Address—John Kaiser
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Let's sing hymn #35 in the appendix.
I have memories of singing this hymn as a child and.
We sang it to a rather doleful tune, and I thought it was a very doleful hymn, but I've learned to appreciate it. You know, that we things grow on you and sometimes you grow into things and I've grown into this him a little bit.
And it helps.
If you don't use a real ponderous tune, but I want you to notice.
Umm.
The third.
The fourth verse.
Join the singing that he leadeth.
The only reason we sing is because our Christ.
Has triumphed.
Join the singing that he leadeth loud to God. Our voices raised every step that we have trodden is.
A triumph of His grace.
Now, that doesn't apply to you if you're not saved. If there's someone here this afternoon, that isn't true for you necessarily. But if you are a child of God.
God has had his eye on you and His heart towards you.
Since eternity passed and every step in your life.
Has been tailored.
Has been influenced, has been ordered by his grace. You may look at it and say, well, I don't, can't see how the Lord ordered that. Well, I didn't say that. The Lord took us, told us to take every step we took, but every step we took, he had his.
Interest in it?
And, you know, we sometimes think that.
At least I know I used to think, and I think we we all tend to think that God is kind of like we are, that he, he's a spectator and he gets involved in our lives from time to time. And it's not so he's involved in our lives all the time.
And the Lord tarries. We'll look at some folks this afternoon who didn't believe this.
They didn't believe that every step.
Was the triumph of His grace.
#35 in the appendix.
No, no, no, I didn't write the rest on the number to my phone.
I've been suffering all the time.
For the storm of wrath alone.
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Nsnoise.
Yeah, All right. I'm fine, I'm afraid.
Wander, Joy or Wathers?
Right on.
Camera may work for you.
Or he never thought of violence. I am, and I call on us where there's long.
Oh, I enjoy your spirits around.
Day down and rest and rest on.
The other circuit rehearsal.
Now, before we give thanks, we'll set the table. Open your Bibles, please.
Two John, chapter 6.
And verse.
66.
From that time, many of his disciples went back.
And walked no more with him.
From that time, many of his disciples went back.
And walked no more with him. John 18.
Verse 4.
Jesus, therefore knowing all things that should come upon him.
Went forth or went forward?
And said unto them, Whom seek ye, They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them.
I am he, and Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them, and as soon as he had said unto them, I am he.
They went backward.
It's the same Greek word in both passages. In John, they went back, they went backward.
Jesus went forward knowing all that was ahead.
That was his prerogative.
We don't know what's all ahead for us. We know some of the details. We're told the end with somewhat of what the end is going to be. The Lord Jesus knew every step of his path in advance.
He knew all that should come upon him, and he went forward.
Now turn to Exodus Chapter 14.
Verse 15.
And the Lord said unto Moses.
Wherefore Christ thou unto me?
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Speak unto the children of Israel.
That they go forward.
A year or so ago.
Brother brought me for me this passage in John 6.
And he said, I wish somebody would speak on this subject or write on this subject.
On this question that Jesus asks.
Will ye also.
Go away.
The Lord Jesus asked that of his disciples, knowing what they would answer.
Then why did he ask it? Well, for two reasons. One, to exercise their hearts and the 2nd to exercise our hearts.
This afternoon.
And I've been thinking about that question now for over a year.
And and not continuously, but from time to time.
Various passages and Bible characters would come into mind in connection with this. I'd just like to share with you a few of the things that I trust the Lord has brought to me in connection with that.
Question.
Turn to Genesis.
Chapter 12.
First, we're gonna look at a couple of pairs of Bible characters.
And, uh, it won't be immediately obvious why they or it may not be immediately obvious why they're connected with this, but I trust it will be before we're done.
Genesis chapter 12.
Now the Lord said unto Abram.
Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation. I will bless thee and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him, and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed.
From Heron and Abram took Sarah his wife, and lost his brother's son and all their substance that they had gathered and the souls that they had gotten in here and went forth.
Or went forward to go into the land of Canaan.
And into the land of Canaan they came.
Now it's interesting.
Lord spoke to Abram and starred with one person.
It says in. Let's look at it.
Umm.
Isaiah 51.
Let's read from the beginning of Isaiah 51. Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord.
Look unto the rock, whence ye are hewn, unto the whole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abram your father.
And unto Sarah that bear you, for I called him alone.
Abram was called alone.
Nor as God spoke to him.
And Sarah went with him.
And so that says there the children of Israel told to look to Abraham and Sarah, but the Lord calls each one of us individually first. But it's his purpose that we should walk in company.
God put Adam in the Garden of Eden and then said it's not good that man should be dwell alone. I will make it help me for him. And so God provided Eve for Adam, he provided Sarah for Abram and we will see that the and we look at two other couples two other.
People that the Lord brought together and, uh, God called Abram alone.
And it's interesting what he says in chapters. Go back to Genesis chapter 17.
We like to lean on people, but notice what God said to Abram.
Genesis 17 verse one.
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And when Abram was 90 years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, said unto him, I am the Almighty God. I'm all you need.
The Almighty God, you say? Gabriel, I'm all you need.
Walk before me and be Thou perfect. We need to individually learn to walk with the Lord. He's all we need. But in His goodness, He often provides a companion to those who walk with us. The hymn we sang at the beginning of this meeting was a congregational hymn. It was a hymn of group, a group going traveling together. And I'm thankful for my brother, those who walk with me and with whom I walk.
With whom I journey. But we each need to learn to walk before the Lord individually as well.
And so the Lord said to Abraham, he called him alone, He said, Walk before me and be thou perfect. And then he gave him Sarah. And Sarah also was a woman of faith. She's mentioned in Hebrews 11, and the Israelites were told to look to her as well as an example.
But I've enjoyed like thinking about this.
I don't know how Abraham Abraham broke the news to Sarah, but he might have come to her after the Lord came to him, maybe in the night. So he woke up in the morning and thought, well, the Lord gave me an order, I got to do something. And so he says to Sarah in the morning, we need to start packing up. We're gonna move.
And uh.
She says oh why?
Well, 'cause the Lord told me, Well, where are we going?
I don't know.
Turn to Hebrews 11 before we go any further.
Hebrews 11, verse 8.
By faith, Abram, when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
That's two wonderful things said about Abram there. The 1St is that he obeyed.
And the second thing, he obeyed without knowing the results. And the Lord often challenges us that way. He tells us to do something and we don't know what the consequences will be. We sometimes have very strange thoughts about the consequences. God's purpose for Abram was blessing. And I ask you, we had quite a talk yesterday afternoon about obedience. Where would we be if Abraham hadn't obeyed?
Obedience has wonderful consequences.
It's to me, it's a simple, it's a wonderful thing that it doesn't say that we don't know, but I, I get the impression from these scriptures that Abram didn't argue with the Lord that says Abram obeyed. That's the character of faith. You act on the word of God, you don't argue.
But I can imagine that there's a difference between men and women. And Abram came to to Sarah and said, well, we're going to move and.
Let's face it, Abram was 75. I think that makes umm.
Sarah, 65 or something like that. She, I think she was 10 years younger. She by this time it probably become pretty settled, comfortable where they were. And she and she naturally curious. Women are less adventurous, I think in general than men. UMM wants to know where we're going, what are we going to do there? How long are we going to be there? How long is it going to take and to each of these things.
Abraham can only say I don't know.
Brethren, it's not a bad thing. Not always a bad thing to say. I don't know. We like to know, but it's not wrong. It's not a bad thing to say. I don't know. It's a very humbling thing. And that's that can be a good thing.
And sisters.
If your husband walks before the Lord.
Let him say that once in a while. I don't know.
I know that it's hard to live with that sometimes.
But Sarah did.
And they got to the land of Canaan.
There, when our brother Don was talking yesterday, I thought a thought came to me which has occurred to me before.
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Just to say we're about obedience. There is no downside to obedience.
You say, what do you mean there's no downside? The obedience could be costly. Yes, it can be. But ultimately there's no downside to obedience, let's say ultimately.
Let's turn to Proverbs chapter. Umm.
12.
Now Faith looks at the big picture. Let's keep that in mind. Faith looks at the big picture. Faith takes the Longview.
When you look at a couple of verses in Proverbs 12 just to reinforce this thought.
Proverbs chapter 12, verse 21. There shall no evil.
Happened to the just.
But the wicked shall be filled with mischief. Now I used to, I read that verse many times my life and I for years I've read that verse because I have a habit of reading through a chapter in Proverbs every Saturday, the the chapter that suits the date. I'll read that chapter on Saturday, Saturday morning. And I've, I've read this and I thought, how, how can that be? No evil happens. What we sang in our song. Every step that we have trodden is a triumph.
Of His grace, whether good or whether sorrow, all can only work for good.
That's the Longview. Yes, we do have trials, and faith does cost no immediate cost. By the way, there's no such thing as faith without obedience. We need to learn obedience because there's no such thing as walking by faith.
Without walking in obedience, and obedience is hard.
And faith is hard. Both are contrary to the flesh.
But look at another verse here in the same chapter. Proverbs chapter 12, verse 28.
In the way of righteousness is life, and in the pathway thereof there is no death.
That's the Longview. Yes, the Lord Jesus had trials on this earth, and every St. has trials in the path of faith.
I'd like to illustrate it if I can.
I was hoping there would be some young men sitting up in front here that I could pick on, but uh.
Is there anybody sitting close by like so I can see them? Umm, who likes to travel?
Hold up your hand if you like to travel.
I'll pick on Bob here, then. He didn't hold up his hand. Oh, OK. All right. You like to travel? What's the name? OK, you like to travel? Umm, between here and SE, and between Saint Louis and Chicago, there are a variety of highways.
Umm, and if you had, there's the the main route, of course is is UH-55. It's not a toll road, but supposing there were another, it was another Rd. that was a full Rd.
And it was equal distance, equal comfort. All things being equal, which would you rather take, the toll road or the free Rd.
The free road. Now suppose I told you I would like you to take the toll road.
And I will pay the tolls and for every dollar you pay in toll.
I will pay you $100 at your destination. Would that change anything? Yeah.
Rather than that's our life, the world and the Prince of this world will collect their tools from us. But the Lord promises to pay the tolls.
And to reward us at the end.
It just helps a little to think about that. Then you say, well.
How many toll stations are there?
And what are the tolls gonna be? Well, we don't know. You want more?
My point is.
The Lord is no man's debtor.
If he calls us to a course, he's taking full responsibility for it.
And he rewards. It's interesting, it says in the last chapter of the book.
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My reward is with me.
We're going to meet him.
And his reward is with him.
We're spending more time here on Abram than I had planned.
Let's tune into.
The Book of Ruth.
We won't spend so much time there.
Ruth, Chapter One.
And.
Verse.
14 first 15.
And this is Naomi speaking and and she said, behold, thy sister-in-law has gone back.
Unto her people, and unto her gods, return thou after thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not.
To leave thee, or to return from following after thee. For whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge, and thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God.
Now here we find two women who are headed the right direction.
They had that in common.
But one was in a very poor state. She was bitter. That was Naomi. She was so bitter that she gave her daughter-in-law bad advice. But there must have been something in Naomi previously.
That had convicted Ruth.
That where Ruth was going or where Naomi was going was where Ruth wanted to go. And Ruth spoke in faith. She had no natural claim on God, but she said.
Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou doest I will die, and there will I be buried the Lord.
Do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee in me.
And so we have three people. Two people. Excuse me, Two people headed the right direction. One in a poor state, one in a good state and with differing levels of knowledge. They only had a good fund of knowledge. She came from the land of Israel. She knew where she was going. I don't know how much Ruth knew. I'm quite sure she didn't know as much as Naomi. This to me, is a little picture of us traveling together. We have different states.
And we have different levels of knowledge.
What is it that keeps us going together? It's the fact that we have a common goal, a common interest. You find this picture, there's kind of umm, described in Philippians Chapter 3, and I just want to turn to that briefly.
Philippians chapter 3 and verse.
Umm 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded, having a common goal it is. And if any other thing ye be other minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, wherein till we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.
It's just need to keep in mind that sometimes we get really upset with things people say, and Ruth could have gotten upset with what Naomi said. She didn't, and she ended up being an encouragement to Yomi. And we see, if you look at the book of Ruth, you see eventually that Naomi's faith outpaces roots. Naomi grows, she's restored, she gets back to Bethlehem, and she starts to see how the Lord has worked for her.
And she grows in faith, and there's rich blessing from it.
Starting now to another pair. That's kind of a sad pair, David and Jonathan.
Turn to First Samuel chapter 20. I just want to read one verse there so we know the story of David and Jonathan.
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The size of Jonathan that he loved David as his own soul, but his love was not governed by wisdom. He will will find he made some bad decisions.
No question that Jonathan loved David but turns that's you find that and let's let's see that John excuse me first Samuel 20 verse 17, the end of the verse that says he loved him as he loved his own soul. But then look at the end of the chapter.
The end of verse 42. And he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city. David went into the wilderness, and Jonathan went into the city. Their paths divided.
And turn to umm.
Chapter.
23.
Inverse.
16.
We find Jonathan here comes to meet David again and.
And Jonathan saw S son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
You know, Jonathan was a was one who loved David.
And who spent time with David and he encouraged David. And I'm happy to say there are many brethren with whom I don't walk that have been an encouragement to me.
We're all members of the same body. They have gifts, they have callings that we can benefit from even though we don't walk with them on a regular basis.
But here is Jonathan he strengthen.
David's hand he strengthened his hand in the Lord, but.
Umm then it says, umm, Jonathan says to him, verse 17 And he said to him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul, my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee, and thou shalt. And and that also saw my father knoweth. And they too made a covenant before the Lord, and David abode in the wood. And Jonathan went and went to.
His house, the previous chapter says he went into the city. Now he goes to his house. The city speaks of friends, shall we say the house speaks of family. And there was these two things had a pull on Jonathan. He wasn't willing to forsake his friends and his family. And I believe there was one third thing that affected Jonathan's actions and suggested by what he says here in verse 17.
I shall be next unto thee.
Remember when the disciples?
They wanted we're looking for a special that they arguing themselves who would have the 1St, the 1St and 2nd or the primary seats in the Kingdom and even the mother of Ebony's children came to him to the Lord and said grant that my sons may sit next to you.
There was ambition there, shall we say.
Umm, a desire, perhaps a right desire to have influence for David on David's behalf.
But you know, it's this was Saul's, this was Umm Jonathan's undoing. He made a wrong choice. How much better if he'd stayed with David?
By going back to Saul, he strengthened Saul's hand as well.
And he ended up, he wanted the best, shall we say, He wanted the best of both worlds. He wanted the best of Saul's world. He wanted the best of David's world. And he lost both.
But you know.
Saw a Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth gave David the devotion that Jonathan didn't. You know, it's, it's wonderful to look at Mephibosheth's attitude when, when David was, uh, chased out of Jerusalem. So I always say when he returned, there is Mephibosheth to greet him. And Mephibosheth didn't want anything else. He said, I've got enough. You're here. All he wanted was David. He wasn't concerned with positions. He wasn't concerned with possessions.
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He had the the he had the heart that Jonathan should have had.
And then that's must have been a real joy to David.
Now.
You know, these are these, Jonathan. Jonathan made some poor choices and I like to say we underestimate the significance of choices.
Our brother Jim Highland spoke to us, uh, two days ago, talked about prayer. Prayer is the expression of humility, of dependence.
And we need wisdom to make choices. So many choices we make. We think, oh, that this doesn't matter. It's a small choice, you know, that we need the Lord's wisdom in every step of our lives. I need I, I'm, I'm saying what the Lord I trust have been telling me.
We underestimate the significance of the decisions we make. They I'm sure Jonathan hadn't didn't have a clue how serious his decision was when he left David and went back to his house. It was a very normal thing for him to do, but it was disastrous.
Every decision we make is a moral decision.
Everything we do, every decision we make is a moral decision because it's either for better.
Or for worse, for good or for bad.
You know, it's just.
Everything in life the Lord Jesus never did a thing apart from the will of the Father.
And this, this is a, a, a, a difficult lesson to learn, a difficult lesson to remember.
Every decision in life is immoral decision.
Let's turn to John 6. Now we get to the heart of what's before me.
And we'll read the whole passage.
John chapter 6, starting with verse 61.
Well, let's start a little bit F We'll start verse 59.
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said this as an heart, saying, Who can hear it?
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you?
What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth.
The flesh profiteth nothing.
The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not.
For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not.
And who should betray Him? And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come to me, except that we're given him of the Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Then said Jesus unto the 12 will ye also go away?
And Simon, then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have I not chosen you? 12 and one of you as the devil? He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the 12.
The Lord Jesus had had these people following Him. They were listening to Him.
And they were thinking about what he said, and it didn't add up in their minds.
They said who can hear it?
Who can deal with this?
They were offended.
Now we get offended. What's the word offended mean? It means upset.
Well, what does upset mean? That means we're.
We are getting contentious in our hearts when I'm when I'm upset, it means I am against whatever it is I'm upset at. I'm contending with it.
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I'm negatively engaged with it.
And that's interesting. What the Lord? How the Lord?
Speaks of that.
Because people like to think that they, they, they like to talk about their offenses. Well, I don't like this about this person or that brother or this teaching or that doctrine or that assembly or whatever. And people make an issue of it and they get issues and they, they becomes a, a pet, something they like to be occupied with. And what does Jesus say here?
I say unto you, But there verse 64, there are some of you that believe not.
For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not It's an issue of faith.
We are either walking by faith or we're not.
And if we're not walking by faith, we're going to be offended.
We're going to be upset. The two are.
Antithetic they oppose each other. It's interesting it says in these people they were upset they were they were offended. The Lord Jesus knew they were offended and it says in Romans 15 it says we have joy and peace through believing it says in first Peter one whom having not seen.
Yet believing you rejoice and it's talking to Peter's addressing people who are going through trouble.
What was the secret of their joy? It was believing. It was faith.
But there were people here who didn't believe. They come to a point and they said I won't accept that because that's what faith is. Faith says I accept it, God says it, I accept it. I didn't say I understand it, I accept it.
And things we get, we get things said to us, done to us. We have experiences or circumstances that we are not willing to accept, which the Lord has brought into our path and we don't accept them and we don't walk by faith.
That is why.
It says here many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. They went back. That was not progress. They lost.
They lost, they lost fellowship with the Lord, and then it comes to something in our paths and my path and the assembly in my home, in my personal life where I'm not willing to accept what the Lord gives.
In that aspect, I lose fellowship with the Lord.
And that's why many went back. They went back and walked nowhere no more with him, because they were not willing to accept what the Lord said or did.
And Jesus said to the 12 Will ye also go away?
They needed that question. We need that question because we can lose.
What we presently enjoy, we can lose it. I've heard people say well so and so went off and gave up the doctrine and I don't think he ever believed him.
Not necessarily true. We can lose.
We can lose whatever the Lord gives us in the way of things down here, we can lose.
Things we have guaranteed to us forever and things that are treasured up in Christ Jesus. We can't lose them forever. But it says here.
They walked no more with him. They, they went back. We don't know whether this is an absolute statement for doesn't mean the rest of their lives, but as far as this account is concerned, they walk no more with him. They lost out. And I'd like to just look at a few scriptures that, uh, well, before we get to them, I'd like to finish here with what the Lord says here.
The Lord says to P the 12 We also go away. And son, Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? What is it that keeps us? It's appreciation for the person, Lord, to whom shall we go? They didn't understand everything he said. Sometimes they thought they did, sometimes they knew they didn't. But Peter says, you have the words of eternal life. They recognize his authority. They recognize that he didn't have to be understood.
But he had the word of God, He had the words of authority. Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. It's interesting that.
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Judas.
Sat there and let Peter say that.
And we know Judas is heart.
He never did believe.
But he was there for what he could get.
A lot of these others, you know, they left because they weren't getting what they wanted, you know, and we, when there's such an attitude these days, what's in it for me? Uh, I don't get it. And if it doesn't satisfy me, then I don't want it.
Doesn't matter who it comes from.
But Peter knew what was coming, what he was getting. He was getting the words of eternal life. He didn't understand them all, but he appreciated the Person. Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words eternal life, and we believe in our share that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. He was occupied with the Person.
Umm in this connection?
I'd like to look at a verse.
In uh, Proverbs 8.
Proverbs 8 this kind of pictures the whole situation.
Proverbs 8 verse 34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily in my gates, waiting at the posts, my doors. That was just the attitude that Peter and the disciples.
Evidenced they were sticking with the Lord Jesus, they were willing to hear him, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the post of my doors. For who so fine with me findeth life, and shall obtain favor the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul.
If we're not willing to accept what the Lord tells us, what the Lord gives us in the way of circumstances.
We wrong our own souls.
Those that left the Lord, they may have thought, ah, I'm done with this business. They didn't realize the loss to their own souls.
He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul.
Serious consequences.
Let's look at a couple more verses. They're helpful in this answer. In this connection, Hosea chapter 6 and verse 3.
This is God's promise.
Hosea chapter 6 and verse three. We're so apartment to throw up our hands when we don't understand when we don't understand the.
The the, the teaching, the doctrine, the circumstances, the behavior, whatever it is. Notice what it says here Jose chapter 6 and verse 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord how you gonna know a person you have to be close to them to know them and Peter was committed at this point. We know later that says they all forsake have been fled, but Peter came back and the others came back.
They were committed to being with the Lord, and that's the only way to know him, you know, is to be with him.
And so in this connection, I'd like to look at a couple other verses.
Uh, Psalm 68.
Psalm 60.
Umm, you know, Psalm 60.
3 Psalm 60 Psalm 62 First, let's go to Psalm 62, because Psalm 62 and Psalm 63 go nicely together.
Psalm 62.
I'm going to read it to you the way it is in the Hebrew Bible and some other translations. Truly, my soul quietly rests upon God.
That's so opposite from being offended, isn't it?
Truly, my soul quietly rests upon God. From Him cometh my salvation. He only.
00:50:04
Only David wrote this Psalm. He wasn't looking to any man to resolve the situation. He says he only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be greatly moved. Let's turn to verse.
Look at verse 5.
My soul.
We have that word wait again, as again the Hebrew says. The Hebrew is to rest peacefully, rest quietly only upon God, for my expectation is from Him. You know, so often we have our expectations and our brethren and our circumstances. I was talking to a young fellow recently who left the meeting a year or so ago.
He found this church. It was just so wonderful.
I think he used to tell me how wonderful it was and and now he's discovered it's not wonderful. The people in are just like us.
And he's so discouraged.
Everything turned out, so it's gone sour for him.
My soul rest.
Peacefully or quietly, only upon God, for my expectation is from Him. That's where Abraham's expectation was from, was from God.
That's where our expectation is, is from God. And that's interesting. I quoted that verse in Romans 15 says now the God of hopefully with all joy and peace and believing. And that word hope doesn't mean maybe in this world the word hope means maybe. But in the Scripture, in the New Testament in particular, the word hope means expectation. He's the God of expectation.
He delivers.
And so my soul rest quietly or peacefully only upon God, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be moved. Verse eight. Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for a Selah. Now look at chapter verse Psalm 6. Psalm 63, verse 8.
My soul followeth hard after thee.
You know the Lord Jesus chose 12 disciples that they should be with him, and they they stuck with him.
On the evening of his crucifixion, evening before his crucifixion, he said, Ye are they which have continued with me in my trials, my temptation.
My soul followeth hard after the you know that ought to be the expression of my heart. My soul followeth hard after that means that means there's effort to be close. You find the express you. If you read through the historical books of the Bible, you'll find that there were times when an enemy, one enemy was pursuing another and since they followed hard after that person, they were diligent. They St. stuck close to that person didn't let that person get away so that the very attitude that.
That Ruth had entreat me not to leave me.
My soul follows hard after the We ought each to take that to our hearts.
So these ones who were who left the Lord Jesus back in John six, they had a choice. They had a choice to believe or a choice to take offense. They had a choice to walk by faith or a choice to react according to their reason and their feelings.
And that's faith is a choice. Offense is a choice.
Our time is nearly up and I haven't covered anywhere near the the, uh, the, umm, things I'd like to cover.
Umm, but, but you know, in this life, you, you, you take this passage in John 6. Notice what it says. Let's go look what one more phrase in John six. There were so many more I wanted to refer to, but our time is up. Uh, John 6 again.
Umm.
Verse 61.
Does this offend you?
Does this offend you? The question he asked of those who were offended. It was a thing. It was just a thing. And that's if you go through the song, through the through the gospel so often, you find.
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Take example, the disciples who were going to on on the road to Emmaus, they were going the wrong direction and the Lord came to them and asked them what was troubling them. And they said, don't you know the things that have happened? The things.
And then he revealed himself to them, and they turned around. And in life it's this way. It's things are Christ. Paul said that what things were gained to me, those I counted loss.
Lord Jesus, when we think of Thee.
Of my Lord and pray.
For the parents, long as they were seeing.
I didn't even see.
I'd like to sum it all up.
In two words.
Go forward.
Let us go forward.