Address—J. Brereton
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General Meetings. Wheaton, August 1974, addressed by John Puritan.
Targeting this afternoon by singing hymn #242.
Sing aloud to God our strength He has brought us hitherto.
He will bring us home at land, since the Lord our God will do. Doubt not, for His word is stable. Fear not, for His arm is able #242 If some brother would start it for us.
I would like to turn first of all to a verse in the book of Proverbs.
Chapter 29 I believe it is.
Proverbs, chapter 29.
And verse 25.
The fear of man bringeth A snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord.
Shall be safe. And then I'd like to turn over to a verse in Romans chapter 8.
Romans, chapter 8.
And verse 31.
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What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?
He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him?
Also freely give us all things.
What I have before me, dear young people, this afternoon, is to particularly consider.
In the life of two men, in the life of David, and again in the life of Peter.
Episodes concerning this verse if God be for us.
You know, beloved young people, you and I are going through a wilderness journey.
We're on our way home to glory, and we recognize that.
On our way home there are many difficulties, many obstacles.
Many hindrances in the path of faith, but beloved young people, we find that God has made every provision for us. He has given us the wisdom of the Word of God to direct us in that pathway on our way home to glory. He has given us the Spirit of God to indwell us and to be the power.
For that walk through the wilderness.
To please God until we arrive safely home, and then it seems to me like an umbrella.
Like a covering that comes up overall. Is this precious assurance?
That God is for us. You know, I was talking to a young lady just a week or so ago.
And she had come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just about eight or nine months ago.
And we got talking.
Together a little bit about what is spoken of as election.
How that she was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
You know that dear sister said to me. She said one of the things that constantly goes through my mind.
Is why me? Why me all the marvelous grace of God, dear young people.
That chose you and chose me. Pick this up.
Brought us into God's own family. Brought us into that family by birth, by being born again. Brought us in by adoption. Adopted into God's family. Given us to know that God is our Father, That we now have God as our Father.
That we have been brought into the same relationship enjoyed by the Lord Jesus Himself.
Where he said, I ascend unto my father, and your father.
Unto my God and your God. And now, having been brought into God's families, we have the absolute assurance given to us that God is for us.
God is for us, you know. I look into my own heart.
And I see much failure. I realize, in some measure at least, how often I grieve that Holy Spirit that God has put in me, How often I fail, how often I fail to lay hold of in my soul.
The wondrous revelation that God has made to me through His Word. But dear young people, this doesn't change in any way the precious truth that God is for us. If you and I have failed today, God has not, and He has not changed. He is still for us.
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Not that the failure is to be excused in any way.
Dear brother here, one of those who have labored amongst us for many years made a comment in Montreal some years ago. He perhaps doesn't remember it now, but he made the comment and it bothered me a great deal. Matter of fact, it bothered me so much that I went up and spoke to him afterwards and told him I didn't like it one bit.
The comment that he had made was this, He said, remember that he said anytime that we fail, anytime that we sin, it's because we want to, because we want to. And as I say, dear young people, I didn't like that one bit, not at all. And yet as he explained it to me, and as I thought about it since, I realized just how true it is, because anything else.
Any other excuse?
Suggests that there has been something lacking in the provisions that God has made.
That somehow he failed to give adequately.
In order to enable me to walk to please Him. But that is not so. I have the word of God.
Marks the pathway clearly for me. I have the Spirit of God.
As the power to walk to please God and so if I do fail.
I can never say I couldn't help it. God.
Has made the provision, but if I fail.
God may have to speak to me in the circumstances of my life. He certainly speaks to me by His Spirit through His Word to rebuke my conscience, that I might judge the matter and get before God about it. But dear young people, it still remains unchangeable. God is for us, you know, some time ago.
I was visiting in the home of one of our brethren at West.
And I found in his library a book it was reported to be, I believe it was called The History of the Brethren. I've forgotten exact title, but it was something like that written over 100 years ago. And it was really written as a criticism of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And when I glanced through this book, I was struck with a comment that the author made. He said in this book, he said, you know, he said the whole concept of these people that are spoken of his brethren. He said the whole concept is an impossible one.
He said there is no way that it can last because he said what they're trying to do.
Is to administer a discipline.
So that if it becomes necessary for someone to be.
Put away or disciplined in Australia that this is going to be binding.
Upon some Christians in a remote village in England.
Now he says there is no way that it will work. It's impossible, it must fail. Dear young people, that man has been dead and buried a long time, and what is impossible as far as man is concerned, still by the marvelous grace of God goes on. Why? Is it because there has been no failure?
All you and I know better than that, but God is for us.
God maintains for His own glory that testimony gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And as far as you and I as individuals are concerned, it remains.
Just as true today as 2000 years ago. Just as true today after you failed. If you did, or I did as before I failed. God is for us. It never changes. All, beloved young people, that we might realize this, the precious wonder of it. God remains faithful and He's for you.
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Every day of your life.
Now I'd like to turn first of all to a verse in Revelation chapter 21.
The remarks that we want to make this afternoon.
Are addressed primarily to those who are the Lords.
The Word of God says the fear of man bringeth A snare well here in the 21St chapter of Revelation.
And the eighth verse it says, But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and ************ and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.
Which is the second death. Now, as I said, our remarks this afternoon are primarily for those who are the Lord's.
Those are the ones of whom it spoke, speaks in Romans chapter 8. God is for us, but we find here when we look at the subject of fear of the fearful of the fear of man, that there is a word here to those who are not the Lord. Dear young people, the fear of man brings a snare. That's what Solomon wrote by the Spirit of God.
Here the Spirit of God tells us that leading the list of those who end up in the Lake of fire are the fearful. Those who are afraid to take a stand for Christ, afraid of what their friends will say, afraid of what their relatives will say. You know, just a few days ago I was down at the tent in Nova Scotia.
The gospel, and it was a young man. He had come to the gospel tent one day. The next day he came and got on the bus and the bus had just started up, just started to move away, when one of his friends who was standing outside the bus laughed at him, waved at him and started to laugh. And right away this young man said stop the bus, I want to get off.
He got off.
He got off and we sought to encourage him to come, but there was number way.
With that friend of his outside laughing at him, there was number way that he was going to come to the gospel sense. Dear friends, is there something holding you back from coming to Christ? The fearful and the unbelieving lead the class.
Those who end up eternally lost. All dear young people, May God grant.
That you will see that you will see that the fear of man can rob you of eternal life, lead you to this terrible destiny in the lake of fire.
Could we turn now to the First Samuel, First Samuel chapter?
70.
First Samuel.
Chapter 17.
And verse 40.
And he, that is David, took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherds bag, which he had even in a script, And his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine, And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David. And the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David.
He disdained him, for he was but a youth and Ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
And the Philistines said unto David, Am IA dog, that thou comest to me with staves. And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
And the Philistines said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield. But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand. And I will smite thee and take thine head from thee. And I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day.
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Unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lords, and he will give you into our hands.
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted and ran toward the army.
To meet the Philistines and David put his hand in his bag and took fences stone.
And slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stones sunk into its forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him. But there was number sore.
In the hand of David, Therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword.
And drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
We find here beloved young people. A young man, David, He was but a youth. We don't know exactly how old he was, but we see how the Goliath despised him. Fair, Ruddy, but a youth.
Ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
And David is put in the place here where he goes up against Goliath.
And he goes up against him, relying upon the God who is for David.
He goes with no other weapon but his sling in his stone, and the Word of God in particularly draws our attention to the fact that there was no sore in the hand of David. Oh dear young people. I'm sure many of us have enjoyed this passage many times. There is undoubtedly a very important type brought before us here in connection with the Lord Jesus as the one who defeated the enemy by his own sword, his own weapon.
By going into death itself and rising triumphant over it. But what I have particularly before me this afternoon is to see how David went, relying upon the God of Israel. God was for Israel. All the armies of Israel had stood and camped, and they had been so afraid of this giant Goliath, they had lost sight of the fact that God was for them.
God was for Israel and all. Dear young people, how we can lose sight of this? We see difficulties and problems. We see the enemy around us. You go to school and many there have no love for the Lord Jesus at all. Perhaps you're at work and there there are those who have no use for Him at all in your life. It may even be in your family that you face circumstances where there's no sympathy for your desire to go on for the Lord at all.
Well, David faced an enemy, but a youth with no natural weapons, just his sling in his stone. And even those he doesn't mention. He says he came against Goliath in the name of the God of Israel whom Goliath had defied.
And when the battle is joined, it is David who runs to meet the enemy. No Fear, No Fear. He's not dismayed by the size of Goliath. He's not dismayed by Goliath sword or by his shield or by his spear. He's not. He's not terrified or concerned about the words that had so terrified the armies of Israel for so long. No, he goes in the name of the God that was for him and for Israel.
Dear young people, this is what God would have us to do, to go through the circumstances of our lives here realizing God is on our side. I remember hearing the story. I believe it was just a young child who made the comment some one time. He said God and me make a majority. God is on our side. He is for us. Beloved young people, when you go back to school.
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You go back with God, God for you and whether it's a Goliath.
Or whoever the enemy is that comes against you. Whatever the problem is, this is the confidence that you and I are entitled to have by God's oneness, grace, that God is for us. Well, we see the answer. We see the result. Goliath is killed and Goliath's own sword is used to cut off Goliath's head. He is defeated. He runs toward David.
But he ends up.
Dead and defeated full, beloved young people, the Word of God tells us.
That God is for us here in this chapter. It tells us the battle.
Is the Lord oh that you and I would lay hold of that and I say that to my own soul to realize that the battle is the Lords. Are you having opposition in your family? You say, well, this is my battle. This is what I have to fight out. God says no.
The Lord says it's my battle, the battle is the Lord. If you're having difficulties and problems at work or at school and you feel perhaps in your own soul, this is my struggle. The Lord says no, it's my struggle, it's my battle. He gives the grace, He gives the strength, but all that, we would look to him just as David did, and fine, fine, how the Lord delights to have us go through whatever the problem and difficulty is.
With the conscious sense in our souls that God is for us. Now would you turn over with me to the.
21St chapter of First Samuel.
Here we see the same person.
We even see the same weapon coming in, and how the fear of man brings a snare. First Samuel 21 and verse 8 And David said unto A himalek. And is there not here under thine hands, spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me.
Because the King's business required haste.
And the priest said the sword of Goliath, the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah.
Behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou will take that, take it, for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that, Give it me. And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to a Kish, the king of Gas. And the servants of Akish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land?
Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish, the King of Gas, And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
Then said Akish unto his servants, Lo, ye see, the man is mad. Wherefore then have ye brought him to me? Have I need of Mad Men, that he have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house? David therefore departed since.
We find here, dear young people, a real sad occasion in the life of David.
Saul was seeking David's life, Jonathan had warned David.
That Saul was seeking to kill him and David was advised by Jonathan to flee.
Jonathan was not prepared. Even though he loved David, he was not prepared to share David's flight with him.
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He returns to the city, but he leaves David to flee along. Now we find that David comes to know and here he speaks to a him elect. First of all he takes of the showbread that had been taken away from before the from the table of showbread. But now we come to this episode in his life.
When he wants a sore.
Dear young people, let us remember now that this is the same man that just a little while before, perhaps only a year or so before, had gone up against Goliath with no sword in his hand at all.
No sword in his hand at all, just relying on the God of Israel, on the living God.
Now he's fleeing, and now he wants a sword.
To me, it's so marvelous to see how God allows that when he comes to a him elect and asks for a sword, the answer that's given to him is there's only one sword here, and that's the sort of Goliath that's the sword of the one that you killed in the valley of Elam.
All you say, surely that would have been enough. It was a reminder.
From the God of Israel.
That David had before been in a time of peril.
And he had relied upon the God of Israel, and God had rotted great victory.
And deliver him. And there was the evidence before his eyes, the sword of Goliath, that reminder that David had got the victory when he had relied upon the God that was for him.
But now all David sees is a sword.
A great sword. And he says there's no sword like that. And he took the sword. All you say, well, now David got a sword. Now David is going to be strong and brave. Now he's going to be able to stand up to Saul and the enemy, his enemies. But that's not what the word of God says. He now has Goliath sword. But what is the word of God say? Why it says David arose and fled that day for fear of salt.
When he went up against Goliath, relying just upon the one who was for Israel, the God of Israel, No Fear, No Fear of man, No Fear of man, even though the man was 10 feet tall. Just confidence in the living God. And God delivered him. And now we find him, confidence placed in a sword, Goliath sword, what should have been a reminder to him.
Of the faithful God of Israel that had delivered him just a short while before.
But instead, as I said, it becomes simply a sword, and with the sword in his hand.
David is afraid, and all dear young people, we find that not only is he afraid, but he flees to a Kish, the king of Gas. He flees to one of the kings of the enemies of God's people, amongst the Philistines of all people, and there what does he do?
Does he imitate the Philistines? All he does worse than that, he.
Behaves himself in a way that even the Philistines despise all beloved young people. How the fear of man brings a snare when we find our hearts afraid. And I say this to my own heart.
When we find our hearts afraid of what others will think of what others will say, perhaps it's at the office and you know that if you're going to be faithful to the Lord there, they are going to despise, they're going to laugh, perhaps they're going to mock, they're going to perhaps treat you with contempt. Does it bring a snare? Or does it, dear young people, to give us to turn to the God who is for us?
And to rely upon him to realize that this is not our battle, it's his, and he's there to help. He is for us. What a tragic thing it is when our behavior, when your behavior and my behavior becomes that which even the world has to rebuke. You know, dear young people, the world knows.
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The world knows what is becoming to those who belong to Christ, who make a profession of belonging to Christ. Do they see in you and me that which becomes the gospel of Christ? You know, it's a striking expression that used here. You notice in the 11Th verse it says, and the servants of atheists said unto him, is not this David?
The king of the land? What about Saul? I thought Saul was the king.
Well, David was the anointed king. Saul was the usurper who was still on the throne, but David had already been anointed as the one who was to be the rightful king. But.
David wasn't acting as the King. David wasn't acting according to his anointing. And yet even the enemies, the Philistines.
It's the most remarkable thing but the Philistines seem to have recognized.
That David was the king, the rightful king, even while Saul was still reigning.
But David's behavior was not that of a king.
It was that of a madman. He changed his behavior.
All beloved young people, you and I belong to Christ. We bear his name. We are the children of God, and God has marked out for us here that path, that which is becoming to those who are the children of God.
Becoming in our dress the way we dress. Becoming in our behavior. Becoming in what we watch.
Becoming and where we go.
Are we walking as children of God? All you say? The difficulty is it's a difficult path.
It's hard. All God says God is for us. Who can be against us?
Well, we see here in David this remarkable contrast, the day that he relied upon the God of Israel and God brought him through that great test of faith before Goliath, and then the day that he relied on Goliath. Sore.
And instead he flees and ends up acting in a manner.
That even the Philistines despised.
Would you turn with me now?
To Acts chapter 10.
Acts Chapter 10.
And we'll read verse 11 and saw heaven opened.
And a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been, a great sheet, knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth, wherein we're all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him. Rise, Peter, kill and eat.
But Peter said Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed that call not thou comma.
This was done thrice, and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
19th Verse While Peter fought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, Freeman, seek thee.
Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them.
Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius, and said, Behold, I am he whom he seek.
What is the cause? Where for year comes?
And they said Cornelius the Centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews.
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Was worn from God by an holy Angel to send unto thee into his house.
And to hear words of thee then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the moral Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the moral, after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up, I myself also am a man.
And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation. But God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Therefore came I unto you without gain, saying, As soon as I was sent for. I asked therefore for what intent you have sent for me?
Then at the 44th verse, while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the words.
And they have the circumcision, which we believe were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God then, answered Peter.
Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
And the apostles in brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, Thou wentest into men uncircumcised, and did eat with them. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying, I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.
The 15th 1St. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning, Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. For as much then as God gave them the light gift, as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. What was I that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles?
Granted repentance unto life.
We find here one of these.
Delightful episodes in the life of Peter.
When the Lord Jesus spoke to Peter in the 16th chapter of Matthew, he told Peter that he was giving him the keys of the Kingdom, the keys of the Kingdom of heaven. And we find that Peter used the first key in the second chapter of Acts when he preached the Gospel and there were 3000 Jews or Jewish proselytes that got saved.
And now we find he's here using the second key, the key that administers the Kingdom that brings the Gentiles in to the Kingdom of heaven.
And we find that it took a special revelation from God to Peter.
You know I love this episode, as we'll notice the contrast in a few minutes.
But we find that Peter here after, as our brother pointed out to us this morning.
After Peter had this debate with the Lord said not so Lord, I've never eaten that which is common or unclean.
But the Lord showed him clearly the vision three times.
That he was to call nothing common or unclean, and then?
The Spirit of God says to Peter, now three men are coming and you're to go with them.
Doubting nothing for I have sent them.
Now, dear young people, what do we find? Why we find that, Peter?
Does exactly what the Lord tells him to do.
He lodges these three that have come from the Gentile. Cornelius lodges them in his own home.
Rises the next morning and goes to where Cornelius is and says when he enters into his house.
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He says in the 28th verse, you know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company.
Or come unto one of another nation. But God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gain, saying, As soon as I was sent for, Oh dear young people, Peter was shown.
By God himself what he was to do.
And he acted upon it, he says, without any hesitation. He didn't wait.
He went and did just what the Lord told him to do.
He came right to where Cornelius was, and when he hears what it is that Cornelius wants.
He preaches the gospel to them, explains to them what the Lord Jesus has done at Calvary.
And the result is that Cornelius and his family come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Peter went on this journey at the call of God.
Relying entirely upon God, he didn't ask questions. He didn't doubt once it was explained to him God was sending him.
Once he knew that that God was sending him, then he went asking no further questions it to me. It's all the more remarkable when he comes to Cornelius house. He says what did you want here I am, what is it that you want and he explains to them the gospel. Now God blesses this message and there's this fruit, the Spirit of God coming down and indwelling these Gentiles.
And the evidence is given, as it tells us in the 45th verse. The 44th verse, while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the words.
I have no doubt, dear young people, that Peter knew full well.
That he was going to be called to account for what he had done this day.
But God had sent him. God had told him to go. God had shown him.
That he was to call no man common or unclean. And whereas under the Old Testament economy.
He was to remain separate from those who were not of the Jewish religion, the Jewish faith.
Yet God was showing him now that he was to go to the Gentiles, and he went relying only upon God.
The result was this wonderful blessing that has since.
Spread out throughout the whole world. Dear young people, do you realize? Have you ever laid hold of in your soul to me? It's been so precious to my own soul.
This simple act of obedience on the part of Peter.
Was the first ripple, it was the first stone being dropped into the water, and the ripples have spread out throughout the length and breadth of this land. The first Gentile brought in, Cornelius, the first one brought in. And since then there have been millions upon millions upon millions, all what Peter started this day, just relying upon God.
Going at God's direction, following the vision from glory.
That told him he was to go.
Told him that he was to God.
And God blessed his word, and souls were saved. Now when we come to the 11Th chapter.
We find that Peter is indeed called to account when he went goes back to Jerusalem right away.
There are those there who say why?
Thou wentest into men uncircumcised, and did eat with them.
In other words, they were there to say, Peter, you've done something terribly wrong.
He was called to account.
But he patiently, faithfully, fully explains what God had done.
It tells us in that fourth verse, Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded by order unto them.
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And after he has explained all that, God is wrought the miracle of God's grace.
That simply relying upon God, acting in obedience to the vision that he had and the voice of the Spirit directing him, he had gone into the Gentiles. Now it says in the 17th verse, For as much then as God gave them the light gift, as he did unto us. In other words, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
What was I that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then, hath God also to the great Gentiles granted repentance unto life? Dear young people, God is ready.
To use you and to use me for his glory. He's ready, He wants to, he delights to what is our resource? Why, it's God himself. God is for us. When the apostle Paul was leaving the Ephesians, the elders at Ephesus in the 20th chapter of Acts, he says I commend you to God and to the word of his grace. You say there may be obstacles and difficulties. Indeed there are.
Dear young people, no one is going to deny it. There are difficulties, real obstacles in the path of faith, but God is for us. What an obstacle Peter faced this day, an obstacle in his own inner convictions, first of all. And God had to remove that, the obstacles that were going to result from those around him that would oppose. And God eventually removes that too, satisfied even them.
But Peter doesn't wait.
He goes at the direction of the Spirit of God, and God blesses his word. Souls are saved. That ministry that began here in Cornelius House has spread throughout the whole world. Gentiles all over the world have been brought to Christ.
God has granted to them repentance unto life to you and me. Now, beloved young people, what is your life going to be? Is it going to be a path that's for His glory? You know, you're at the age in life, many of you, when you're planning just what your life is going to be. Oh, May God grant that your plan, what you're looking at for your life, is what is for the glory of God.
What is it that God would do with my life? What a question that is. What does God want to do with my life? And beloved young people, if we go to God with that question, what does God want to do with my life? There is no obstacle, no obstacle but that God can overcome. Someone has said the obstacles are like a dam in a river.
And that is, the higher the dam, the higher the water goes until it overflows it. The grace of God, the power of God, the wisdom of God, the provision of God, it's all there for you.
And for me, God is for us. Well, Peter, acting simply.
In obedience to what the Lord told, going in the confidence that God was with him.
Acting in obedience to what God had told him to do, the blessing flowed out to others.
Now I would like to just use our last couple of minutes to turn to Galatians Chapter 2 for a moment.
Galatians, chapter 2.
And verse 11.
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed.
Before that certain came from James. He did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come he withdrew and separated himself.
Fearing them which were of the circumcision, and the other Jews dissembled likewise with him.
In so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, liveth after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compel us, thou, the Gentiles, to live as do the Jews?
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We find now.
That Peter seems to have for the moment.
Lost sight of the fact that God is for him.
We find that first of all, though, he eats with the Gentiles at Antioch. You remember when we were looking at the case of David, God reminded David. He allowed the sword that was there to be Goliath sword. That should have been a reminder to David.
Of what God had wrought in David's life.
We find here that the word of God distinctly tells us that Peter, when he came to Antioch, ate with the Gentiles. All you know, dear young people, what a voice that should have been, should have been to the beloved Peter to for him to be able to look around there as he ate with those Gentiles and see what the grace of God had wrought here was what God had wrought, that which had started in the House of Cornelius.
Now he goes down to Antioch and he says look where it's spread to. Look what it's come down here.
A whole company of Gentiles saved, and he could eat with them and rejoice at the grace of God and what God had wrought. But now there are those who come down from Jerusalem, come down from James, these ones who were zealous for the law. And what does Peter do? All the fear of man brings a snare. I have no doubt. I have no doubt that Peter.
Knew the truth.
He had had a vision from glory that told him he was to call no man common or unclean. He had had the evidence before his very eyes of the Spirit of God indwelling those Gentiles. And now he had just had a reminder of what the grace of God had wrought by seeing Gentiles at Antioch saved and rejoicing in the Lord, and him able to eat with them.
But now the fear of man comes in, and it turns Peter aside from the path of the truth.
And what is so sad to see, it not only turns Peter aside, but other Jews follow him. And last of all, Barnabas, even dear beloved Barnabas follows Peter in this same dissimulation, in the same path of error, it says. And when I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the gospel, dear beloved young people.
There are many, many Christians.
And I say it with sorrow, but I believe that there are many, many Christians.
Who read the word of God and see?
What is the path of the truth? But the fear of man keeps them from walking.
Keeps them from separating from that which is displeasing to the Lord.
Keeps them.
Holds them back from walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel.
Beloved young people, has the Lord shown you the path of His choosing? Has He shown you the truth? He wants to. He wants to show you the truth from His Word. The Spirit of God wants to bring before your heart the preciousness of Christ and the pathway of His choosing for you. Is the fear of man keeping you back from it? Is the fear of what others are going to say? Is the fear the cost that's going to be involved?
You know, dear young people, I trust you'll bear with me when I say this, but there are prayers that are not good prayers at all.
Prayers that are not good prayers at all.
Prayers to God asking God to lead you in a path that is contrary to the Word of God are not good prayers at all.
And when God has shown you what the truth is.
To then ask God and say now show me what to do.
Is not a good prayer at all.
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If you say to me, for instance, you belong to Christ, and you say to me, I'm praying about whether I should remember the Lord Jesus and his death.
Dear young people, that's not a good prayer at all.
If there is an honest exercise as to where, then we can ask the Lord about that.
Have sometimes said to the young people back home, what would you have thought if when the Lord Jesus said to Peter and John, go and prepare at the Passover?
Go and prepare us the place where we may eat the passel.
Peter and John had said, I'll pray about it.
The Lord had told them what to do. All they had to do was obey. But they did ask the question, rightly so.
Where wilt thou did we prepare if you belong to Christ? And you say to me, well, I'm praying about whether to be our baptized or not.
That's not a good prayer, dear young people.
The Word of God doesn't even recognize such a thing as an unbaptized Christian.
God has marked out in His Word and the path of faith.
And to ask the Lord to show us the truth.
Is a good prayer to ask the Lord whether I should walk in the truth that the Lord has shown me?
Is not a good prayer at all. Well, we find in the case of Peter here.
When his eyes got on those Jews that came down from Jerusalem, he lost sight of the God that was for him.
And the fear of man brought a snare, but when his eyes were upon God, and upon God alone.
He could act in obedience to the revelation that God had given to his soul, regardless of what others were going to think about it. And we see in the case of David, dear beloved David, when his eyes were upon the God of Israel, it didn't matter how high Goliath was.
Have sometimes thought Goliath could have been 100 feet tall and it wouldn't have changed David one bit.
It wouldn't have changed David's attitude one bit. He went in the name of the God of Israel.
But when his eyes were on Goliath sword.
Then we find he runs away, and the fear of man brings a snare and leads to behavior that even the enemies of God's people despise. Oh, May God keep us, dear young people, keep us going on in obedience to His precious Word, and above all, with the conviction, the realization in our souls.
That God is for us and there is no obstacle.
Too hard. Nothing too hard for him.