That's where teaching comes in and shepherd care comes in.
You know there are three gifts in Ephesians chapter 4.
That are with us today and that is the Shepherd is one of them.
You know the teacher and the shepherd.
Well, there's nothing wrong.
In teaching or bringing teaching before Saints when there is a situation in a local assembly, but we have to recognize that the local brethren have to handle it.
I'm told that there was a problem in years past amongst the gathered Saints.
And they didn't know exactly how to handle it. And they asked two gifted, responsible, leading brethren amongst us to come and help them. They did go there and.
They used the scriptures and tried to tell them what their responsibility was and when they left they said this is what we feel are the scriptures that apply to your situation now, he said. If you act on them or do not act on them, whatever you do locally here, we have to bow to it.
And Mr. Darby made this statement. We bowed to an assembly action, right or wrong, and if it is wrong, trust that the Lord will come in to correct it, and that might take time.
You know, but we tend to become impatient. But how wonderful that there is still leadership in the assembly.
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Yes, there's even leadership beyond the local assembly, those who have taught us the word of God.
And.
When I think when I came amongst the gathered Saints.
There were gifted teachers among the gathered Saints.
And what a privilege it was to be exposed to their teaching.
There were even gifted men where I grew up. I learned a lot of truth from them. I'm very thankful for what I learned from them.
And there are Saints elsewhere that don't necessarily understand.
The ground of gathering and the principle of separation from evil.
As the Lord has given us to see it. But I'm thankful that the Lord has raised up men elsewhere that can feed the flock of God.
You know there is a man in our area.
He has a church and.
He earned his key, supported himself by laying carpet. That's how we got to know him.
A dear St. of God and a true shepherd.
You know he's in the wrong position.
But we got to know him pretty good and I believe I can say he is a true shepherd. He is in a wrong position heading up a church.
But I'm thankful that there are those in so-called churches that are shepherds, that are teachers.
And that feed God's people.
Well.
And what about the deacons?
Now, when it comes to deaconess service, we find in the book of Acts that the church picked out those that would handle the material things, the apostle said. You know it isn't the right thing for us to do that. That takes time away from more important ministry for us pick out.
Those that do and the Church had a voice at at who these people were, and they picked them and they brought them to the apostles.
They laid their hands on them and put them officially in that position.
You know, it's a wonderful thing to see that we today still have the responsibility to distribute what the Lord entrusts to us, that which comes in our Lord's Day morning.
And that the Lord has enabled us to support.
The work of the Lord and the poor.
Let me ask you this.
Do we feel individually now? I have contributed on Lord's Day morning to the collection. That's all I have to do.
I don't read that in the word of God.
I believe that we have individually responsibility to try to meet needs.
That exists among God's people. We have had the privilege of traveling in poor areas in the world. Others here too have done so, and we have to feel responsible to help.
But then sometimes.
It's not a good thing for us coming from America or Canada and we start distributing things.
I personally have felt this. Find out who.
Are dependable, trustworthy people in the areas where these needs exist and trust them with the things, the material things, the money, so that they can help their own and don't tell them.
Where it comes from, say accepted from the Lord?
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In order fact, that we don't have official elders or leaders in the assembly makes it in a way a little more difficult.
To plead amongst God's people.
Because we cannot say the Apostle Paul or one of his delicate Titus was a delegate. He could put elders into the position. We cannot say that we have been officially put there, but hopefully the way we conduct ourselves in that position of oversight or distributing things will commend itself to our spiritually exercised brethren.
You know, the wonderful thing is that there are many of them that have discernment and have good judgment.
And we are willing, hopefully to listen to their judgment, listen to their suggestions. You know, we all sometimes need to be corrected or to be helped to come to a good judgement.
You know the fool despises correction. I hope we are not fools that we despise correction. You know we all at one time or another need to learn.
To improve on what we are doing.
But how wonderful.
That we still have oversight, we have still doors at.
Exercise the service of a Deacon.
And.
You know there are so many needs among God's Saints.
And not so much necessarily in our part of the world, but there are poor people even in America and in Canada.
You know older people.
You know, people who are on retirement maybe have nothing other than Social Security.
And those of us who have Social Security.
You know, we would find it difficult to just live from just Social Security.
You know, but those of us who are younger.
Let me ask you, how do you handle your finances?
Do you spend it all?
Or do you save some?
There's nothing wrong in saving things.
Of course, if we do it strictly for selfishness, selfish purposes, that's not of God.
But hopefully.
The Lord will help us and show us.
How we can handle things?
And in the assembly.
To accept leadership.
And it's very important that we re emphasize that with the Deacon, the wife is mentioned, but with the overseer, the wife is not mentioned.
Because.
The women go more by their heart than by their head.
It's a wonderful thing to have ladies in the meeting their loving creatures and they can be a tremendous help. And when a brother has a godly wife?
She can be a tremendous assistance to him.
Aquila and Priscilla were such a couple.
Aquila and Priscilla took in Apollos and they taught him the way more perfectly. Isn't that tremendous?
That Priscilla had a part in teaching Apollos the way more perfectly.
But in connection with her husband.
You know, there's a tremendous fear of service in the whole for sisters.
00:40:00
Sister to sister.
Through there are many things where a brother would feel very awkward if he has to talk to a lady about a certain problem.
I'm not saying that oversight is part of the sister's position, but.
There are times when we have to leave things to assist her talking to a sister. Of course, when it is a question of a sister needing to be disciplined by the assembly, then that's strictly a matter that the brothers have to handle. But they might well have to get facts.
To another sister.
Well, hopefully we accept God's order in God's house.
See, this is what we find in First Timothy 3.
You have the House of God in order.
And it's too important that it is in verse 15 called.
Paul is telling Timothy, But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou Artest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Well.
That's what the assembly in God's purposes is, to be the pillar and ground of the truth.
The basis is the truth and also the support is the truth. The Church is to support the truth and to be the ground.
Well, hopefully.
We demonstrate that although we are not exactly in First Timothy conditions, we are in Second Timothy, you know, Second Timothy.
Is the house in ruin?
You know ruin has come in. We see it round about us.
You know how sad are some of the things that have taken place among us.
You know how sad that there are times.
When separation is a must.
Separation from evil. And that's what we find in Two Timothy.
But in spite of.
The house presented in ruin in Second Timothy. There are things mentioned in Second Timothy.
That do not change.
What about verse one? According to the promise of life between Christ Jesus, has that been lost? No, it's still there and God is still our Father.
And what about?
Paul was imprisoned.
And in verse nine of chapter two, he says.
He suffered trouble.
As an evildoer even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound.
What an encouragement that is.
That's why we ought to use the Word of God.
In contact with souls?
If you want to be of any help.
Quote the scriptures.
And hopefully we know enough of the scriptures that the Spirit of God can bring a certain scripture to our mind in any situation that will fit the situation.
You better know the Scriptures. You know we're not in the day of Revelation.
You know, in the day of Revelation, before the Scriptures were all written, there were revelations given. We find that in First Corinthians 14, but we don't have that today.
But we have the word of God, and that's not bound.
But when there is failure.
Among God's people, even among ourselves.
00:45:04
How comfortable to know he abideth faithful.
Verse 13. He cannot deny himself.
The Lord himself abide faithful. We know the faithful 1P might at times tend to give up.
Or write somebody off.
But the Lord Jesus abides, faithful and continues to labor, and there are times, no doubt, when we have to leave things to him.
You know we cannot continuously with a heretic, for instance, after the 1St and 2nd admonition be done with them. The scripture says there are such times when you have to leave somebody with the Lord, but how wonderful he abides faithful. But what a comfort it is in verse 19 of chapter 2.
The God standard sure having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his.
You know, conditions might become such that we are not sure is that person, is that person really the Lords?
What a comfort to know.
The Lord knoweth them that are his.
And but what is our responsibility?
That everyone.
And let everyone that name is the name of the Lord. You know in the King James it says Christ, but the correct rendering is as Lord.
Depart from iniquity.
You know he is our savior.
He is our Head and He is our Bridegroom, but He is also our Lord. But the Lordship of Christ has to do with us as individuals.
He's not the Lord of the body.
He's the head of the church.
But is a bridegroom?
But he is the Lord of our individual lives. He is to be in charge.
And if we named the name of the Lord, professed that we belong to him.
We have to depart from iniquity.
You know there are things that require separation.
In the Christian profession, the truth of separation is not popular.
There might be times when the truth of separation is sought to be undermined by those among us.
It is an absolute must.
To separate to depart from iniquity.
And then it goes on.
That this house that was presented in order in the first Epistle, now is presented as a great house.
It has become a great house.
And.
There are not only vessels of gold and of silver.
Anybody recognizes that those are good vessels, valuable vessels?
But also wood and earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor.
That's the condition that exists in the House of God when ruin has come in.
And what is the absolute must in view of such a condition?
If a man therefore perched himself from these, he shall be a vessel on to honor sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. If you want to be a vessel that the Lord can use, if you want to be a fit vessel that the Lord can use, you have to individually separate.
It is sometimes a very painful thing.
Let me ask you this.
If your daughter or your son would be living in sin, are you going to associate with them? Are you going to throw your arms around them?
00:50:05
Because they're your son. They're your daughter.
Unfortunately, what people say is oftentimes demonstrated. But run thicker than water, you know?
Unfortunately.
Don't let natural relationships color your decisions.
Go by the word of God.
And we have to individually separate from vessels to dishonor in order to be a vessel to honor fit for the master's use.
Prepared unto every good work.
But then three also youthful lusts.
Now you might say, oh, that's only for the young people.
That's not only written for young people.
You know, we had a dear old brother, Jimmy Smith with it with us one time and he stayed with us for several weeks.
And I was at that time around 40 some years old. And I said to him, Brother Smith.
Once one gets to be your age, maybe we don't have as much trouble anymore with what the younger ones have trouble with. Oh, he said. Brother Heinz, there's no fool like an old fool.
And that is so, you know, all people had to be removed from the Lord's Table because of immorality.
The flesh does not change with age.
The flesh is the same.
And if you want to be a vessel?
Fit for the masters used prepared unto every good work we have to individually separate.
And then free youthful lusts.
And follow.
Righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them. It called on the Lord out of a pure heart.
You know this is the collective path now.
Individually we have to separate.
Then how wonderful there is a collective path.
We have those of like precious faith. We are not expected to be Robinson, Cruz or Christians.
God's purpose is that there are those of like precious faith with whom we can walk.
But they also have to individually separate.
And then we can follow.
Righteousness.
Faith, love, charity is love, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
You know we can have a pure heart.
Follow him out of a pure heart.
Our natural heart is wicked, desperately wicked. Who can know it?
You know that is the condition of man, naturally.
But he has not cleaned up.
Our dirty heart. But what has he done? He has given us a new heart.
Let me emphasize that He hasn't cleaned up the sinful bad heart that we're born with. He has given us a new heart.
And we can call on the Lord with those of light, curses, faith, out of a pure heart.
And but then we have to be careful about foolish and unlearned questions. Avoid.
You know, it doesn't take very long when you meet somebody and he comes up with questions. It becomes very evident very quickly evident whether he's just.
To an argument she wants to argue, just leave her.
Don't even go into it.
00:55:00
But those who have honest questions.
You know.
Ask the Lord for grace to help answer their questions and hopefully to have a scripture to answer with the Word of God.
And bring that before them.
The servant of the Lord must not strive.
But gentle unto all men, apartment to teach.
Patient.
You know.
How wonderful that is. But the grace of God is able to do for us as Christians.
We can serve the Lord and serve Him in an acceptable way.
Gentle unto all men.
Apartment to teach.
Patient teaching is very important.
In Christianity.
And hopefully we have an open ear and are willing to accept teaching, not just things for the heart.
You know.
Something that will help us understand the truth better.
You know the teacher addresses the spiritual intelligence of the man.
And.
The shepherd addresses the heart.
The Prophet addresses the conscience.
It is probably what we naturally speaking like the least.
We also like to usually hear nice sweet things, but there are times when the conscience has to be reached and the voice of the prophet has to be heard amongst us.
And yes, we might become unpopular with some people if we do give the voice of the prophet, but nevertheless, if what was said is the truth of God and was said in the Spirit as it is described here, leave the consequences with Him.
There are those that oppose themselves. I think this suggests that even with those that we desire to walk according to what verse 22 Says.
There might be those who oppose themselves.
But hopefully.
God will give them repentance.
To the acknowledgement of the truth.
Here, it's a serious thing to take a stand against the truth on any point of the truth.
Hopefully we say we want the truth and nothing but the truth.
You know and.
Get rid of whatever else might be introduced, whatever else might spring up in our minds and thoughts.
And bow to the truth.
The truth of God, the Word of God, abides forever.
And it is definite positive sometimes.
Necessarily.
Points out things that would touch the conscience, and hopefully we will allow the Spirit of God to touch our conscience whenever necessary.
And then?
There's a snare of the devil.
You know the devil.
Does not give up after we are rescued from his power.
You know, we see that with Israel, do we not?
And why did they have to be For 40 years in the wilderness? They were delivered from the penalty of sin by the blood on the door. They were delivered from the power of sin and Satan through the Red Sea.
But then why did they have to be in the wilderness for 40 years?
Well, they had to learn what was in their heart.
And they had to learn what was in the heart of God for them, in spite of their shortcomings, in spite of their rebellious ways.
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But you know they didn't have. But you and I have as Christians.
They didn't have a new nature. Some of them did.
But many of them didn't. They were in a relationship to Jehovah because they were descendants of that.
Line of blessing.
But in our case, as Christians, we have a divine nature.
And we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us. The divine nature gives us the desire to do that which is right. We see that in First Corinthians 7. That's the exercise of one that has a divine nature. He delights in the law of God. He wants to do what is right, but doesn't have the power to do what is right. And nature itself doesn't give us the power.
But we also have the Spirit of God dwelling in US, and that's the power.
That we have to do that which the divine nature delights in. You're not even a Christian if you don't have the Spirit of God dwelling in you. That's what makes you a Christian.
People say are you a born again Christian?
And anybody asked that question, I tell them if you don't have more than new birth, you're not even a Christian.
Yes, there were those that were born again before the Spirit of God came down.
And there might be today somebody that has new life.
But has not yet been indwelled by the Spirit. What does it take to be indwelt by the Spirit you read in Acts?
The person and work of the Lord Jesus needed to be presented to Cornelius in order for him. When he received that, the Spirit fell on him. So how wonderful to be a Christian, not only to have a divine nature that wants to do what is right, but to also have the Spirit of God dwelling in US.
Empowering us and giving us the strength to do what is pleasing to God, but it has to be the ungrieved spirit.
You know, if they are sin in our lives, the Spirit has to occupy us with that sin and lead us to repentance. And then if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And in the power of an ungrieved spirit we can live pleasing to God. Keep short accounts in your life. Don't push off things if you.
Sin.
And if you have an evil thought, even judge it, put it aside.
And and ask the Lord to help you to walk pleasing for him. Don't you think it would be a great it is a great delight for God to look down.
When he looked down, when the Lord Jesus was here, there was a man that always did his will.
Always was here for the glory of God. Now there are those who belong to the Lord Jesus, who have a new nature and have the Spirit of God. Don't you think it brings joy to the heart of God to see us living and walking for Him? Yes, that brings joy to the heart of God. It's a wonderful thing to be a worshiper, to worship the Father in spirit and in truth, but it's also bringing joy to the heart of God to see us.
Living for him.
Walking in a way that is pleasing to him. And you don't have to be 30 years old before you get exercised about that. As a child, you can be exercised about that and.
A little child of seven or even three or four may enter into heaven to Christ the open door for when the hard believers in Christ, the Son of God to stand the soul receiver salvation through his blood, you know, and even a child.
Can have the knowledge of knowing God as Father.
So may the Lord bless His word. And if any questions come up in your mind in connection with the ministry given as the Lord to show your scriptures or talk to a brother that can help you answering your questions. That's how we all learn. And there are still things that even the oldest among us still need to learn. We haven't learned at all, have you?
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No, there's still a lot of things we need to learn. More than anything we learn to need to learn to become more like the Lord Jesus.
Our souls now.
Oh, Oh my God.
So.
It's a God and Father, we do thank thee for our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And we thank Thee for that mighty work on Calvary's cross, that we've been reconciled to thee and we were once enemies by wicked works in our minds and opposed to thee. And we thank Thee now that we've been brought into communion with Thee as we have sung, and we have common interests with thee. And we thank you for the help from thy precious word as we walk through a world that opposed as opposed to thee in every way and its thoughts and its ways, particularly religiously.
And we just pray for grace to just enjoy this blessed fact of what we sung in this hymn and to go on in a practical way. And we just thank the our blessed God and Father for Thy word and that we can be together to enjoy it. Our Savior's precious and worthy name, Amen.