Hamer Bay Conference: 2016
Table of Contents
Ephesians 1:1-11
Reading
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Umm uh, Wednesday for the treasure to go to bed to the house for.
Whatever it is. So when it comes to.
And the corporate?
Oh, Lord will be in the world.
And still shall thaw. 4000 and thighs and thou scared.
And nothing.
Happened to our own children. I've been in there.
The two prayers of the apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians. And there's so much cruise for us there.
One the prayer at the end of the chapter.
First of all, we have to read the what precedes them. For instance, that Ephesians the 1St chapter and the prayer comes at the end of the first chapter. In fact, another reading read chapter 3 is this mind of the present.
I was looking at chapter one of Ephesians brother and I wondered about the.
Need that we have in connection with Paul's daughter. As you know, I was just through a place that and I experienced something that was.
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A burden to my heart, and that is that I went to several reading meetings and it wasn't Paul's doctrine that was being taken up some Old Testament passages and that we need to have false doctrine before it's absolutely vital. It's not optimal for a believer. And Mr. Darby said that one of his little statements that it's not possible for a Christian to live rightly in this world.
Without knowing and enjoying Paul's darker and soul, I was conferred. It might be helpful if you say, read chapter one and then you comment on the first part of that chapter and then go into those prayers. Yeah, that's what I meant. I don't know my heart.
You know if we read the truth.
Somebody works.
Ephesians chapter one, verse one.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. By the will of God to the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.
Having predestinated us on the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood.
The forgiveness of sin, according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He had purposed in Himself, That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth even in Him.
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated.
According to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the council of His own will, that we should be through the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ, in whom He also trusted. After that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
In whom also after that ye believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise?
Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the Saints, feast not give thanks for you.
Making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling.
And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints? And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward, who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places?
Far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And have put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church.
His body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all.
I thought that said in an introduction we might just look at a verse in Romans chapter 16.
Verse 25.
Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophet.
According to the commandments of the everlasting, God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. So there are two parts to Pauls ministry. There's the gospel.
Which we have developed in the Epistle to the roles. We have the Gospel marvelously unfolded there, and all this breath and depth.
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All preach the gospel untiringly.
Full gospel who was finished work of Christ. So he mentions here first the uh, preaching of the gospel, which has met us in our deep need of sinners riches of God's grace has been manifest that's most in the room have partaken of the blessings of the gospel.
Wherever a person is saved, they believe the gospel of their salvation.
But there's something beyond that, and many Christians, I fear, do not enter into it. That is the second part of Pauls ministry here and verse 25, the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began.
What does the apostle mean here by the mystery now? It's not something mysterious that we cannot understand, but a mystery in Scripture is something that was kept secret in the past, in the past ages or dispensations, but now is no longer.
Secret in the heart of God, but revealed, made known to us. And the particular mystery that Paul is Speaking of here he develops in full measure in chapter one of Ephesians.
And this week, which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest. Now it's not the mystery of the person of Christ. That's not a mystery, although it's unpossible. Not the mystery of the Lords life and death and resurrection. That's not the history that is cold or not here. It is the truth that the Church of God is now the body of Christ.
And is going to have the highest place of privilege in that coming day that we are going to reign with Christ. We're going to share all that inheritance. We're coheirs. Christ is going to have this supremacy over this whole universe. The truth that that Christ as the Messiah would reign over the earth was not something new. It was known in the Old Testament. There are many verses that refer to Christ coming as the Messiah and setting up his Kingdom.
But the truth of the church, that we who are Gentiles and had no rights or privileges have been brought into the nearest possible place, even as members of the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, he's going to reign over this whole universe. Not only the earth, which was foretold in the Old Testament in many scriptures, but he's going to reign over the whole universe, heavens.
The heavens and the earth will all be in order under threat. But when he does that and it's it's a Millennium is the beginning of it. We are going to be associated with him. That's the mystery of the Christ that we are going to be associated with the Lord in that marvelous headship of all things is not going to rain alone. You will be the constant we will be.
The Queen on the throne with him. That's the mystery that was never made known to the believers before. When it mentions prophets here, as it does in other scriptures, it's not the Old Testament prophets that is referred to. It is the New Testament prophet, the apostles and prophets. None of this marvelous truth was known in the Old Testament revealed.
Founded it, others learned it through him, but I believe that he was the special vessel that God raised up to bring forth this wondrous truth of our oneness request. And that's why Paul's ministry is so important and vital, because while it's true, the other New Testament writers bring in different aspects of things, as you even do the church. John looks at the church in her ending, in Revelation, in her millennial glory, reigning with Christ, and so on.
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Yet the meat of the truth of Christ in the church is contained in Paul's ministry will never understand what our position is now our relationship with Christ as members of His body as part of the Church of God.
In a future day, if we don't go to Paul's ministry, it's true that all Scripture is important. It's given by inspiration of God and is profitable. But I had a brother say to me something some time ago, well, I only read the Gospel now because those are the most important. Well, we need the Gospels. We get the life of Christ, we get the pattern. He's left us an example that we follow in his steps and so on. But if we only read the gospel.
We're going to understand what our true position is here and sad to say, many believers today don't understand the truth of the Lord's coming, our relationship to the world now, our position now, and all that is ours ahead in that future day of rain. Just say too that here in Ephesians as to the mystery of the church, it's not just what future, but it is what is ours now, our position now. How are we going to understand what is ours now?
How are we going to understand our reaction to the world and to others as we walk through this world now if we don't go to Paul's ministry in a, a chapter like this, a book like the book of Ephesians, Colossians, Corinthians and, and those books that are vital as to false doctrines. So in this, in this book of Ephesians, we get and at the end of this chapter, it's brought out it's what what the church is to Christ in Colossians. It's what Christ is to the church.
He's the head of the body. Isn't it a tremendous thing? Rather than consider, we take up something from the book of Ephesians to realize that it's what we are surprised. We are the fullness of Him that fulfill us. All in all, in Colossians we are incomplete without him, but in Ephesians teeth incomplete without us. And to try to get a hold of our truth in our souls, I believe, is going to give us the motivation and the desire.
An apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the states which are an Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. That means it's written to you and me and we ought to know it and we ought to read it and enjoy it. But it's interesting chapter 19 to see where these deer Saints came from. There were Paul came to Ephesus and it says in verse, let's read from verse five, chapter 19 of Acts verse five. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
That thou may discharge some, that they keep no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and to endless genealogies which minister questions, rather than the godly edifying which is in faith. So do well. These verses of Scripture in the book of the Acts, present to us the truth that these Gentiles were saved out of the worst conditions that were possible in the Gentile world. And so Paul.
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Ministered to them and it said all the men were about 12. It wasn't a large assembly.
I noticed in verse 19 of Acts 19 in Mr. Darby.
Umm, it says of those that practice curious art from books of charms and burnt in the forearm. And that does suggest they were umm taken out with sorcery or witchcraft like you say.
Might be good just as introductory as well to look at the Acts chapter 20 and just mention the latter part of verse 23, Acts chapter 20, the last part of the verse 23 down to the end of verse 27.
Verse 27, umm, verse 26 Wherefore I take you to record this day that I'm sure from the blood of all men, for I have not shown to declare unto you all the council of God. So he was speaking here to those that in connection with mystery, not only of Christ in the church, but those things that were hidden in God's heart, that were for His own glory, for his own enjoyment in future days, that Christ would have arrived. And all of us happened in connection with the mystery that we read out, particularly as Brother Jim has mentioned in Ephesians and Colossians, but in Romans, what we have is really written for what God has done.
Call the Council of God. So we need all three. And so if we just go to the gospel of the grace of God, we get taken up with it and then don't read the epistles and don't become established in the teaching of practical Christianity and of the mystery, the place, the true position of the church in this world, that we will not live as we ought to live. So sometimes people say, well, doctrine is not that important, it's how we live, it's the highest life and so on.
But you can't have sound behavior without sound doctrine. Sound behavior is based on sound doctrine. How are we going to know how to act? And that's why so often when you have a list of things that the Word of God is profitable for, doctrine usually heads the list. Just like the early believers in Acts chapter 2. They continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. I know it wasn't Paul's doctrine there, but the principle is there.
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Because sound doctrine was the basis for fellowship, for breaking of bread, and for prayers. Paul when he wrote to Timothy, said thou art fully known. My doctrine and then manner of life. If some of us have been writing that, I probably would have reversed the order and put manner of life and maybe doctrine down further. Again, we already quoted it. But all scripture is given by inspiration and it's profitable. And what is the first thing it's profitable for per doctrine? Because everything else, instruction and righteousness, correction, whatever it is.
Have to be based on sound doctrine. Just say this too, because we don't want to get bogged down with these first few verses of the chapter in connection with John's exercise. But we what we find too brought out so clearly here that we don't get if we don't go to Paul's doctrine, is that the church is heavenly in its character, in its hopes, in its goals, in its aspirations. Brethren, the only thing that connects us with this world today.
Is the fact that we're still here physically in it, but Christianity, the truth of of Paul's doctrine, detaches and separates us from this world in every other way except physical? And why is it so many people today are looking for the Kingdom and think we're a moral force to change the world and usher in the Kingdom? Because they're missing what we have here in books like Ephesians. I wanna just confirm that by pointing out one little expression in verse 4.
According as he hath chosen us in Him. Now notice this. This is final before the foundation of the world. Go back to Matthew's Gospel chapter 25 for a contrast in connection with the Kingdom that's going to be established and Israel's blessing in a coming day.
Matthew's Gospel, chapter 25.
And verse 34.
Then shall the King say unto them, on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you. Now notice this from the foundation of the world, not before the foundation of the world, but from the foundation of the world. Why is it from the foundation of the world here? Because there is an earthly Kingdom that is going to be set up, connected with this world, connected with the blessing of planet Earth.
When the Lord Jesus comes back to bring about blessing for Israel and ultimately for the nation and reign in righteousness, that Kingdom is connected with this world and will last 1000 years. But we have been chosen before the foundation of the world. You see how careful the Spirit of God is to detach us from this world. Our blessings are not connected with this world. The blessings that are enumerated in the first part of this chapter.
Our spiritual blessings, you and I were chosen long before the foundation of the world was laid, and we haven't have a heavenly portion. And so careful is the Spirit of God to guard this, that we are already seen seated in heavenly places in Christ. Positionally, yes, physically we still see that in this meeting room in Hammer Bay, Ontario. But positionally, God sees us in Christ seated in heavenly places.
You and fill us that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church, where all I have made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God so.
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Paul is the Lord Jesus, reverencely speaking, did not suffer in bringing out the truth of the Church because it was not revealed during his ministry on in this world.
Foreshadowings of it. There was a prediction that it would be formed, but, uh, it was not revealed during the Lord's life down here. It wasn't until he had died. He had risen from the dead and he had been glorified in God's joy's hands, and the Spirit of God had been sent down, warming the church to the body of Christ. But the apostles suffered much in bringing out that truth. That's why he was a prisoner.
I suppose he was a prisoner at the time when he wrote through this book of the Ephesians.
Yes. And he said he was a prisoner. And it was because of the development of that group which the Jews could not understand and rightly solve because there was no revelation of that in the Old Testament. Paul could not even turn to the Old Testament and stole to the Jews the the prediction of these blessings for the church. It's not there.
But.
It was a revelation to the apostles.
And views, uh opposed it very strongly because of their tradition and prejudice.
All are you saying that these Gentiles whom they considered to be dog outside the place of entirely are going to be brought into a Gloucester place and relationship and the patriarchs, Moses and Abraham and so on? We won't have we won't have that.
In Colossians a Little Pass for Brother John Red and chapter 2.
And verse two, that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement, or to the full knowledge of the mystery of God. Leave out the last part of the verse added by a copy of later time. The mystery of God, and not in whom? In verse three, but in which?
His head all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
So in when we understand the mystery that was hidden God, we have in hand the key to unlock the truth of the word of God. If we don't have that key, this book will remain largely closed to us. It will have moral lessons, profitable in themselves, encouragement, but it will remain other than that, a closed book. We need the key, and the key is the mystery and.
Three places it's taken up, Brother John's read and.
In Romans 16, we have an Ephesians 3, which we have not gotten to yet. And here in Colossians that that mystery was hidden God. It wasn't made known in past ages. It's only now been revealed by his holy apostles and prophets to his holy apostles and prophets by prophetic scriptures in Romans 16, scriptures that have a prophetic character, New Testament apostles, it's now been unfolded.
The apostle touches on two aspects of that mystery, and I'd like to distinguish them. Both have been brought up, but I'd like to distinguish them a little bit. First in chapter one of Ephesians and verse 10, that in the dispensation of the administration of the fullness of times, that's the millennial day.
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He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him.
The Old Testament abounds with prophetic scriptures as to the reign of Christ. Why then is this a mystery? Verse 9 says, having made known unto us the mystery of His will. The mystery I'll call it, because there are mysteries and the New Testament. But there is something called the capital T, the capital M mystery, and it has two aspects.
Again, the Old Testament abounded with scriptures that Christ would reign on the earth. It was a mystery hidden God that the Christ would reign in heaven and on earth, that not only earthly things would be brought under under him, but heavenly things too. And God would glorify himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. And bringing all things under him in heaven and in earth, God is going to glorify himself in Christ.
That is His grand purpose upon which everything else in the Scripture hangs. But he is going to do it in two spheres, heaven and earth. Only the earth was spoken of in the Old Testament. The other part of the mystery we don't really get fully until it touched on a little bit. The end of chapter one where it says he's put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body. It's now touched on for the first time.
In chapter one.
Chapter 2 takes up those who compose that body, where they came from, the what God had to work with and how He worked to.
Get the material, you might say, for that which was Christ's body. Chapter 3 brings out then the other side of what we call the mystery. Chapter 3 and.
Uh, verse 5, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs.
First thing, end of the same body, second thing.
And partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Not the promises made to Abraham, but New Testament promises. Jew and Gentile were going to be joint heirs, joint body, and joint partakers of the promises in Christ by the gospel. The Old Testament abounded with scriptures that speak of Gentile blessing, but it wasn't subservience to Israel. The forces of the Gentiles are going to flow into Jerusalem.
But Israel is going to be head of the nation, and the Gentiles are going to be blessed underneath them. That's not what this talks about. This is joint heirs.
It's a equality between Jew and Gentile. In fact, not even Jew or Gentile anymore, but now Church of God. That's the other side of the mystery, hidden God. There's nothing of that in the Old Testament Scriptures. Two things. Christ is going to reign over all things. God is going to glorify himself in Christ and bringing all things in heaven and in earth under him. And he would have a body united to him by the indwelling Spirit of God composed of Jews and Gentile, forming 1 new man.
That's the mystery. That's not the mystery of His will and the mystery of the Christ. Yes.
In those two seconds, those two aspects explained very well and the mystery are as well is that God has a purpose for the glory of his Son as even as mentioned in two spheres, not only on the earth, but in this whole universe, he's going to have a the supreme place of of the headship.
Individual things taken up first.
With uh, Paul doesn't by divine inspiration just jump right into chapter 3.
He really brings out and establishes our souls and the things that concern us individually and then settle and in the enjoyment of those things. And from that position we can then broaden out and embrace that which is collective and enjoy that as well. So he doesn't get the cart before the horse. He gets things in the right order. And 1St, we have to be settled as to what's true of us individually. If we're going to enjoy what's collective. That has to be established first.
And in Galatians he establishes the source of that truth. It's the Galatians, chapter one, verse 11.
Galatians one verse 11. But I certified the brethren that the Gospel which was priest of being is not after man.
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Christ.
And so the source was heaven itself. The source was the Lord Jesus, the risen head in glory. And so that's why it was hidden in times past. It was hid to the Jew. It wasn't part of Judaism, it was very distinct. And so the church is not a part of Israel. Israel is not a part of the church. The two are distinct. And so he brings this out even in Ephesians chapter two, he says in verse 15, having abolished in his flesh the enemy, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make himself.
A queen that's the Jew and Gentile 1 Newman show making peace. And so he recognizes that there's two the Jew and the Gentile. But now there's the Church of God and the Church of God has all this hope heavenly and their spiritual hope, their eternal hope. You never had that. Everything that he had with material was earthly and it was really just temporally. It was going. He was just passing through this world.
One expression that comes over and up, over and over is his will.
And so we see that all of this flows out from the heart of God made good established through the work of Christ on the cross, and the Spirit of God sent down consequent upon his being glorified as brought it to pass and made it good in our souls and opened it up to us. But the the screen flows from the depths of the heart of God after you and I. It was just his sovereign will. He wanted it so.
And it flowed out to you and I and we owe everything to him. And so it's his will that has brought this all to pass. He chose us. We didn't choose him. You know, Andrew said we found him that is called the Messiah. And he said later ye have not chosen me, I've chosen you. You know, we don't find that out till later. The sun, the prodigal son didn't find out.
Uh, he said. I perish with hunger, right?
But he found out when he got home. His father said this my son was dead. Oh, I was you know, there's truth. We find out after we're saved that we don't know before that we and our proper to know before, but we find out after we we've come to the Lord in the experience of our souls that we were chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world. You know when Abraham offered up Isaac there and type on on Mount Moriah and brought him back down at the end of the chapter you get a little genealogy.
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And at the end of that genealogy, there's a special person mentioned. Her name's Rebecca.
And what was furthest back in the heart of God?
It was revealed last, but it couldn't take place till after the cross and the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then it's all unfolded and that little genealogy of the one who is going to be Isaac's bride comes out after.
The offering on Mount Moriah. And so all these things are now unfolded to us. He wants us to take them in and enjoy them. But we've been chosen. Not only have we been chosen, His sovereign election to make us fit for His presence to be before Him and all his very own nature holy. He's like without blame, but He's loved too, and in love. It's the place He sent us before him in his own character, not only that.
Those he's chosen, he is predestinated to be as close to him and in a relationship as near as his own son's relationship is to him as is possible.
Predestinated to sonship. Not only that, we find we have redemption through his blood. We are accepted with all the acceptance that Christ has before the throne. I remember brother saying years ago, some soaps say you know 99 and you know 9944% fewer. I think Ivory soap has that. He says not even that it's 100% acceptance before the throne of God.
We're accepted in the beloved. He looks and he looks at Christ and is how acceptable is Christ to him?
Can you, you can't put a figure on it. We're in Christ. We're accepted with all his acceptability. HA Ironside was on a farm one time and it was a sheep farm. And he saw this little creature running across the field and it looked like it had six or seven legs. And he said, the fireman, what's that? And the farm hand ran and grabbed it and he brought it in and it was a lamb. They had another lambskin tied to it. He said, he said, well, why? He said, well, there was a there was a time of birthing and there was a you that died.
And giving birth. And it had a little lamb and there was another ewe that his little lamb died. So we said, well, we'll put the lamb with the mother that doesn't have the lamb. But she rejected it. It didn't smell like her baby. So they skimmed out the dead lamb and put that skin around it. And she smelled that. And she let that lamb nurse. It was accepted. It smelled just like her own. Well, a female picture where that little lamb was wrapped in that skin there was running happily across the field behind it. Adopted mother.
Accepted and the beloved so we there's just no measure to the exceptions that we have this. These are our spiritual blessings. Sometimes people say what are our spiritual blessings in heavenly places? We're reading them. These are part of them.
And he wanted to have a son with Sydney. And so here it's, uh, really properly, uh, having predestinated a sense of the sunship by Christ, by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasures as well. And so Israel never really had that place. They had a place of blessing. They had in the Jewish economy, the ability to enter into the presence of God on a very limited basis. But a son has full liberty. And so this is really partly what he said.
Telling us here is that there's God has desired to place us before him in the full place of blessing of those that are sons, that we might have No Fear. A son has No Fear, ought not to have any fear to enter into the presence of his father, unburden his heart, and share in all that the Father has the souls upon it. So we have those little pictures given to us, some of them in the Gospel and so on. But it's vital to read these passages and to understand the scope.
Of the blessing that is ours in the sonship, the position of sonship. And here it says that in verse five and King James adoption of children were not adopting the same way as the world thinking of adoption. It's not that way at all. And we're brought into a place of those that are sons. They're children of God, heirs of God. Let's read that in Romans chapter 8. That false doctor.
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He says, uh, in verse 16 he says something similar in Galatians, but uh, this is the.
The chapter 8 verse 16 the spirit itself bearers witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heir heirs of God joining us with Christ. If so be we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together. And so then he speaks of here in this chapter he speaks of.
Verse. Let's read it in verse 13, chapter one of season first 13.
In whom he also trusted. After that he heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also after that he believed, he repealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory. So we're indwelled with the fear of God. And the reason we address God is our Father in chapter 8 in verse 15 is that we know him as our Father.
We're involved with the Spirit of God. We have a.
Absolutely everything started with him, but now he wants us to know that we're sons, we're brought into the relationship and we know that place. We enjoy that place and we dress God as our Father because we're in love with the Spirit of God. And we also enjoy the fact that we will have and enjoy the future inheritance that the Lord Jesus has, all creation, all created, being how we know where as well with the Spirit of God. That's Paul's doctrine. He tells us that we enjoy both of those things because we're involved with the fear of God.
So the inheritance here, as you say, and I think it's important to realize, is all created things, and to realize that the work of the Lord Jesus on Calvary has a far greater scope than just our being brought into blessings.
As was mentioned, we have redemption through its blood, the forgiveness of sins. Wonderful. We have that now, but there is a day when there's going to be what is referred to as the redemption of the purchased possession, and that's going to be on the grounds of the work of Calvary, the blood of Christ as well. That's really what you have in Hebrews 1, where he's introduced to us as the Son and Creator. And then it says he's made the not just purified our our sins, but he's made the purification for sin. It's a greater scope there than just our being brought into blessing.
The Lord Jesus is going to take this creation not just as Creator, but on the grounds of redemption. He's coming whose right it is to reign because he he passed through death and shed his blood. Important to realize that when man sinned in the garden, not only did man come under the effects of sin, but the whole world came under the effects and the curse of sin. And to this moment the whole creation groans and travails in pain.
This world is not set free yet. Creation is not redeemed yet. It's purchased. To purchase something is to buy it, but to redeem something is to buy it back, to set it free. We've experienced that individually, but there's a day coming when creation is going to feel the effects of redemption, and it's going to be a wonderful day. And when the Lord Jesus takes the inheritance, we're going to share in that inheritance with him.
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As the Lamb's wife, we're going to be at his side. Another thing that's helpful to understand is the little difference between being chosen or elect and predestinated. Choosing or election has to do with the person. There's an election coming up in a few weeks in the United States, and a person will be elected as the next president of the United States. Election has to do with the person, but that person who will be elected.
As President, next President of the United States is already predestined to live in the White House. That's been determined long ago since the establishment of the Republic of the United States of America. Every president being elected predestined to live in the White House, and you and I are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. We were elected according to the foreknowledge of God, but were predestined to the Father's house and to be eternally in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
We're going to dwell with Him. That's why it says at the end of first print, our First Thessalonians 4. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. When He's in the Father's house, we're with Him. When He comes to reign over the earth, we're with Him. We're never, as the Lamb's wife, going to leave his side again. And we are going to share in the inheritance. The righteous reign. A king shall reign in righteousness, and Princess shall rule in judgment. You know, there's somebody in the White House today that's there not because they were elected, but because of relationship.
And that is the wife of the president of the United States. And she has a part in the administration. She's acted by on a lot of occasions. She does certain things and has certain functions, not because she was elected to the White House, but because of the relationship she has with the person who was. And we are going to share as the bride, the Lamb's wife in that coming day. Now, brethren, why do we want to reign before the time?
Why do we want to take up things before the time the Corinthians were doing that? They didn't understand this, and they were trying to reign as kings before the time Paul said I would, that you were reigning as kings. Because if you were, if it truly was the reigning times, we'd be reigning with you and it would be a wonderful time. But brethren, look around the world today.
You know, there are those who really believe this is the reigning time now. And I remember talking to a brother who really believes that. And I think to this day believes that. And the last time I had a conversation with him, I said to him, I said, brother, if you look at the world today and say that this is the reigning time now, that is a slap in the face to the Lord Jesus to see the condition of things in this world and to say the Lord is reigning. When the Lord takes his inheritance, he's going to be center of everything.
Man, this is the key to the whole Bible, verse 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of time, that is the millennial period, that is not the eternal state, that's the Millennium, the dispensation of the fullness of time. He that is God might gather together in one all things in Christ. His purpose is counsel, His wisdom.
Everything is going to rebound to the glory of Christ in that age and.
Both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him and we.
It says there therefore God also has highly engulfed and given him a name which is about every.
That the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things that really could say of being of beings in heaven and beings in earth and being under the earth, and that every tongue should contest the fear of Christ is Lord of the territory of the Father, so those all created beings abound will recognize His authority. Is that wonderful everything, the whole of the created being, But then the whole creation has been purchased as His.
And purchased it across.
And it belongs to him as well. Now He hasn't taken me inheritance. It will be given to him, and He will come to take it, and He will receive it from the hands of His Father. And then He will reign. As has been mentioned here in verse ten of our chapter. It's the millennial scene, the dispensation of the fullness of time. That's the Millennium. He will reign. And so it will be not only over created beings, but over all of the creation.
It's all that is ours in Christ and is reserved in heaven for us. Notice it's reserved in heaven. It's a heavenly inheritance. What we've been Speaking of is created things and things connected with this earth, which is in the context of what we have in Ephesians. So let's just go back to first Peter for a moment and recognize or to see the context in which this is written and who it's written to. Interesting that in Ephesians it's written to Gentiles and he's telling them that there's a day when they're going to have.
An earthly inheritance here, an earthly inheritance with Christ. That was the Jew in the Old Testament. As Stephen said, the Jew was promised earthly blessing and an earthly inheritance if they were faithful, but not the Gentiles. And so the Gentile and Ephesians is told, there's a day coming.
When you are going to reign over earth, you're going to have an inheritance connected with this earth, and it's going to be an association with Christ and in a relationship closer than what did you enjoy or will enjoy. We're going to be the bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife. But now in Peter, he's writing to Jewish those who've been saved from the Jewish background, Jewish believers who are now part of the Church of God. And it's just the opposite here. Let's just reread it here.
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Uh, I'm I'm gonna read from verse 3 to get the context. The first Peter one, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed.
In the last time, this was a great encouragement to these believers who, because they had been saved from a Jewish background, were suffering greatly and they lost everything. And they having been brought up under the Jewish order of things and the teaching that if you were faithful to the Lord you'd be established with land and cattle and families and peace and so on, they might have wondered what's gone wrong here. We've tried to follow the Lord now and we've been driven from our homes.
Peter describes what they were going through, a fiery trials. They might have thought we've lost everything now what's gone wrong? Peter writes to them to encourage them that they had something that was no longer connected with the earth, that they had a heavenly inheritance that was incorruptible and undefiled. The earthly inheritance had been defiled.
They lost that. But he says you've got something laid up in heaven, and that inheritance is reserved for you. Let me use a little illustration. Suppose someone tells you that after they die, they're going to leave you a large sum of money and inheritance. But you find and they find that at the end of their life they need health care. They need to go into a facility, and maybe they live long enough that the inheritance is eaten up, It's gone.
The inheritance wasn't reserved and when they passed away, there's nothing left to pass on to you that you say. Well, they promised me an inheritance but it was incorrupt. It was corruptible and default. It passed away, but not only that.
Suppose someone offers to leave you an inheritance, promises to leave you an inheritance, but you predecease the person. Well, the inheritance has to go to someone else. You weren't reserved preserved for the inheritance. But what Peter was telling the Saints is either way, you can't lose. You've got an inheritance reserved for you, and you're reserved for the inheritance. But again, remember the contract Paul is writing to Gentiles who've never been connected with an earthly inheritance.
Peter is writing to Jewish believers who had never had a heavenly inheritance promised to them in that way. And so both are true because this was said earlier. And we get this so clearly in the second chapter of Ephesians, Jew and Gentiles who come through faith and repentance based on the work of Calvary, really we refer to them as save Jews and save Gentiles. And we do that for sake of distinguishing. And I understand that, but really that's not quite an accurate expression.
It's important because there's a quite a movement among Jews who have received Christ as Savior. It's called Messianic Christianity and there's a series of papers some years back said Messianic Christianity eviscerates Paul's doctrine. And really it does. It completely denies the truth that are brought out here that we've been looking at in Ephesians by saying I've received Christ as Savior. But I still maintain.
That I am a Jew with all its privileges and blessings and so on. It completely undermines Paul's doctrine. I think the, uh, versions that we have here separated you and the Gentiles in, uh, Ephesians. You notice how the pronouns are put, verse 11. All is talking about me, and I take it without referring to the Jews.
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Good and whom? Also we have obtained an inheritance.
Without referring to the Jew. And you notice in verse 12 That we the Jew should be through the praise of the glory of his glory and truth, trusted or pre trusted in Christ, which brings before us the Jew that is accepting Christ as the Messiah or as our Lord in this in this dispensation.
Prior to the receiving of the Jew and the Millennium or after the tribulation. So then you notice how in verse 13 it says in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard.
So here Paul is referring to the Gentile. He's writing to the Gentiles. But you know what's really nice to see how he's bringing himself as a Jew down to the same level as they who were the Gentiles. And then he goes on in the 14th verse, which is the earnest of our inheritance. So these combining there, the Jew and the Gentiles together, it's very gracious to see, isn't it Very helpful.
Various characters that the quickening takes place.
When the soul.
Is, uh, is awakened to their, their condition, but uh, it's after believing the gospel of our salvation that the depth and resurrection of life that the uh person is sealed and has the assurance of salvation. Quickening and ceiling are not the same.
You don't want to get into something too deeply about final year, but weakening is when the Spirit of God gives it a divine light to us all. But it is not necessarily at that point that that person has the assurance of salvation. It could be at the same time, or usually it is an interval anyway, when the when they apprehend the work of Christ.
50 sheep. So I have a higher man with me and I pay twice $500, whatever. So I put down the money and I purchased the sheep. They belong to me now. So I bring them home and I say to my hired man, now these are my chiefs now. They don't belong to the other person. I paid for them. I want you to put a brand on them, on the ear or wherever you put a mark on them.
01:15:32
The assurance we're going to have all those blessings, but God says I want you to enjoy them now. You have all those spiritual possessions and brought her in this chapter. You have those, they are yours now, but are you enjoying them? They're going to be yours for eternity, but are you enjoying them now? Is that not the thought of the earnest? And that's the land of pain. And isn't it pain in this book really corresponds with the land of Canaan, because sometimes people think of Canaan as that which comes after this, after death, after the Jordans.
That which we're going to enjoy in a future day. But as John has said, we can have an enjoyment of those things before we get there and before the time. And so Cain and pictures to us, all that is ours in Christ, that vast panorama of blessings and all that we are going to, we now enjoy and we are going to enjoy and share in that coming day. And so we can enter into these things. And that's why, brother, we don't want to just settle down and be content to know that our sins are forgiven.
20 For all the promises of God in him are yeah, and in him Amen. Under the glory of God by us now, He which establishes us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us on in God, who has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
So we're not just sealed when we're saved and secured, but he's given us by the Spirit of God the capacity now to enjoy these things. And that's really what marks Christianity. We've been saying this in these meetings and we didn't comment on it. But earlier in, in this chapter, Ephesians, he's abounded unto us in all wisdom. And you notice Mr. Darby's translation intelligence. It was mentioned he's given us full knowledge. Now how is it that we can can enjoy these things? We have divine life.
We have the Spirit of God, we have the full revelation of God in Christ and the word of God is complete. Paul was given this full revelation was given to him to fulfill as a complete the revelation of God is was read to us in Colossians and so brethren, let's not just be content to be saved sinners and on our way to heaven. Now he's got far, far more for our enjoyment and I realize at the end of a meeting like this. We know in part and we prophecy in part and we scrape a few.
Lots of truths out of a chapter like this.
But rather than there's a day coming when we're going to fully know, but he doesn't want us to just be content to wait that day, He wants us to enter into these things now.
Further north and be able to connection with the church.
Sovereignty of God
Address—Steve Stewart
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
All right, brother Jim, you get here again.
Every uh.
Thing #141.
141.
And crouched down and crying down and then and and and and then roasted. And there's a good flowers. And then yeah, yeah, yeah.
Umm, let's get it. We're just, we're ready to go to the hospital. I'll tell her. Oh.
I I don't know what the grass is, the blossoms of everything and we need to get out of the way and then we.
We pray as we.
00:05:00
Open thy gracious word this afternoon.
Let our hearts might be more firmly established in that very degree in which we stand from day-to-day while we wait to come of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we need our help, or God's Father need the help of the Holy Spirit. Open high words and make it good to our souls.
And Lord Jesus as the head of the Body, from whom all ministry flows to each member.
Regarding our Father, we ask it all in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Subject on my heart this afternoon is one that has been occupying me quite a bit.
Of late, and that is the subject of the sovereignty of God and the salvation.
Of lost men. Lost men.
And to see that the scripture.
Shows that man is not free in his will to make a choice for God.
The doctrine of free will has come in in a strong way and fundamental Christianity.
It was a doctrine that was brought in even in some of the early days of the Church's history and era. That man has a free will.
That he has a measure of grace. Every man has a measure of grace from God to make a choice either for or against God's offer foundation.
It's generally.
Known under the term Armenianism.
On the other hand, there is.
A doctrine of.
That does identify itself with the sovereignty of God and the truth of election. That goes too far the other way.
And it says not only as God sovereignly chosen some for blessing, he's chosen some for lost untenance. And so the pendulum swings from one side all the way to another, and Christianity is largely divided into those two tents, so many of them. And the other one is called Calvinism because his.
Writings largely gave rise to systematizing.
That error, well, I don't know how much time we'll have to spend touching on those errors in themselves because I'd like to just really get our hearts established and the truth as it is from God's Word. And the first thing I'd like to do is look at the Gospel of Luke, chapters 13 and 14, and we're going to touch on a few things. We could take a whole meeting.
To do uh on those chapters.
So we're just gonna touch on a few things and we're going to, uh, look at the Gospel of John and then condition that's presented there. And the subject of new birth occasions was quicken and, uh, herbs, election and predestination.
And then especially a word born from Roman factory. Well, Luke chapter 13 begins with the backdrop of the thought of judgment. From the end of chapter 12, the Lord brings in, uh, judgment that was hanging over Israel. And there were those that were there at that time in verse one of chapter 13.
We hear the Lord speak and they say, well, you know, there were, uh, some there in Galilee.
Who, uh, pilots shed their blood? They must have been pretty bad. Looks like they came under the judgment of God and the Lord says, do you think they were sinners above all the rest?
In uh, verse two, because he's got all the ends with sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things, I tell you, nay, but except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. And then the Lord himself refers to a current event of that day.
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There were those on whom a tower and Siloam fell. 18 Do you think they were sinners above all the others? Oh.
No, I tell you, he says, nay, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. We're going to look at a few lessons over these two chapters that bring out man's condition on the sovereignty of God. And the very first lesson is this All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Everyone needs to repent.
Of their sins, else they will perish. There is the need.
There is the need. The question is, will man repent?
Will he repent? Will he turn to God? It is a necessity if he is not to perish.
The next lesson is about a fig tree in verses 6 through 10. Here's a fig tree planted in a vineyard, and the man who owns that vineyard, he comes in verse six. He came and sought fruit there on and found none.
And what is the first group that any man could produce for God?
Is to turn to God and repentance, but will be.
Well, there was number fruit on this tree. It was vineyard owner says cut it down, white cumber to the ground in verse 7, the keeper of the vineyard, he pleads the case, let it alone this year. I'll think about Nugent. I'll fertilize it. We'll see if it produces anything and if not, then cut it down. Well, it doesn't go on to say it's a picture of man in the flesh that didn't produce.
Anything. The lesson is this. No amount of cultivation.
No amount of bringing man into the best of circumstances or any other thing that can be applied outwardly to man will produce that needed fruit for God, turning to God in repentance.
No, he's going to have to be cut down. Cut down?
Is there no resource then?
Well, the next lesson gives us the resource.
Verse 11 And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity 18 years, and was vowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, Thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God.
Here's this woman. For 18 years she has been bowed, it says. Not just over, but together. She is so completely bent over.
Her face is just almost to the ground.
She couldn't no wise lift herself up, and that is man's condition. He cannot lift himself up. He cannot come to that place of Lieutenant and turn into God.
She could have no wise lift up herself and the Lord reaches them and he takes her and he just straightened her radar. He healed her. She didn't come and ask the Lord to be healed. She wasn't looking for that.
She was just there and the Lord reaches out in sovereign grace, calls her to himself, and he feels himself. That is the needed resource, the sovereignty of God's grace. He just reached out and sovereign grace and healed.
The next lesson, there's a ruler of the synagogue in verse 14. He answers with indignation because he sees this display of the solemn grace of God.
And the healing of this woman, but it's on the Sabbath day. Or offend him because he's a religious man.
Who says no? The only way to come to God is by works, not by grace. Come some other day and that way the only way to come is by the law. He was insisting that sadness don't come at another time and be healed with that.
00:15:09
He had no appreciation for the sovereign grace of God. And the Lord says to him all even if you had an animal on a Sabbath that was thirsty, you'd let him loose and you'd give him a drink, you'd protect your investment. You'd at least have some kind of mercy on your animals.
How much more than the three verse 16 Ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham, when Satan hath bound lo these 18 years, the loose from this bond on the Sabbath day?
His adversaries were put to him. They couldn't say anything. This ruler in the synagogue had nothing to say. He couldn't lift himself up any more than that woman could.
This is the response a religious man who thinks he's approaching to God on the basis of his own works. When he sees the activity of the sovereign grace of God, he has no use for it. But we find something else. And the Lord addressing this man as to this woman's condition, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these 18 years Satan was involved.
In keeping her in the condition she was in.
Unable to lift herself up and Satan is involved and man's lost condition and his inability to come to God to repent of his sins in terms of God.
Satan is so poisonous brain and of the thought of the heart of man, he is so convinced man with his misrepresentation of the character of God is lying misrepresentation of the character of God that man counts Satan's lives more credible than the truth of God.
He's involved.
Well, the next lessons we get.
Really take up.
The results of.
Those who are like this, ruler of the synagogue.
And the day of the manifestation of the grace of God, this time of the Kingdom. And he says, what is the Kingdom of God like? Well, first he says it's like a grain of mustard seed which a man took.
And puts it in the ground, it grows, it becomes a great tree, the fowls of the air lodged in its branches. The second he says, it's like 11 which a woman's heart.
And hid and three measures of meals, so the hole was 11.
The Lord is presenting a picture of what Christianity is going to become like in the hands of those who have no use for the grace of God but are seeking to approach God on the basis of their own righteousness.
Which they don't have and their own good works as they support.
Oh, it's going to become a great earthly Kingdom. It's a man that took this mustard seed. It's the outward aspect, the public aspect of things in the Kingdom. It becomes a great tree and the fowls of the air lodge in the branches. There are pictures of demonic spirits.
That find their home in this great earthly Kingdom, and then the inward aspect of it, the hidden and unseen that a woman took.
And put in those measures of meal the food of the people of God. Christ is the food of the people of God. She's introducing something that pictures evil. 11 until it spreads through the whole thing. The pure doctrine of Christ corrupted from one end of Christianity to the other. What is the Kingdom of heaven going to become like in the hands of men like the ruler of the synagogue? It's going to become filled with.
And feeble from one end to the other. And one hearing the Lord says to them, Lord. Verse 23 Arthur Hughes, that he saved.
In light of that, are the few.
That'd be good.
The Lord doesn't answer the question directly.
00:20:02
He picked in his concern for the soul of the questioner and he turned him back on his own responsibility before gone and he could drive to enter in at the straight gate.
Here once because God is sovereign and that is the only remedy.
For a man and his lost condition, unable to look up himself, does not take away the fact that man stands responsible before God, though Satan is involved.
And keeping them in that position, he still stands responsible before God as to the state of soul and mind that incapacitates him to receive Christ.
And the Lord puts this man back on his responsibility before dawn if.
Brother Rob, if I owed you $10,000 and I came to you and I said I can't pay, I'm broke, therefore you'll have to completely excuse me and consider me no longer liable for that debt. You would say even if you can't pay, it doesn't take away your responsibility to do so.
You're still responsible.
Those of all that man has a free will.
Say that if God commands men everywhere to repent.
Then therefore, man must have a free will.
To receive Christ to repent of his sins. Otherwise God would be unrighteous to command men everywhere to repent.
If they did not have the ability to do so, but.
The inability to do so does not remove the responsibility to do so, and God is righteous to command men everywhere to repent even if they don't have the ability to do it.
We're gonna skip over.
Just at the end of the chapter.
We get a little picture of those coming from the East and West and sitting down in the Kingdom of God at a rich feast of the grace of God in the coming days, enjoyment of himself and.
Having heard all these things, the Pharisees respond Him in verse 31 with threats and intimidation, and they tell him, get out of here.
You know hair is going to kill you.
They expected the Lord to run, you know.
He says in the 32 Go, go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected, and the captain of our salvation.
Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the following day, day following it. For it cannot be their prophet perish out of Jerusalem. His whole path was under the control of the sovereign will of God. And no Herod, no Caesar, no power on earth, even energized by Satan, was going to turn him aside from that path that was governed by the sovereign will of God.
Go tell that clock. Oh, he says. I would have gathered you together. How often?
I would have gathered my children together as a hen.
Doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not.
Man's will is cut again.
Not only he cannot come.
Oh, they prefer the fox or the hen. Man prefers Satan's lives to the truth of them.
Chapter 14 Trevessa the Lord Another picture. It follows on perhaps from the feast that's given to us in the end of chapter 13, where many come from the east and West and sit down.
Recline that table for the rich feast of the love and grace of God.
00:25:02
And the Lord comes to a feast that is Pharisees house, and they're watching him, they're observing him to see how he would behave.
Woody Hill on the Sabbath day again.
There is a certain man before him which has the dropsy, the Lord knowing their hearts answering. Interesting how often in scripture when nothing said and the Lord said answering, He reads the heart and he answers, even though the words were never spoken. Answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal?
On the Sabbath day they held their peace, and He took Him.
And healed him and let him go with a woman earlier that was bowed over. He called her to him, and he healed, laid his hands on her and healed her. This is even more simple.
So plain, so beautiful.
And its character, the the display of the sovereign grace of God. He just takes him, He heals him, and he lets him go.
You have the drops, see? You know what the dropsy is.
Doesn't mean he would just fall every once in a while like a paralytic or have an epileptic seizure.
Drop seat means a swelling. It means a collection of fluids. There's another word for it in medical terms called an edema. And it could get so large they would be rehabilitated. He had a swelling. Man has a problem.
That is pride.
He is as well. That hinders him from coming to God, and so the Lord just sovereignly.
And in the Pharisees house, no matter where it is his sovereign right Trump everything else he can do as he does.
And he feels this man. But now he turns and he looks. He becomes the attorney and he looks in this house and what does he see? Everyone in the house, that's the drops. They all have a swelling. They're all striving for the better seat, elbowing each other out of the way to get to the good spot in the house.
The highest place. The honorable place.
Driving the whole house, it's full of them. Oh, what a picture for the divine mind to look down on this house. He marked how they chose out the chief room.
And monster God, the eye of God, looking down on this world, especially the religious world and man, as if it were an inclined plane, trying to get higher and higher, better place and position.
There is all an effort.
Fry's.
He brings out to the Pharisee, and he had bidden his guests based on the principle that they would give him something back.
Well, not only the guests were looking for a better place and a better position that he had invited on the same principle that he would get something for himself.
Verse 12 When thou maketh the dinner or supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbors, lest they also.
Busy again in a recompense he may be, But when thou make this, the feast called a four, and the mane and the blind, and thou shalt be black, for they cannot recompense thee.
But that shall be recompense, that the resurrection of the just. And so he brings out the principles in which God makes his sovereign choice to bring into his house to his feet.
How he makes his choice.
Sovereignly of sins, it is with no thought that they can bring anything to him.
Where is he looking for recompense? Oh, that wonderful day of glory when the Lord Jesus comes and the dead in Christ are raised and they're all brought in to his house.
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He's going to be logically recompensed than the resurrection, isn't he?
But you know, man wants payment now.
He's not willing to wait for a resurrection that he has no faith to believe in. He wants payment now, and so he makes his choice based on what he's going to get.
How opposite of the heart of God.
Well, one of them that sat at meet with them, they heard those gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth, and he just exclaimed, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God.
Somehow those words affected him and he responded that way.
Oh, it's true, less of the truth. And I will sit at that table and eat bread and the Kingdom of God in the coming day.
What will man have it on God's time?
Will he have it on God's terms?
And this little series of lessons through these trappers culminates then, with the parable of the Great Sun.
Lord, give this parable, A certain man made a great supper and bade many, and he sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden come, for all things are now ready. Well, this certain man is God himself given to us in this picture form. He's made all things ready. Send his beloved son into this world to go to the cross.
And propitiation was made at the cross, and wherein God has been so satisfied with the work of his Son, that he's come out in grace to loss and ruin man, and says, Whosoever will.
All things are ready and here in contrast to Matthew 22 it's a single servant that's sent out in Matthew 22 its many servants.
That are sent out, those are the human instruments that bring out the gospel of God. But here it is the Spirit of God. There in Matthew if some man a king who made a great supper for his son.
For the honor of his son. But here it is, a man who just wants to fill a house for the satisfaction of his own heart.
The heart of God.
They all, with one consent, began to make excuses. Mr. Darby's translation is more accurate. They all without exception.
Began to make excuse.
Not that they consented together to make excuses, but every single one that was bidden made an excuse. 3 examples are given, many more were bidden.
Oh, without exception. Not one single exception.
Began to make excuse.
And the excuses are given. The 1St I bought a piece of brown, I must need to go and see it. Another I have bought by the yoke of oxen I go to proven.
The third I married a wife, therefore I.
All the first he has to see it, the lust of the eyes.
The other I gotta go prove it.
Well, I need a good deal.
So pride of life and the last I've married a wife. I can't come. The lust of the flesh.
Three things that Satan uses, three things that are in this world that are not of the Father, and which Satan uses to keep man in that condition, that he is then lost and ruined and sent. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes.
And the pride of life.
The first two say have me excuse, they will not come.
The last is the most honest and he says I cannot come. Both are true.
Men will not come, and he cannot come as he is.
Well, that Cervantes comes and he shows the Lord, and what does he do? Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring hit her before the main, the halt and the blind.
00:35:13
The services, Lord, it is done as thou's commanded, and yet there is room.
And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and come, tell them to come in.
That my house may be full.
Well, it's the divine resource of the heart of God. My house will be filled for the satisfaction of my own heart. Go out and compel them to come in, and not one of us who will be there in the glory in the Father's house will be anything of it than a compelled 1.
Can't help.
5000.
Why is it?
As that is the case.
Gospel.
And John, the Lord Jesus is presented as light.
Relax, it came into the world.
When did these clients in the world?
First five was round one and the lights trying to pin darkness and the darkness.
Comprehended or apprehended it. Not a little difference between comprehension and African, but comprehension. It's not just that he comprehended it, not he didn't even apprehend it. He didn't even get a hold of a little bit of it. Nothing.
So much so the light came into the world, and if you turn the lights on in this room, the darkness goes away. But the light came into the world and the darkness stayed. It didn't go away.
And so God had to send a man named John the point at the light and say, there's the light.
There's the light to the darkness after him, is it not?
In chapter.
Three.
Before we read that, is it just referred to?
We're 1011 of chapter one. But he was in the world. The world was made by him and the world knew him.
Oh man finished because he is darkness himself. He works sometimes Darkness, but not.
But not only is man darkness, we read in chapter 3 and verse 19, and this is the condemnation that light has come into the world.
A man loves drawing.
Man who loved gardening.
Rather than light, because their deeds were evil, Everyone that doeth evil hated.
Darkness. Tonight. The lights go out in this room and it'll be dark. It's passing.
But this darkness wasn't passive.
This darkness hated the light. It was opposed to the light. It wouldn't come to the light. It hated it.
Man love the darkness chapter 8.
Verse 12.
Don't say Jesus again to them, saying I am the light of the world. He that called me shall not walk in darkness that shall have the light of life.
Madam, not only our darkness.
I love the darkness.
They walk in the darkness.
Chapter 12.
Chapter 12 and verse 46 I am comma light into the world, and that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
The appliance and the darkness. And then in verse 35, Jesus saith unto them, Yet a little while the light is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, less darkness come upon you, or darkness.
00:40:15
Seed upon men love lost man in this world. He loves the darkness. He walks in the darkness, he abides in the darkness, and the darkness is about to seize upon him. And to whom it is appointed. The blackness of darkness forever. And that one in Matthew chapter 20 was bound hand and foot in half of the outer darkness, his portion for all eternity. Life outer.
Darkness because it's outside of the creation of God. It's outside of the new heavens and the earth, and there's no light there.
All that is why men cannot and will not come.
In John chapter 5, the Lord tells us that very explicitly.
Verse 40.
And he will not come to me that he might have life. Man is not God of free will.
Ye will not come to me.
Chapter 6.
Verse 44. No man hath come to me.
Except for fog which had sent me draw him.
It's going to take.
Chapter 3.
And verse 3.
Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, I stand to the except a man before again.
It cannot see.
Of his own will, James says we get here with the word of truth. Of his own will they won't be us. For the word of truth, Peter says, being born again out of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. That is how God works by the Holy Spirit.
Using the instrumentality, the Word of God to impart a life where there was no life before and that is the beginning of the sovereign work of God and grace in the soul.
It starts with a new burn.
It is, as the Lord says to Nicodemus, an absoluteness.
All nicodemus.
Didn't have, and you and I didn't have anything more to do with our spiritual birth than we did with our natural birth of His own. Will began to us by the word of truth.
Let's turn over back to John, uh, John's gospel chapter one.
Verse 12.
But as many as received him to them gay he power.
To become the sons of the children of God, even to them which that believe on his name. I want to read it in the new translation.
To those that believe on his name who have been born.
Not of blood, nor flushes well, nor of man's will, but of course.
Those who received him, who was rejected by this world that he came to and it knew him not.
So that were his own, that he came to and received him not.
Those who didn't believe him were those who were born.
It's important to notice the order. It's not that they came and believed in order to be born of God.
But he knows everything ahead of time as well, doesn't he? And there's a word for that called president.
00:45:04
He knows everything ahead of him.
Those who deny.
The sovereign election of God.
Salvation of lost men.
Make this verse to be that just God knew what you would do out of time because He knows everything ahead of time. That's true. He knows everything ahead of time.
But is that the point of this verse, That God just knows everything ahead of time?
That God just looked down the long tunnel of time and saw what you would do, and then chose you because he saw you. With exercise, you're supposed free will to receive Christ, no?
He foreknew youth up accent personally before you if it just meant then he knows everything ahead of time and we look at it as person. He knew every person ahead of time. Who was it that he didn't know ahead of time?
And if that's what it means.
That he knows everything ahead of time then whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. And there isn't one man, woman or child that was ever born in this world.
There will not be conformed to the image of the sun at all of the IT. All it means is he knew everyone ahead of time.
It means a specific class of persons that he foreknew.
From a past eternity, it's involved with his Father's choice.
Those that he foreknew, he did predestinate to be conformed to the ancient.
This, yeah. And in time, he called you.
And through the finished work of Christ, He justified you.
And is the day coming when He's going to glorify you with He who can speak of everything that is not yet as if it already is as glorified? Only God could see that. Only God could do that.
2nd Thessalonians.
Chapter 2.
Uh, inverse 13.
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you brethren, the love of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you through salvation. That's the election.
Through sanctification of the Spirit, the setting apart through the action of the Spirit of God. That's the new verse of quickness.
And belief of the truth, the faith that is the gift of God, that comes with that new life.
Same here, whereas who he called you by our gospel.
Oh, the way in which he has brought you in is through the means of the gospel.
To be a paling of glory.
The glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, the end.
Of the past for every believer in his object.
And his sovereign choice of you.
This was the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So many things we didn't have time to touch on and our time was done.
And all this doesn't answer every question and doesn't touch on many other things.
But I want to add one more thing remember.
That even though these wonderful truths.
Are there in the word of God, of God's sovereignty and election. It never ever will take away from those.
00:50:07
Most precious words.
Him that cometh unto me I will, and no one has nothing.
Our God and our Father who prayed the God bless our time and nightmare, feel our evilness.
It might be more established in contributing so we just can let ourselves kidding the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Ephesians 1:11-23
Gospel 1
Gospel—Daniel Murray
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
A big man should boast. Shall we look to the Lord?
But God's Father would be just.
That it is all of myself.
And nothing about it.
We just demand the time into thy hand.
Pray for much blessing there might be.
There might be an understanding on the part of those that hear.
We just ask for label. I think on our time and on thy word. May our Lord be as Christ. Amen. May we could sing.
Yeah, number 33.
No, nothing I've heard.
Oh no, that thing's a man, whoever is going to.
Man took one and then he asked me what's the name of your turf?
I explained to him a little bit that we're just believers that gather simply the name of the Lord Jesus and.
He wasn't satisfied as well. What do you believe?
And I said, well, we try to follow and we believe what the Bible says to be true and try to follow as well as we're able to understand what it teaches.
00:05:02
And he wanted more.
And, uh, wanna know well how you get saved?
So I afterwards realized.
The choloprogia cenobra.
It's all by grace without works. I shook my hand, he said. Brother, you're on the right track. Have a good day.
There's a very large cultural.
Catholic influence.
Which is entirely built on works.
And there's a large outreach from the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, which both have those all interwoven with their doctor.
So I thought we'd.
Looks good, hide a little bit.
My brother Steve mentioned we've had a little bit in the breathing, but he mentioned about the dead dog.
In our culture today and schools.
The emphasis is on improving.
Man. There's something inherently good in man, and we just have to keep working to find it.
And you know, we, uh.
We're talking and they're eating about.
The power that the Lord has.
I speak gravelly. There's something you can't do.
It says in the profits that was just crooked cannot be made straight.
And our following nature.
And so crooked and worthless that even God himself couldn't remedy it by improving it.
That's why he says to Nicodemus, he must be born again.
That begins with what we've spoken of is quickening.
Until there's, in part, a new life.
There's nothing God can work with.
And it started turn back as we confirmed the Genesis Chapter 4.
This idea is nothing new.
Sometimes we refer to it as Cain's religion.
People born into this world.
In the natural sense.
And somehow.
They had an understanding.
What was suitable to God?
An Abel brought a sacrifice.
Than the mall was.
Dean, Bright fruit of the Earth.
And God couldn't find favor in that. He couldn't find pleasure in that.
And this day?
Then try to bring to God.
Something.
It was mentioned in a meeting recently in my home assembly.
When you go through the law of Moses.
Those fruits of the field are mentioned.
But it's the first bridge we're supposed to bring after the blood has been applied.
They have no.
Efficacy. No ability.
Save us all, make a man new wash away. Sins are a zone for sin.
And.
We'll just read.
One verse for seven.
Does it thou dost well? Is the Lord speaking to Cain?
00:10:01
Thou not be accepted.
Not well.
Then lied at the door where I've heard it rendered a sin offering.
Mercedes, what you brought was truly acceptable. I would have accepted it.
But it's not. And yet there's.
Suitable offering available for you Fueled.
Let's go to Romans.
The book of Romans.
It's been an awful large part of the book.
Going over this very subject.
Bring us to the point.
Beyond any doubt.
The man has nothing in and of himself of values.
You know, I've sort of said that the last part of Amanda died is his price.
That's where the job comes from.
Man doesn't want to admit.
That he's completely helpful.
And hopeless.
Let's read.
Chapter 3.
And we'll start with verse 10. As it is written, there is none. Righteous. No, not one.
There is none that understand it.
There is none that speaketh after God.
Men will tell you they are seeking after God.
They're not seeking with a true heart.
You really know what God wants.
They want a God that conforms to their idea of what God should be.
Keep reading. They are all gone out of the way. They are together. Become unprofitable.
There is none that doeth good.
No, not one.
This road is an open sepulchre. With their tongues they have used the seat.
The boys in Avast is under their lips.
His mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are shifty, swift to show blood.
Destruction and misery are in their ways.
And the way of peace.
Have they not known?
We might look at this list and say well.
I don't do those things.
We were honest with ourselves.
But in a major natural mankin.
Culture himself.
2 Keeps subdued some of these vices.
The 18th verse says there is No Fear of God before their eyes.
The unsaved man.
He can exempt himself from that verse.
There is No Fear of God before their eyes. It means they don't.
Recognize God.
And give him the due respect and honor, and the true place that he should have.
They may fear a God of anger, of wrath.
And yet reviews about me.
That's not true fear.
And so we continue on.
God says I'm going to put a stop on all these excuses, all these reasoning.
00:15:02
OK. And so?
He gave the law.
Very clearly laid out.
What is a in a moral sense he expected from man?
Mangrove for 2000 years. She couldn't keep it.
God says here the law was given that every mouth might be stopped.
Before the law, maybe man could say I didn't know. It wasn't clear.
But now you do. You have no answer.
But by the law is the knowledge of sin, or it's what?
Axis though, a mere standard for us, so there's no question.
If you come short of a written commandment.
There's no getting around it.
And God had a remedy. We've spoken about His purposes.
He's playing long before the Earth existed.
Verse 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law was manifested.
Being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ.
Unto all, and upon all them that believe.
For there is no difference.
Too Gentile.
Greek barbarian vision and so on.
Especially here Jew and Gentile.
There is no difference for all have sinned.
And come short of the glory of God.
You know, his little kids, we all.
Major up.
Try to be tall. See if we're taller than our sibling, our friends.
Anymore I don't have much challenge, but.
That's right, working in a young heart.
We aren't very old before it starts to show itself.
As it goes on, maybe with I think the verges into other areas like.
So we're always.
His natural man looking inside. Find some area of our life where we can be better than the next guy.
And we might have something.
God will be pleased in.
Says they've all come short with everyone of us.
That he offers us.
858 The justified freely by its grace.
Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
You know, we were so.
Utterly worthless.
We had to be given a new life, but something had to be done with it.
Nature and the Sins of the old life.
We could just trade one out for the other.
Steve Mansion.
Just because you couldn't pay doesn't abrogate the responsibility to do so.
We're not set at liberty.
The requirement of God that payment must be made for those sins.
So we need a substitute.
Startup either.
First Peter chapter one.
Verse 18.
00:20:01
For as much as you know that you were not redeemed the corruptible things.
With silver and gold.
The douche is outstanding.
Is it there from your vein conversation received by traditions and your father's?
He's riding here to juice.
And they had a commandment to face the redemption money.
Every man child stop the rest in the brothers pointed out that.
With the *** and they have been another animal. They were given the option you can redeem it or you can break its neck.
With their children, they didn't have that option.
So you must be born again.
There is no other way.
We're not redeemed with silver and gold.
So right in your ear.
Works.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot.
We all know that the picture is *******.
Prefigured our Lord Peter.
And it was kept up.
It can be observed to make sure that there's nothing wrong with that lamp, nothing that might hinder it from being an adequate sacrifice.
And yet.
All blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin.
They could provision it under it for a time.
As it were, it postpones the final judgment.
Until the cross.
Till there could be a perfect substitute for writing.
You know it's.
Ordeal skating.
And man did their best to pick him apart.
For 3 1/2 years.
Now you tried to find fault with them any way they could.
He was that phlegm, without blemish and without spot.
And that qualifies him.
To be an adequate substitute for us.
Pelvis is.
Clear back in eternity when the whole plan was being formed.
God had asked who will go for it?
Maybe the most marvelous part of it all.
Not that has gotten to be a perfect man.
Qualified Substitute.
When it says the.
Says let this mind be a new verse 5 which was also in Christ Jesus.
00:25:02
Being in the form of God.
Love it not robbery to be equal with God or.
It wasn't.
Something he had.
You didn't have to strive to get it.
And you didn't feel the need to?
Confused to set it aside.
It wasn't something. Sometimes we get a treasure and.
Made himself with no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant.
And was made in the likeness of men.
Being found in fashion as a man who humbled himself and became obedient unto death.
Even the death of the cross.
That's how the way was open for each morning.
He gave himself willingly.
The associated.
And yet, there's still one more step.
He had to be raised from the dead.
As much as God was saying that.
I've accepted it.
The blood was shed.
It's efficient.
You know when they killed that cosmopolitan?
Put the blood in the vase and they couldn't just sit there.
They were told to take a piece of hip hop and to strike it on their doorposts.
Sometimes we can.
Have an understanding of.
Work that the Lord has done.
And as to where we leave it sitting there in the bowl?
We don't actually accept him except his work for ourselves.
And without that?
It'll do you no good.
Every one of us did visually.
Need to.
Except that.
God's statement of our utter ruin is true.
And the God statement of.
Grace complete.
Affection and ability to remedy is also true.
So I just hope that there wouldn't be any here who would.
See that?
Or do you decide for them and say that's fine, it can fit there and?
I don't think for my own.
End with one more verse.
All it says.
And so God did beseech thee by us. She reconciled to God.
He's provided everything.
All we have to do is reach out and.
Take advantage of it.
If you don't.
They hadn't applied the blood to the door.
In their case, the Lord had told them at midnight.
The Death Angel was down through.
We don't know when that is.
But without the blood, the flight of your heart.
And it may come in a moment, it may come in many years.
00:30:02
Believe not as condemned already. The judgment is passed.
Finalize.
There's one route of escape, but until you take advantage of it.
Condemnation there.
Commend ourselves to the Lord.
Rapture vs Appearing
Children—Josh Stewart
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Time for Sunday School class. So time to sing a few songs from our hymn sheet here. So if you have one that you'd like to sing, just raise your hand. Go ahead, 4444.
44.
1021 Temporary justice, Boyfriend.
Thou Gracie Chen's daughter, really read me nor and all Lord there no time can stay on the children of men.
So why did you never had so many big bowl of water?
Oh boy. And nine children didn't have their entire name.
I, not better than my hands, will be alone. Nobody has ever heard of us. No, I think that's all.
That's not happening here. I can't.
Uh, they can't go on already. Do you know what? I'm going to go home. Yeah. I'm like, you can't stay out of the garden. Tell me about my house and I'll come and buy all the GS where you have to go. Baby, fall over here.
And you gain weight on the blood sweat down to his grandmother and see that there is some kind of thing in the house down.
I sent him five years old and the happy birthday dear you and I am Sharon as I had to be in second to him. Or do you need anything?
That I was in my mind again, and I don't know if you have a lot of things.
There are times you can't say that all the Hell's dead and I'll come back and and and I don't know why I didn't ever have so easy. Oh Lord.
OK, how about another one? Go ahead, 48343.
Anyone have one they'd like to give out?
Go ahead, Jack #4 #4.
OK, guess we'll see number. We've seen the first and last first. Christ, this does say.
Good morning.
But I have seen this in thy heart and I'm glad. It's great. I am praying.
There is another day and turn it, Yeah, it's a grasp of the day you have gotten together and Jennifer's life. And it's like, maybe.
92549, 5/7/14.
I don't know about my son changing. Life swelled up. I think so brave. I'll tell my account like his friend in heaven. This is the same therefore be.
00:05:24
One of the adults can give one out too.
In shining roads outside the spiking swine will be arrayed will rain in half grandstate of life and joy in the matter of birthday.
Singing Glory.
What brings them to that world above that heaven's no pride answer where all this is, and joy and love thou gaining with your grandparents.
Glory, Sailor of God.
The constant came during the shadow blind to wash away their sins.
No, no no, no fried chicken. But I can't hold on the template and I can't believe.
It's written Bella Bella, Bella and La La La La la.
OK, how about another one?
4747.
Umm, when I come and get rid of them, but I've got to pay them and download them. But I, it's, it's hard to go out of the water and it's, it's right round and round from a party. They shall shine in the middle of the sea right now. So I'm getting crowned.
And I'll tell them on the ground and play for children's grants from there. From the last ever being convenient, I have to give them a call to the practice to fail the boss and getting his own.
OK, before we go on, we're going to close our eyes and pray to the Lord Jesus for help for Jesus. We are so thankful this morning for the privilege that we have to have all these children here, older ones too. And we just thank you for the privilege that we have to open up by word and to sing these songs and we just pray for.
Umm, each one. Here there's a little child that's not yet saved. But they would.
00:10:03
Turn to the Lord Jesus for salvation. Just pray to you about the Sunday school lesson today that it would be something that would umm, be helpful to each one here, that the children might learn something or if they already understand that they would, umm, understand a little bit better. So we would just pray this and give thanks in the worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Amen. OK.
How about we sing one more and then if anyone has a verse that they've memorized, they can.
Say it for us. OK, go ahead #40 #40.
OK, I said. That's the other time. Yeah, it's not plastic. That's James. That's nice game. Yeah, I have to change. That's what I'm saying. Bye bye. Bye bye. Without need.
From.
It is about one of them is about 1545 and being the restroom made me glad. That's why I'm with his beautiful men and hands and hands on her. He didn't change the same thing from never bring any power. Yeah, I'll have a security transplant with him.
Give me a lot of me. Yeah. I don't know what to do. I'm positive. That's why I'm telling you. God, no, no, no, no, no. Do you hear any kind of me by the mainstream when I stand in the rain? Never mind.
I'm going to die in all my life, give me myself a lot of life and my life, you know, I'm not going to see anything. That's what I'm saying, Yeah. I don't know what happened to me. Umm, so I would say, but I don't, I don't know.
Do you need some clouds may be delivered? Well, the headache is closed.
Getting out of the way and left by the empty stomach. He did well, they did one of my eyes and hide. Yeah, you need to start slotting to me. Yeah, she's not like me.
Yes, I'm not sleeping, I'm fine, but I'm seeing some.
Go ahead.
Do you want me to come back to you? OK. OK. Anyone else here have one they wanna say go ahead, Nellie. Second PD39. Lord, it's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come through 10 to the second.
Oh, do you have one you want to say?
If you don't, if you don't want to, that's all right.
00:15:00
The password today, that's all right. OK Anybody else want to say versatile they've memorized?
All right.
Well, it's very important that we realize what we have in those two verses, that first of all, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Are you ready? You want to try? Go ahead.
OK.
You want to stay the same way, your brother said.
I love this first because it's, it's the gospel in a nutshell, right? And it tells us that God loves the world so much.
That he gave his only begotten Son. Now Can you imagine those of you who are boys in this room? You know how much your your daddies love you, right? Very, very much. And you think it would be easy for them to give you away to someone else?
You know, very hard because they love you very much. Well, God loves his Son. It's the greatest love there is. And he gave him because he loved this world. He loved you.
And he loved me so much that he gave his Son to die on the cross. And on the cross the Lord Jesus suffered for our sins so that we could be safe. And why do we need to do to be safe?
Can someone tell me?
OK, go ahead.
Very good.
Good to have a verse when you answer. That's very good.
Umm, so we just need to believe and then we'll be safe. And the other verse that was umm said this morning was God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. So those verses went together very well. And uh, now do we, do we have lots of time to make a choice?
To be saved, can we just take our time or do we need to decide early? What do you think?
Go ahead. That's right. Because why? Why do we need to decide early? You're pretty young, you know, you have a lot of years left. Why didn't you decide now?
That's right, the word might come any minute or.
Something really terrible might happen. It could happen.
Some of us could not, you know, So we are, we will all the Lord doesn't come first. We will all die one day. And so it's very important we don't know when that will be, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so that we can be saved.
Well, you talked about, umm, the Lord coming and that's what I wanted to talk about this morning. This is the subject that I, I prepared for today's Sunday school lesson. So I hope that, umm, I hope that this is something that we can all understand, even you, uh, boys and girls. So I brought some, uh, some prizes here, some treats here.
Starburst and.
Someone has provided these gospel booklets.
So I have some questions for you and if you, uh, you answer the question, then you can come up and take one of these gospel booklets, one or the whole stack, just one.
And you can also have one of these. OK, so I have lots of questions and.
So the first thing I want to do was.
To show you something that I drew.
First of all, before we do that.
I want to read to you a couple verses from the last chapter of the Bible. Does anyone know what that is without looking? You know what the last chapter of the Bible is. Go ahead.
Someone else want to try? Go ahead. Umm.
So I tried the Romans.
How about someone down here?
Revelation 22. OK, I guess I'm thinking of candy today.
00:20:02
OK, Revelation 22 and I'm just going to read three parts of three verses. OK, verse 7, Behold, I come quickly.
Verse 12 and behold, I come quickly and verse 20.
Surely I come quickly.
So what is what are those verses talking about? How about someone down here? What are those verses talking about, Nelly?
That's right, the Lord is coming very soon. OK, how about I will just bring these down when the question is answered. That way we don't have a lot of traffic. OK.
And the more questions you ask you you answer, the more prizes you get. OK, so the word is coming very, very soon.
And so now I want to show you guys something that I've done here. OK, everyone can take a look at this. This is a timeline and it stretches for a long time. Can anyone see what this is over here? What is it? Go ahead across. OK, that cross is where the Lord Jesus died. And that was a long time ago.
2000 years ago.
And this arrow here is called. Does anyone know what this is?
Go ahead. Can you read this?
The reaction OK and what is in between the cross and the rapture? Does anyone know?
2000 years, very good. OK. And what is in that that 2000 years?
Go ahead, the church period, the church period. That's right. OK. And so at the end of the church period, the Lord is going to come and he's going to rapture us. That means this word rapture. Does anyone know what a Raptor is? It's a bird that comes down and grabs a fish and picks it up. And that's the same basic word as rapture needs to be caught up and.
This word is actually not found in our English Bible, but.
I think if you've had a Latin Bible, it is found because the word caught up or to catch up is found in our English. So I want to talk a little bit about that. But then after the Lord comes to catch us up at this rapture, you can see the up arrow. It's up because we are going to go up in the air, OK?
After that, you can see there's a down arrow. What do you think that means? If this arrow means that we go up in the air, what do you think this arrow means?
Jack, what do you think it means?
Yeah. Does anyone know?
That's right, we're going to come back. Very good. OK, so this arrow means we go up and this arrow means we go back. And what is in between there? I can see that I probably shouldn't have written the answers then.
What is in between the time when we go up and the time when we come back? Go ahead.
Right now, what is the tribulation?
Can anyone tell me how long the tribulation will be?
I didn't write that on here.
Can anyone tell me?
It's not very long. It's a lot shorter than this. OK, Does anyone know what's that? Someone that's older maybe? Uh, Mr. Doppler? Seven years? Yeah, that's right. It's only about seven years. OK. And does anyone know where we are on the timeline?
Where are we on this timeline? That's right. And and are we towards the beginning, do we think or the end?
Right. We're right here at the end, we believe of this period. So, so that means that the Lord's coming to take us up to be very, very soon, OK. And this tribulation period is a time of judgment where God is going to judge the world and he's going to pour out all kinds of judgments. He's going to cause you famines and earthquakes. He's going to cause economic collapse. People are going to go to the store to buy food and there's going to be no food.
And they're going to have to go home all hungry. Many people are going to die. There's going to be diseases, and then the wild animals are going to start coming out of the woods to bite people. It's going to be a very terrible time because God is judging this earth. And there's going to be big movements of armies. There's going to be great battles that will take place, and many will die. Many. The population of the earth is going to be reduced dramatically during this time.
And at the very end of it.
00:25:02
The Ward is going to come and he is going to fight huge battles and he's going to win every single one of them, OK?
So I just wanted to show you something and I hope by the end of this Sunday school.
Children will be able to explain to us.
Some of the verses that talk about the rapture and some of the verses that talk about the Lord's coming back to the earth called the appearance, OK? And remember, when He comes at the rapture, He comes for us, OK? That's very important. The Lord comes for His people, but at the appearing He comes with His people. Remember that. OK, Because I'm going to ask you some questions. Did you hear that?
At the rapture he comes forth his Saints. At the period he comes back with his Saints. OK.
So before we look at some verses to, to, uh, point this out, I drew this little chart here which I hope can illustrate what the rapture will be like. I said the word coming for his people. Now you can all see. Is it hard for you guys to see back there? Can you see? OK, I'll walk down there in a minute. But right up here at the top is heaven.
OK.
And the verse that we're going to read in a few minutes says the Lord himself shall descend from heaven. He's going to come down from heaven to this cloud to the clouds, OK.
And then what's the next thing that's going to happen? It says the dead in Christ shall rise first.
What's this thing down here?
It's coughing, right? It's under the ground and there's a lot of coffins in the ground today. There's a lot of Christians that have died. And when they die, most of the time we we buried them under the ground, OK.
And there's a like a little gravestone there.
And when the Lord descends from heaven.
With a shout, then the dead in Christ are going to rise. They're going to come right out of their graves. Isn't that amazing? So what about somebody who's been in their coffin for 100 years or 200 years? Do they look like a person?
They just look like dust, right? They just turn. They just turn into dirt after a long time, after we die, right? Well, when the Lord comes, he's so powerful.
And he is going to raise.
Those bodies up from the brain.
Isn't that amazing? And that's all going to happen. That's the rapture. But what about the people that are still alive if the Lord came today and and each one of you, I hope has put your trust in the Lord. Jesus has believed in him. What about this guy over here? He's he wasn't in a coffin. He was just walking along one day and the Lord comes, what happens to him?
Well, the verse goes on to say we which are alive and remain will be caught up together. So you see how I have these two arrows coming together? We're all going to go up at the same time, OK, Isn't that, isn't that amazing? So if you know somebody that's a Christian that has died, when the Lord comes, you're gonna get to see them again because we're all gonna ride up together.
To meet the Lord in the clouds, OK.
So does everyone understand this? What the rapture will be?
Does anyone have any questions? Do you have any questions?
OK, so now on the backside of this I have the Opyrne. This is this will happen at least seven years later from the Rapture. This could happen any minute now. OK, any minute this could happen. Then this is the this is the appearance. So this is at least seven years later. I think the boys will find this very exciting. So again, we have heaven up here.
And what's going on in this part?
You know what? Does it look like it's happening? I should have drawn some arrows. What's coming out of heaven?
Horses, right, right. Does anyone know who this one is here in the this middle horse that's got a red red clothing on?
Or Jesus, right? Very good. He's going to come out of heaven.
And he's going to be riding on this White Horse. And you know what? All of these people here that are on other forces that are following him, those are the people that were caught up at the rack. Guess what? We're going to get to come back with him as a big army. We're called his armies. And we're going to get to follow the Lord Jesus when he comes out of heaven.
00:30:12
Isn't that amazing?
OK. So this is going to be a very exciting time for all of us. We're going to get to ride out in this huge island. And now I have on here on the bottom.
What is going on down here?
Let's ask someone down here. Molly, do you know what does it look like it's happening?
I didn't do a very good job of this. Does anyone know what these are?
Yeah, that's right. It's an army camp, and I should have drawn a lot more tents because this is going to be a huge army, OK? Maybe the biggest army that you've ever, ever seen, maybe even a lot bigger than that, OK.
And they're going to come across the the ocean, the sea, and they're going to land and the land of Israel. They're going to set up their camps. They're going to get their guns all ready. And the Lord is going to come out of heaven and surprise them like a thief in the night itself.
And they're going to see the Lord, and they're going to decide to fight him. Now. Do you think that is a good idea?
No.
You know what some of the smartest people in the world are going to be in that battle. You know what they're going to do? They're going to decide to fight the Lord.
What does that tell you? Tells tells me that they hate him. And so this army is an army of people that hates the Lord Jesus. And that is what this world is like. And it may not seem that way today. It may seem like this world is a very nice place today, but one day they're going to fight against the Lord. The Lord is going to win three great battles that he will fight against. If I had a map, I could show you.
Where these battles will come from, It's going to be a great army from the West. That's what these ships are. And there's going to be a great army from the east, a huge army that's going to come. And then there's going to be a great army from the north that will come down afterwards. And one by one he will destroy these armies. And you see this thing that's coming out of his mouth here. What is it? Sword. Sword. That's right.
And that sword is the word of God. Did you notice that all these guys here on these horses, which is us, when we come back with him, they don't have any swords.
I used to think that when we came back we would be swinging our swords and.
All that, but you know what? There's only one weapon in the Lord's army, and that's this one. It's the sword, and it's going to be over in a moment.
He's just going to speak the word and all those aren't fall down on their faces.
Isn't that amazing? And we're going to get to be right there with him when that happens.
OK, so now comes the real challenging part. OK.
I have a little chart here that has these two events, these two parts of the Lord's coming, the rapture and the appearing, OK? And I'm going to read 6 verses, OK? And I want you children to tell us whether it is the rapture or the appearing OK? So I hope you remember that the rapture is the Lord's coming together.
And his appearance when he comes back with us. OK, let's see if you can do this. So the first verse I want to read is in John's Gospel.
Non-stop. OK. And I, I know some of you don't have Bibles, so I will, I will read you the verse and if, if you think you know which one it is, you can, uh, you can raise your hand and if you get it right, then you can get a prize. Uh, maybe when we're done.
So John's Gospel, chapter 14.
Seven verse one, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions who were not so I would have pulled you. I go to prepare a place for you. OK, here it is verse three. Listen very carefully. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself.
That where I am there ye may be also OK What do we think this is?
Go ahead. The rats are very good. OK.
I will write this in now.
00:35:06
John 14 and verse 3.
Very, very good. The Lord says He's going to come and get us the rapture. OK, so now the next one you have to turn over.
To I think I want to go to 1St Thessalonians, OK.
First Thessalonians.
So you have to have your thinking caps on because this is you have to pay very close attention to these persons. OK, you ready for me to read it to you?
To the end that he may establish your heart's unblameable and holiness before God, even our Father. OK, here's the part with some very closely.
At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints. Do you want me to read it again?
OK, which one is it?
You're hearing good job and if you appear in he said he comes with all these things very good. Let me write that on here. What verse is everything 3.
Stop.
OK, very good. Orgy's going to come back with all of his things. So it's the appearance.
OK, now we're going to turn over to the next chapter. All right, now this you have to pay very close attention because you don't want to get tripped.
Chapter 4 and verse. We'll start with verse 13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again. Here's the part of the verse. Even so then which sleep in Jesus. Here it is.
Will God bring with them OK?
Jesus will God bring with him.
OK, OK. What do we think of this?
Let's go to the Rapture. That is not correct. I said this one was tricky, so I think it's pretty obvious if it's not the Rapture, which one it is, but let's see anyway. How about, uh, COVID? That's right. And can you tell me why it's occurring? I'll read it again. It says umm.
Even so, them also could sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Can someone tell me why it's the Apiri?
Go ahead.
Does anyone know any of these children? I'm going to emphasize the Word again. Will God bring with him? Go ahead.
It's because at the appearance we come back with him. So you know what this verse is telling us, the apostle Paul is explaining in this chapter that the people who had died aren't going to miss out on this great battle here, coming out of heaven on these horses and following the Lord Jesus and destroying all his enemies. This is this is a great thing, right? We we're looking forward.
This time and they thought that the people who had died were going to miss out on us, but he tells them no. What's going to happen is God is going to bring those ones who have died back with Him when He appears. OK, so let's write that one in before we go any further.
That was the that was probably the trickiest one. These are going to get a little bit easier going on for.
Four verse 4.
OK, all right, the next one we're going to read is and the the very next verse.
Verse 15 For this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them.
In the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
So shall we ever be with the Lord? OK, caught up together with them in the clouds to be the Lord in the air. What is this one? Go ahead.
00:40:02
Very good. The Rapture.
Excellent work because we're caught up to meet the Lord. You came back to get us to come back together, so First Thessalonians.
UH-4.
And verse 1617 OK.
Very good job.
OK, now I want to read one or two more. We have two on each side. OK, we have two that are for the Rapture and two that are for the appearance.
OK, so turn it over to 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2.
And verse one, Now we deceit you, brethren, here it is by the coming of our Lord, and by our gathering together unto him.
We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him. OK now, very good. Why is it the Rapture?
That's very good. Excellent. OK.
So this is this one is the rapture as well.
Two and verse one. OK and I want to read one more and our time is almost gone.
And that will be in the book of Jude.
OK.
So put put your thinking caps on and we're going to see if you can tell me which one this is.
Verse 14.
And Enoch also the 7th from Adam, prophesied of these things. Behold, the Lord cometh with 10,000 of his Saints to execute judgment upon all, et cetera. The Lord cometh with 10,000 of his Saints to execute judgment upon all. OK, let's give Quincy another thing. Very good, excellent.
OK so that was the last one I wanted to read Jude verse.
UH-14.
OK, so now we have our chart here and you can see that some verses are talking about the rapture and some verses are talking about the appearance. So you guys did a very, very good job at.
Discerning whether a verse was talking about the rapture or the appearance.
Well, there's a lot of people in this world today that are very confused about this and they they don't think the rapture is going to happen. They think that the Lord Jesus is going to leave those who are in the grave and he's going to come back anyways without them. But Paul explains.
Let me get this chart back out in First Thessalonians that.
The way that we're going to get to be with Christ when he comes back is by being caught up with him at the ration. So we're going to go up, we're going to be with Christ, we're going to come back with him, and we're always going to be with Him. Does anyone know what this is over here?
You can read it.
That comes after the appearing.
Anyone who can't read know what this is. OK, you can read the Millennium. That's right. And Millennium simply means the 1000 years. And what does the Millennium like? Do you know, Gabe? What's the Millennium life?
That's right. So when Christ is reigning over this earth as the King and everything is according to the way that he decides, people are going to have to obey him. The people obey the Lord Jesus today in the world.
What do you think, Dakota?
But you know what? When this time over here, this green box over here, it's going to last for 1000 years and you know what the world is going to be like it's never been before. You know, there's going to be lots of food for people to eat. People are going to live very, very old. If people don't send and they're not going to die, they can live to be 1000 years old. Isn't that amazing?
You know, if it's not going to be disease and sickness anymore, there's not going to be wars anymore.
You know what? The lions and the lambs are going to play play together. Do they do that today? No, you put a lion and a lamb together. The lamb won't last very long, but they will in the Millennium when Christ is reigning. And so before we close, it says in Titus chapter 2 That we are looking for the blessed hope, which is the rapture and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. So we're looking for both of you.
Sitting Down at the Table Together
Christianity Connects Us With Christ Where He Is Now
Ephesians 3
Gospel 2
Gospel—Howard House
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Let's start with thing #1.
Do you have anything in your heart?
There.
Now follow me on my finger in there.
I want more time with her Umm.
Lost eternity that goes on and on and on Forever.
Is not thy desire that they would continue on their course? We just pray that tonight they would realize that there is a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who now has sent myself Father.
And he is available today.
To their salvation I just pray that they return in whoever they may be, man who and boy or girl father. So salvation, we just ask these things in his name, Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Let's sing another one.
Sing #7.
So I.
Therefore, my secondary there was a problem, but no problem to your Papa Thai and yelling. I have a lot of you need me to see.
Or anything.
Else I don't understand again, uh.
-Huh.
Today can probably start as long as.
I know, but I'm concerned.
About God, like there's an opinion.
Never crossed her mind today. And there's no blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Now I say I play in the man's mind that I was prepared together with him and he had to stop.
Raining down and by his back. And I find that I'm seeing through the heart of the heart of love.
00:05:20
Hudson OH, that's right. Now I'm in the Alabama, so it's a very easy.
Well, we sang first almost persuaded. Might be sure of you now almost persuaded. My brother ET had a good word on the word almost at the grand cottage, Mount Rose, and he was talking about how almost would you want to trust him not and take a mask with you that is almost through.
Or do you want to go on a flight that would almost fit the destination?
Almost persuade? Is that you tonight almost persuaded? If so, I trust by the end of the meeting you will no longer be almost persuaded. You'll be completely persuaded.
So let's turn first to first Peter 5.
First heater and the 5th shotgun.
And at the end of verse five it says God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you.
In due time.
God resisteth the proud.
And give it three, you're hungry.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God. He may exalt you.
Thank you.
Like to speak about 290 tonight sounding the word of God and both of them were apart from God, and then they had the choice as to whether they're going to humble themselves.
And both of them decided that they were going to humble themselves and both of them in the end, as a result, were exhausted.
So let's turn 1St to 2nd king.
Second Kings and the 5th chapter.
The story setting is in the land of Palestine.
And he was in the country that's still a country today. Syria first one says no name. And the captain, the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable because by him the Lord.
Had given deliverance under Syria, where he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leopard, and the Syrians had gone out by companies and had brought away captures as the land of Israel. A little mage. And she waited on naam and life. And she said unto her mistress, Would God, my Lord, we're with the prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy.
When one went in and told his Lord, saying Thou do not, said the Maid, that isn't of the land of Israel.
And the king of Syria said, Go to go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him 10 lbs of silver, and 6000 pieces of gold, and 10 changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now in this letter it comes with thee, Behold, I have there was sent name in my servant to be, that thou mayest to cover him of his leprosy.
And it came to pass, when the King of Israel had read the letter, that he wrenched his clothes.
And said, Am I God to kill and make alive to this man? Descend unto me to recover a man of his leprosy. Wherefore consider I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against you. And it was so when Lysha the man of God.
Had heard that the king of Israel had rented clothes that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his Chariots, the whole onslaught.
And stood at the door of the House of Elijah, And Elijah sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan 7 times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
00:10:12
So let's just stop there for a minute. So here is this man, this, this general of the army of Syria. And it says by him God had given, delivered unto the people of Syria. It wasn't him, but God let him be you. But you know, this man, it seems like he maybe has developed a little bit of pride. He was pretty happy.
That God, that deliverance, had been given to Syria by Him.
He had gone out with his armies and then fought and won bottle after bottle here, no doubt he had practiced for years and years, used his sword, perhaps all the different kinds of weapons and and ways of attacking their armies, the the opposing armies. And you know, he was pretty good. So this man, he was pretty proud.
And so you know, but there is this little servant girl that was in his house and.
She said, uh, you know, if this man, we're, we're only to go to.
In Israel, he would get claimed with his leprosy, leprosy in the, in the Bible and God's word in the picture of sin. And you know, this man, he had some leprosy that is also Ron's not here anymore partner. And they can tell you that leprosy is a very serious disease even today. Now we don't struggle with it here in North America because, uh, it's been treated well and such, but in other countries.
And I know my brother has gone to let her call on you before. And so this man, he was, even though he had this amazing, umm reputation, he also had leprosy. So he knew that he was going to die and it was probably going to be early. But you know, he still he was still proud and perhaps he could hide his leprosy. I don't know. Of course, is the discoloring of the skin. So and it starts eating away the.
Wherever it is. So it would become obvious after a while, but it would seem at this time you still had pretty good mobility. So he comes to Israel and he goes to The Cave. Is that the place to go?
No, the king at this time is a wicked king, and there is no help with him.
But there is a prophet in Israel and his name was Elijah.
And so he goes, he went to Elisha and he let's, uh, let's continue reading verse 11. But Naaman was raw because Elijah had just sent a messenger in and went away and said, behold, I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call in the name of the Lord his God and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper. Are not abandoned. And far, far rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?
May I not wash a mammon be cleaning? So he turned away, and he turned and went away in a rage. And a servant came near and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great things.
Would if thou not have done it, how much rather than when you say it's underneath? Wash and be clean.
Then he went down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God. And his flesh can begin like the flesh of a little child. And he was clean. Isn't that amazing?
I was just holding Tori during the last meeting and she has such, you know, soft skin. It's amazing. Umm, right under the right out of the room, as it were. And uh, this man, Can you imagine that? Uh, I don't know if he was 5040, I'm not 50 again, but all completely clear skin, just like a little baby and even himself every day when he woke up.
He went through your garden, he could see his legs. They're all just like left in a little child.
What a reminder every single day today. So this man wash and be clean. He washed and he was clean and today.
Perhaps you haven't noticed that you've done things that are wrong. I'll ascend and come short of the glory of God. All have sinned.
No exception. This man had leprosy. Not everyone in Syria had leprosy, no doubt, but this man did. And it's a picture of skin. All of us have sinned and come short to the glory of God. We've done those things that are like yucky things on us and and we can't get away from them. We can't just ditch them. We can't escape them.
00:15:13
We must be lost and it says here, wash and be clean. So tonight perhaps you find yourself in that condition.
Uh, covered in thin and it's just a matter of kangaroo or Jesus.
In his precious blood he can wash you as white as snow.
He went down verse 14, it says, and dipped himself.
You had to go down South. It wasn't as good of his friends to tell him and your love here tonight. You're part of the company, part of the people here, and you're loved by your friends around you, no doubt.
And they want you to do what's right. They want you to accept Jesus as your Savior as well. And here you can see the name and service they really cared about in a team. And they just very gently came to him and said, who? Please just realize that it's so easy.
Just wash and be clean. If he had asked you to go conquer the Persians or whoever other people group was there, that's it. No doubt he would have gone out and gone back to land of Syria. God is men and went right over there.
But it was just an individual thing who just went himself.
Washed and was cleaned.
And tonight, even if you were born into a Christian family, maybe the whole rest of your family.
I believe in Jesus. Maybe you've been coming to meetings for a long, long time and you just sort of think of yourself as the group and you don't really think of yourself as an individual. God loves you as an individual.
And he wants your soul.
He wants you as an individual to come to him, and tonight you speak not just to the group, but he's speaking to you.
For 15.
And he returned to a man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, Behold, now I know there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
But he said, as the Lord liveth before whom I stand, I will receive none, and urged him to take it that he received There are many rich men in this world who are very proud, and they'd rather pay millions and millions of dollars.
Rather than just bowling eats allergy this crazy.
They would prefer to pay millions of dollars.
And you know, Elijah here was faithful. He was not willing to take money. And it makes a beautiful picture here that the gospel cannot be purchased.
Let's just turn quickly to Psalms Psalm 49.
Psalm 49.
Verse seven says none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.
For the redemption of their soul is precious.
And it eats it forever. Never dying soul eat it forever. The redemption of their soul, the buying back of their souls, is precious.
There is a man in our town and.
Probably about five years ago.
And I asked him if he knew Diva.
And the man said, oh, I know about him.
And I said, like, you know him.
00:20:08
And.
Umm.
He, uh, he said some things weren't very good and, uh.
He, he's, uh, he's been in trouble since he, umm.
Yeah, has done other things that weren't weren't very good.
And so this, this man, uh.
Right now he's in jail.
So you know, he had a chance. We had to use his finger. He still does, but we don't know.
We're seventeen of our Chapter 2 King Chapter 5.
A man said, Shall there not then, I pray he be giving to thy servants 2 mules verse, and a verse to thy servants will henceforth offer either burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord.
And this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the House of women to worship there, and he leadeth on my hand, and I bow myself in the House of rimmen, when I bow myself in the House of rumen, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.
And he that's Olympia said unto him, Go untie. So he Naaman departed from him, Elijah a little less.
Over in India.
They worship a lot of idols, their Hindu countries and.
If you don't like their gods, or the present ones or the popular ones, then you just make your own.
And so, you know, he's tribal villages have their own gods and you know, they might have one God to their travel village and they have a big monument of him that has a fun face and they go up and they might bow down before and worship it and they're processed there for these idols. And uh, it sounds like there's a similar thing back in this thing.
So this man named him.
Here he had humbled himself, gone into the water.
Ye come out clean. He came back to Elisha, wanted to give him gifts. Elijah said no, he's left, but he took two heels during the birth with him.
And.
He wanted to worship the Lord, but he said, Dis pardon me in this my master worshipped.
A false God and I might have to go and do his temple and bow down too. Is that OK? Right. She just says go in peace.
He doesn't say no now in this tribal village in India.
Some of the brothers that are in fellowship there, they went and they wanted to talk to the children. So they did and they started playing games with the children. And a few weeks later after they had played games with the children for a few weeks, they they decided they just sing some songs with them in Sunday school songs. So they did. So they sung some Sunday school songs with them and then a few weeks later they would just give them the message.
You know what happens in this town, these children who are this young, these children here.
They decided that they weren't going to hate the things they were offering. Take the supper that was offered the idols AT5 supper time.
So how they would have their suppers is that the mom maybe usually would get the meal ready.
To bring it out and then they'd have an idol there and then they'd put it in front of the idol and they worship the idol and thank the idol for the food and then they would eat it. We'll see. The problem was if these children as soon as he was off in Seattle, they're they weren't going to be staying. They said no, we know Jesus, we believe in Jesus. We won't eat.
00:25:03
Let's see them now. So it is a big problem because all these children were suddenly rebelling.
Against their parents idol.
So.
The man of the the little village got together and this is just keep in mind this is just the last 10 years, maybe probably in the last five years we got together and they wanted to figure out who is telling them not to eat the things, sacrifice idol. And so they thought maybe it was just a little bit they were seeing the primary school and playing games. So they came in and they listened in.
My brothers never said anything. They've not eaten anything off their dieting but what they did say.
Which is there's only one job either. Jesus was the only savings behind the God.
So they weren't too happy, but they they thought they'd probably catch them at some point.
Telling people not to eat their aphrodisiac. So they, they kept going like that for a while. And one time the brothers were talking to an older person. She was, I believe it was a lady, probably her 1340. And they're telling, they're explaining to her a few different things. And they, they told her, they said, well, it's not a good, good idea to offer things titles and right inside the window.
And so they came running into the Hut and they started yelling and carrying on. And the brother was just trying to control them and he didn't know what to do. And so he, he just said, well, uh, you know, he tried to be nice and he thought he was going to be better. Things are done very well over there. Often not like peacefully out here and so.
After about an hour, he says of them yelling at him and just carrying on, he said.
All right, but hold on, hold on and.
So they said, all right, well, if you ever come back again, you're we're going to do the same thing for you that we just did to your tires. I mean, by now these tires were all flash.
But I would rather do a job Jonathan, John's brother.
Yeah, so.
Like you just says to the naman naman, go in peace.
You know, when when the Syrians came back, it doesn't say the name and repeating them. Perhaps Nathan was laid off, Perhaps.
Yeah, head down the road and he didn't go into the hospital and I don't need any.
So verse 20, budget hands.
The servant of the Alicia, the man of God, said, Behold, my master is spared name and experience in not receiving at his hands that which he brought.
But as the Lord liveth, I will run after him and take somewhat of him, So gehis, I follow Doctor Naiman. And when Nieman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master said, he's saying, Behold, even now there comes me from male Ephraim two men of the sons of the Prophet. Give them my praise. A talent of silver and two chains of garments.
And Naaman said be content, take two pallets.
We urge him. And he bailed 2 lbs of silver in two bags, with two changes of garment, and laid them upon two of his shoes, and they bare them before him. When he gained the tower he took from their hands and bestowed them in the house, and he let the men go.
And they departed, but he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said on him, What when cometh Saudi, is I? And he said, Thy serve, and when no whither? And he said unto him, When not my heart with thee. When the man turned again from his chariot to neatly is it time to receive money, and to receive garments, and all of yard and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and manservants, and maid servants?
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto these, and unto thy seed forever, and when out from his presence a lesser of light.
Decided to give his eye but a few chapters he does hear again talking to the king of Israel. It's very interesting, but Nieman sort of here. It seems that God has given us a little hint here. The naman may be caught on that selection didn't really send gays on.
Because he's I asked for what was it 2 He asked for one, one a talent to silver and two changes of guns. So why did he ask for a pound of silver when there are two sons of the prophet?
00:30:10
OK, he would need 2 lbs of silver 1/3 right? So Naman says OK.
All right, I'll give you 2 lbs to tell those like that and behave like that.
So he took him.
So we see on one hand Damon, proud man, humbled himself, he blessed. On the other hand, we see that his eye on this money.
So let's turn to the second one. Let's turn to the New Testament now, and chapter 15.
11 Foot book College 5 Luke.
New Chapter 16.
And he that Jesus said a certain man had two sons.
Now keep in mind a certain man. This means that it was an individual man. It wasn't. This wasn't a parable. Often Jesus told parables, and they were. It wasn't actually a story that happened. But in this case, it was a certain story. This actually happened. A certain man. If you never had a man in mind when he was telling his story.
A third man had two sons, younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of good they'll follow to me. And he divided them to them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered altogether and took his journey into a far country.
And their wasted his substance with rise of women.
So here is his father and he had, it sounds like two boys, and he divided themselves living.
Because younger son asked for his inheritance early. Imagine that asking your father for your inheritance early, before your father even died. That would be a very strange thing to do so that the father would have been happy.
To answer that request, why would he be asking for it before he died?
But the youngest son didn't seem to care too much and he was too on this money now. He wanted his inheritance now and he said.
Give me the portion of goods that cost me.
So he went to a a a far away land.
And he spent all with rioting. So they knew that he was very extravagant. He spent a lot of money on who knows what clothes, houses, we don't know. Permanent maybe, we don't know.
When he at 1St 14, when he had spent all their rows of major famine in the mighty famine in the land, and he began to see him along, and he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his field to feed swine.
And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks of the swine to eat, and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants to my father have bred enough in despair, and I perish with hunger.
I'll all rise and go to my Father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against having him before thee, and I'm no more worthy to be called thy Son. Make me as one of thy highest servants. And he arose and came to his father.
When you would get a great layoff, his father saw him, had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and switched them.
And the Father said unto him, And the Son said unto him, Father, I sinned against heaven in my sight, and I'm no more worthy to be called thy sign. But the Father said to us, Sir, and bring forth the backstroke, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
And bring him to the fighting top and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. So this my son was dead and is alive again. He is lost, was lost in his town, and they began to be married. She stopped there.
What a story. This poor younger son went and spent all his money, all his father's hired and money on living a very extravagant life riotously.
00:35:02
And, you know, when somebody takes that kind of step, it's hard to come back. Even though they have nothing, it's hard to come back. And, you know, he joined himself to a citizen of the country. And when we go and we try to get from the world, it often doesn't help too much.
They pretend that they're a friend and stuff. We just sent him into his heels to feed his wine.
It seems that all his friends disappeared too, and the ones she was hanging out with just disappeared as soon as all his money was gone. They weren't true friends, were they? They weren't true friends. And you know, sometimes we talked about friends at school and we have to rub shoulders with them perhaps. But you know, sometimes they turn on it and it's not fun. You know what? The Lord Jesus is not a friend like that. And he loves you. He cares for you and he wants.
And he's reaching out to his soul tonight. And I just trust that if you don't know the lordiness, perhaps you then like this younger son, umm and going away and going astray like we sung in that song. We sung it said, come wonder, come with the last line of the of the the second standard of their song. Come, wander, come. Maybe you've just been wandering a little bit.
In your life and.
The Father is calling you back. He wants you to be near him again. So the sun arose. He had to get up and go back to the solar. He said, Father, I sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and I'm no more worthy to call thy Son. Make sorry. Make me as one of the higher resources. What he was thinking he was going to say to him, Make me one of my higher servants. But he didn't know the Father's heart, did he? He arose and came to his Father. And when?
His father saw him, had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and tempered. His father still recognized him. His father still loved him even though he had taken and spent hard earned money.
With rise to swimming his eyes thinned against having it in my sight and I'm no more worthy all that time keep in mind that this actually happened boys and girls keep in mind that this actually happened so this man you know maybe he was on this road. We don't know exactly what the geography was like but I saw a picture that he was there was a tail maybe going up and the father could turn around and sort of see this this way that his.
A long way wherever they live and there is how is his son finally after all this time? And it sounds like it was a big estate here. They had servants, they could kill the body path, all these things. So there's probably a lot of money that this guy took. So it's probably not a short time that he, they talked to, uh, to, for the younger son to spend all this money. But the father had his eyes and God our father.
God, the one who created us.
Had his eye on his name. He was an individual and he wants you to come to heaven. You've never accepted Jesus as your Savior.
Sometimes we talk about it in the Sunday school class, just how easy it is to do that often.
Sometimes in the golf meeting, uh, you might ask, well, how what do I ask to do? What do I, what do I need to do? I, I know, I know I'm before I know I need allergies. That's too my favorite what do I do?
Well, God, Jesus is everywhere at once. Jesus is God and he's omnipresent and he's here. And you know, Bay, he's in Toronto, he's in Montreal, he's in Vancouver, He's over in Shanghai, over in Delhi, He's all around the world, everywhere at once. And you know, he can hear you even if you just say something in your heart and if you just pray.
In your heart to God, He can hear you. If he just asked him to wash where your sins, He'll do it right now.
And you might think that God is really angry at you because you've got a lot of things wrong. And that's true. God hates her.
But he is also very loving at the same time.
00:40:10
Pretty interesting that it says I have sinned beyond heaven.
I assume you get talent.
Now this is the story again that actually happened.
So this man felt like he had sinned against heaven, against God as well. The Father we often think of as God, but if we don't think of it, the Father is God, just for a second.
I'm just thinking it is a yearly father.
He has a recognition that he is going to have it. There are certain certain, umm, requirements that are required. There are certain things that are just standard throughout the whole world, no matter what language you are, no matter what people.
There's a certain way of conducting yourself no matter there's a right and a wrong without No matter where you are, no matter who you are, no matter anything, and no matter if you've ever been in connection with the civilized world, there's a right and a wrong. No matter what your culture is, it's a right and wrong. So here we have.
You sinned against heaven.
What we had earlier today, we have an advocate with the Father, even if we shouldn't.
Bring it forward to that stroke and put it on him.
Wonderful. This man, he sounds like he didn't have anything.
And so he perhaps was dressed in rags. I don't know exactly what he looked like coming back, but the Father was such great. Bring forth the death road and God is willing tonight to give you a robe of righteousness, the righteousness of His Son Jesus. Let me turn to a verse in 2nd 14, chapter 5.
And verse 21, Second Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us.
He knew no sin, though we might be made, but righteousness of God in him.
So if you believe in Lord Jesus Christ tonight, you will be made to righteousness of God in your view of Christ. You will be in your heart, you will be in Christ, and you will be made His righteousness.
It's like that robe. So it's put around this, this part of the sun.
Put a ring on your hand, shoes on his feet, bring his as a fatted calf and kill it and let it eat and be married. Imagine that the sun's so hungry.
All he had eaten for a long time was these hots that it takes.
And here she finally had.
Be a thyroid cap and kill it. That if he's demerit. So this my son was dead and it's alive again. He was lost in his family and he began to be married for 25. Now his older son was in the field and he came and drew nigh to the house. He heard music and dancing.
And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother has come, thy father has killed beside his half, because he has their teeth, and safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came in and treated him.
And he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years had he served thee either transgressed I at any time thy commandment, and yet thou never saveth thee a kiss, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this thy son would come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots. So it's still for him the body top.
Mesquite, the father said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. There is meat that we should make merry and be glad for this. My brother was dead. My brother was dead and is alive again. He was lost.
00:45:02
Just one more thought before we close.
Here's this father. He comes up I, I believe.
That the sun, the prodigal son, the one who had left.
He was really taken up with his father, even though that food never tasted so good.
Yet it says here in verse 31, Son, thou art ever listening.
Isn't that beautiful star ever written?
The prodigal son. When he saw what his father had done for him, he didn't worry about the final path. Yeah, he was nice. He worried as a ring or the coat. He was just glad to be with his father again.
The father said the other time out as a rescue. It's me. He was taken up there.
Not a side attack, not his friend. He's not the music in the direction, He is me.
But the elder son didn't understand. It is neat that we should marry and be glad this my brother was dead and alive again his loss.
Let's say #2.
Pizza Hut.
Oh, OK.
I put out the Internet together to get rid of the ground on them. Oh, I'm trying to get all the way out of there and take a few more projects and I have to try and I'm hungry.
$1.00 crawl from where I'm going to stop.
Yeah, it's really it's a good way to get a good place. How about they have you? Uh-huh.
Uh, OK there, uh, yeah. We're just looking to get a new head in the house or maybe anything, umm.
110 more hours in the world, but now I'm doing well. I'll get away in May days and go on there and stay in the sun.
To come up with a little time to do it and I'll call on my face. Well, I'm done with. Welcome down.
Mm-hmm.
OK.
For any souls that here that has continued to reject allergies to get a spanky that he is the perfect Savior and the perfect standard, the perfect one to look to just pray that you turn our eyes and Lord Jesus Christ and see him all his beauty that they would turn to him and and realize that it's their own hope. He just pray for bless you on the message tonight.
By the weakness of the presentation, we just thank you for thy grace, Father, and thank you for thy heart that would invite a prodigal back home, someone who.
Has no right whatsoever, but someone who just comes back and grates with a stanky father. Flies tremendous grace on failing grace and display that someone would turn their eternal destiny. The assailants might turn from darkness.
00:50:11
How they asked me to have it. They said that we just pray and just pray for the blessing and rest of eating sweet good concert. Thank you for this wonderful time in the name of Lord Jesus.
Open Mtg. 6
Open—D. Hayhoe, J. Hyland
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
264.
00 5.
I don't know. Whatever. I can hear you.
Uh, well, I was trying to.
Remember to see if it was.
Could remember.
Remember the verse over in the songs. It says, Thou preparest the people for me in the presence of my enemy's life, My cup on us oak.
You go to somebody's house and get an invitation to somebody toast.
I suppose you might say that that's about the highlight, uh.
To actually get an invitation into somebody's house that's showing that they want to have you there, maybe not just for a cup of tea, but just sit down with their table.
When we sit down at the table, it's a place where you interact with them and you enjoy fellowship.
I think most of us have experienced through over the years that there's not a greater time when you get to know people than when you sit down at the same same table and you visit together.
00:05:04
And so there are tables in the Bible. You know, I was thinking of it recently and how can I turn to this one? But, uh, back in Genesis until it's about, uh, about Joseph.
Do you remember when the brothers came back?
And then the 45th chapter and this spread around the table there for those brothers.
That's where Joseph made himself no one under his brethren.
Well, this is quite a story in Second Samuel 9 to remember it.
The heart of David longed to bless.
The offspring of Jonathan.
That man's name was Mephibosheth, and he didn't know that the heart of David went out to him.
And it says did he want to show him? And I like the way that it's put in the start of the chapter and Chapter 9, it tells us first of all.
Let's just read the first verse. Is there yet any left of the House of Saul?
That I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake.
And then you go down to verse three, and the king said, is there not any yet any of the House of Saul that I may show him, show the kindness of God unto him?
Does it feel like it's coming from a little deeper inside of deep?
As he thinks back on the friendship of Jonathan.
And he wants to show kindness. And you know where the story of where Jonathan's son was Mephibosheth far off, hiding away from.
From David because.
Because his grandfather tried to kill him.
And he was brought.
The citizenship was brought into the presence and you remember the story. I'm only going to mention a few things here. Look at verse 6.
Of the second Samuel 9 Now when we're finished with the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul was coming to David, he fell in his face and did record and David said Mephibosheth.
And he answered, Behold, thy servant, David said unto him, Fear not, for life will surely, surely kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore the old man's soul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread.
It might be able continually bowed himself and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
And the Fellowship heard these words. It was beyond all software.
She said he took the place of being a dog.
A dead dog.
And you know, it speaks here about the table.
And you know how it mentions they're not going to mention it too many, but it's mentioned two or three times, four times I think verse 10, latter part of the verse.
The thy master's son shall drink bread alway at my teeth, and.
Verse 11. The latter part of the verse, as per mythibles of the king, He shall eat at my table as one of the King's sons.
And verse 13 Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he did eat continually at the King's table.
With lame across his feet.
If we went back to the end of the previous chapter, we would find the kind of people that were around David's tape.
They were captains. They were the leaders. They were the ones that.
That were in charge of, of, uh, things. They were his family.
And you know when we when we go to somebody's house and we sit around the table.
A lot of conversations develop.
And as we relax, why things get talked about.
What did you accomplish today? Says the leader, perhaps of David's army.
00:10:06
And he said, oh, I did this or that and come round the table and there's Mephibosheth.
He's laying on his feet. He had to be brought to the table.
And why are you here? Said Bishop.
Well, I'm here because I was invited by Thief.
I had no plan on being here.
But he put me here at his heel.
I call this table the privilege of the place.
The privilege.
What we what we had this morning, beloved brother.
Was a grave pretty crippled?
There is not a joy to a large extent.
In Christendom today.
One marbles at the I'm giving you of the remembrance of the Lord called by many the communion service.
Now what is it being given up?
Because that's the one thing.
That the Lord is us Christians do in this world.
Last request he made before going to the cross, remember.
The breaking of the bridge and the drinks in the cup. What is it?
That keeps that that, uh, from being performed among Christians today.
I suppose it has different ones around the room too. People would have many here, would have different thoughts and connection to this. But what I feel for myself.
Is that the enemy could see.
The great Christian, with their joy and.
And their their happiness is to remembrance of the Lord in his death every week. It's a fresh reminder what He's done for you and for me.
You know, I've noticed over the years.
I've noticed over the years of.
Umm, I don't wanna date myself here too much, but let me go back a little bit.
I think you're going to 71 Gladstone Ave. in Toronto. When I was, the meeting in Pine Grove started in 1956. I was born in 1940 and my parents were the 7th. Pastor Dodge took us all the way down to Toronto at 71 Gladstone Ave. You know what I remembered?
They come with their canes in them and the one thing they didn't want to miss?
It was the happiness that helped them to go on and face the world in the following week.
It happened here at Amber Bay too, I remember.
Mr. Fred Hammer.
Mrs. Howard believed Solo, who is lovely to see the older ones. He it has an effect on, uh, young people, you know, when, uh, they see the older ones coming to me.
Well.
Mephibosheth was placed at the seat.
You and I, you know, I was. I was raised. I was cradled in a home where.
Where I was brought to the meeting from the time I was AI was a child and I thank the Lord for it. That hasn't been the case with everybody in this room.
And some the Lord has his, uh, has brought in from a position and they look back and they thank the Lord for it. Again, I'd like to think of this. He dwelt in Jerusalem and he was lame on his feet.
The only standing that I have before God is the grace of God. That's what I stand in. It was grace that saved me. Embrace it. That goes on with me from day-to-day and straight to the 20 days at home.
00:15:03
And we're going to send him to pray forever. And Methodist.
He didn't say very much to David, he was just there.
He wanted to be there and he was completely there, and the Lord wants you.
He wants you to have fellowship with him at his table. One thinks so of the worst vacuum and Genesis, where Joseph said to the Butler, Think on me when it shall be well with me.
You know every time I I read that verse it just makes me think the Lord wants me to remember Him. That verse is put there by God because He's sending a message to you and me.
Think on me when it shall be well with me, you know? Let's turn over to.
So see, that's in.
I didn't look yourself ahead of time, but I've been thinking of these things or something. I just first came to Canada, but the Queen of Sheba.
You know what I finished super came from?
He came from, I think it was from Ethiopia, with a.
I think it was about 1000 miles away.
She came to uh, to see the wisdom of someone. She'd heard of her.
And it's interesting the way it's put first one when the Queen of Sheba heard of the same Solomon confirming the name of the Lord alike that.
He came to prove him with hard questions.
Came to Jerusalem with a very great train, Campbells and places and so on.
Call them and then.
She communed with him of all that was in her heart. Firstly, Solomon told her all her questions.
There was not anything hidden which he told her not.
Now notice the next couple of verses, verses 4:00 and 5:00.
And when the Queen of Sheba had seen All Souls, wisdom and the house that he had built.
And notice the expression here of Bert's body and the meat of his table.
And the sitting of his servant, the attendance of his ministers.
And their apparel and his cup bears, and his ascent, by which he went up to the House of the Lord, there was no more spirit of interest.
The expression there, the meat of this table I thought about in connection with David's table. It's a privilege.
On the table, a being in the presence of the king, even though he doesn't deserve to be there.
And here it's a portion of the table.
The meat of sheep.
You know one finds more and more.
Tell me to remember the Lord, the thoughts that the Lord gives.
About what he's done for us and who he is.
Recently my wife and I we went out to Aberdeen to the.
Conference there and, and uh, we landed in uh, Salt Lake City and we rented a car and we drove up to Aberdeen.
And uh, I kind of forgot. Been a long time since we've been out that way. I forgot what mountains were like.
I saw over the mountains.
It was incredible.
The Majestic.
I thought of the nurse where it says I went down to the bottom of the mountains of the earth with her bars, with the focus.
I have no doubt that the reference to Calvary's cross.
And it says when you look at those big mountains.
And the Lord says I went down to the bottoms of the mountains.
You know the pressure that he felt to put away your sins and mine.
The weight.
00:20:00
Of your sins, think of it and connect you with the meat of the table as to who he is.
You know that verse over in the Psalms? It says that the heavens are the work of his fingers.
And roll your fingers to the finding work.
And then it says the vote crying in Isaiah book who I believe our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed and the arm is what does the power.
And that's speaking, that's Speaking of, of, of salvation, that's Speaking of the mighty work that he did at the cross. And so the making of the of the planets and the making of the stars is nothing, brethren, compared to what he suffered for.
My life. If you stay away one Sunday, it's easier to stay away the 2nd Sunday.
Stay close to the Lord. I really think, you know, it's such a tremendous privilege every Sunday, look at this country that we live in.
His Connor we live in, even though you got a long way to go to me, just think of it. You know, the privilege and cars and gas and all these things to be able to go and to meet with loads of light, precious faith and to sit around the table and just let the Lord by the Spirit reveal himself.
It's it's genuine.
It's worth it. And I believe again, the devil doesn't he wants to create disturbances among the Saints of God so that so that we we lose sight of him.
You know that back in the 23rd Psalm it says He leads me beside the still waters.
Stillwater and So the devil likes to bring trouble in.
I remember a brother Baylor saying years ago, he said. She won't drink from troubled waters.
She pours grape from troubled waters, and so when difficulties come in among the Lord's people, why it's like troubled water, and people are occupied with the troubles instead of occupied with the Lord.
He wants to leap in a path of righteousness and lead us besides the still waters. Well, anyway, I don't want to spend too much time, but I just mentioned that in connection with first came ten here. It's the meat of this table and you notice it too in this chapter that that the.
The Queen of Sheba, she came to prove him with hard questions and when she saw, notice how it puts it.
Umm.
And when the Queen had seen verse 4, all songs, wisdom and so on, Cup bears, she looked around. She saw all these things.
It says there was no more spirit in her.
I get the feeling here that when she came, she came with a little bit of a wrong spirit.
But then when she got there, in Solomon's present, she was brought down. There's no more fighting. There was no more arguments.
And she saw the contentedness.
Among those that were there, may the presence of the Lord have that same effect on you and me. Now I want to just talk just very briefly about.
About the Lord.
And I don't have anything, you know, the expression only occurs once in the Bible, and I don't profess to be very good in understanding these things. But turn to 1St Corinthians 10.
We just agreed that expression matters.
And I'm just going to read the little word.
00:25:02
And verse 10 of chapter 10, First Corinthians 10.
And verse 21.
Near the end of the verse.
The Lord's Table.
If you came to my house, you would sit at my table.
If you if I came to your house, I would be sitting at your team.
But here it is the Lord's Table.
Why come to your house?
It's your house.
And here it is, the Lord's Table.
Only one table.
No, here's in my simplicity the way that I think about the Lord's Table.
It's like a giant table that goes around the whole world.
When I break bread in my home assembly at Pine Grove.
I'm sitting in this little piece over here of the Lord's Table and fellowship with those who are gathered to the Lord's name.
When I come here.
I break bread in fellowship with those that sit at this giant table that goes around the whole world.
And you know the expression, I think it's in, uh, in this uh, chapter, verse 17. For we being many are one bread and one body, and we are all particulars of one bread.
So that when I want to break bread in fellowship with my brethren.
When I sit down at the table again in one place, I want to be in fellowship. I want to be of one mind. I want to sit down and be to have common thoughts.
About the Lord and being gathered around him. So the expression of sitting at the Lord's table in the little community where, frankly, I was born and raised in.
It is really the savings being out here.
Old brethren, is such a privilege?
I call this the perimeter.
The Lord tabled the privilege of the Lord's Table with Methodistship, the portion of the Lord's Table with Solomon, and the perimeter.
And they've been so large that it goes around the whole world. It's a wonderful thing, brethren. And you young people growing up, may the Lord preserve you and keep you so that you too would enjoy the fellowship that were brought into by being the Lord's table.
I'd like to read 4 portions in the book of Hebrews.
Were very familiar portions first of all in Hebrews chapter one been read to us already today I believe this morning Hebrews chapter one.
And verse one God, who at sundry times, and in divers manner spake in time past, under the Fathers, by the Prophet, pass in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the world, Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of his Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when he had by Himself purged.
And sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, and then a portion in the 8th chapter.
Chapter 8 and verse one. Now the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such an high priest who is set on the right hand.
Of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens, Chapter 10.
Chapter 10 and verse 12 But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins.
Forever sat down on the right hand of God. One more portion in the 12Th chapter.
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Chapter 12 and verse one. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Well, I realize these are four very familiar portions to most of us here, portions we've connected perhaps on occasions like this before. But I thought of these portions in connection with what's been before us in these meetings.
Because, as was said earlier in the readings, Christianity connects us with Christ where he is now.
You know, when the Lord Jesus was here in this world and walked amongst men, we find that on occasion the heaven opened because of another has said there was an object in this world that would commend the place.
The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, the perfect man, was walking here in this world.
And Heaven delighted to open up, and to look down and be occupied with the one that delights the Father, and the one that he would have us find our delight in and our occupation with. And a voice on occasion declared, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
But the Lord Jesus isn't in the world the way he was when he walked amongst men 2000 years ago. No, a moment came, as we well know, when His feet left the Mount of Olives and the cloud received him out of their sight.
And the Lord Jesus this afternoon is seated at the right hand of God. And I suggest that the book of Hebrews opens up to us the heavens, not so much that heaven can look down now, but so that we can look up by faith and be occupied with the one, as I say, the one that God would always have his people to be occupied with. And brethren, isn't that what we need? We need occupation with the man in the.
This is what's going to encourage our hearts. This is what's going to give us the strength to press on even in difficult days. And so we find in the book of Hebrews, Christ presented to us where he is now.
In Hebrews, it's not so much the work that's taken up, it's the results of the work. It's not where the Lord Jesus was here in this world, It's where He is. And where is he? He's in heaven at the right hand of God.
And so as the book opens up, he immediately brings before us the sun. It's often been pointed out, I'll just say in passing that we don't have a human writer connected with this. We don't have an earthly apostle because in the later on brings before us the Lord Jesus says the apostle and high priest of our profession. And there's no other name given to detract from this one.
Let the Spirit of God is presenting to us, and so He immediately on the opening of this book, occupies us with His beloved Son, and we find here He seated, and He seated, having made the purification for sin.
Just repeat something that I know was said yesterday in the readings in connection with this portion that, uh, in the King James where we've read, he's made the purification, he's made, he's purified our sins. Uh, but it's more than that.
Because if you notice Mr. Darby's translation, He's made the purification for sin. You notice it's in the context of Him being Creator, by whom also He made the world. But you know, there's a day coming when the Lord Jesus is going to take it all back, not just as Creator, but he's going to take it back on the grounds of redemption. He's going to take it back on the ground that he's made the purification for sin.
Because again, when man sinned in the garden, not only did man come under the curse and the effects of sin, but the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain. Until now.
You have a beautiful Poplar tree outside our kitchen window. My wife didn't like it so much because it sheds some kind of fluff at a certain time of the year and was kind of messy, but I enjoyed that tree. But one year that tree got a blight.
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And when you look close to that tree, it seemed like every leaf had, uh, had that blight on it, the whole creation, uh, if it feels the effects of the curse and sin today and the animals prey on one another.
And so on, the whole creation groans, But there's a day coming when it's not going to groan like it is like it does now. We spoke much about the Millennium where to a great degree the effects of the curse will be removed and rolled back, and this world will feel the joy of the righteous reign of the Lord Jesus. And figuratively speaking, it says even the trees will clap their hands. What a day that's going to be.
But I believe that when John the Baptist said, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, that won't be accomplished fully until the eternal state, because there will still be the effects of the curse in the Millennium.
The serpent will still eat dust. Sin will be judged every morning. But there is a scene coming referred to by Peter as a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells right our righteousness. And it will be a scene where sin will never penetrate again. What a wonderful day that will be. But it's because he's made the purification for sin.
Another little something I've enjoyed in this portion too is again if you notice Mr. Darby's translation.
He seats himself down in the book of Hebrews. Now, as we had in Ephesians, God has seated him at his own right hand, because the resurrection, the ascension, and the glorification of Christ their God's Amen to the work of Calvary, they are the proof that God has been glorified and satisfied with the work of His Son, and he set him down at his own right hand. But there's a little different thought here in Hebrews.
Himself down. I'm going to repeat an illustration that I know I've used many times before, but it has helped me to understand at least some of the thought in him feeding himself down. When we were in business, I would often be called to do a job for a corporation or a large company and we would go in often to a factory and we would install or service the fire equipment as the law and the insurance required.
And after the job was completed, I would always have an interview with the man who hired me, whether he was the owner of the company or the platform and whoever it was, and I would go into his office to sit down in his presence.
To go over the work and to present my invoice. But I have to confess that it was rarely with a feeling of real confidence that I sat down in that man's presence, because there was always the thought in the back of my mind.
That maybe the job hadn't been done to his satisfaction. Maybe I had inadvertently forgotten something, left something out, hadn't included something that he felt should have been part of the contract. I say it rarely with a feeling of real confidence that I sat down in that person's president's presence. But all I think of the Lord Jesus. On the one hand, God seats him on his right hand. On the other hand, the Lord Jesus.
In perfect confidence.
Knowing that everything had been accomplished, having said I have glorified me on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gave us me to do. In perfect confidence he could go back and see himself down. Think of the feelings that must have passed between the Father and the Son, as the Father receives him back and seats him there, and the sun in confidence sits down.
What feelings must have passed between the heart of God the Father?
And God the Son. And so he seated himself down at the right hand of God. But then we find in the 8th chapter something else. Here he seated again, and here He seated as our high priest.
When he says of the some of the things which we have spoken, he's referring to the previous chapters, because at some length he has taken up the subject of the high priest. It's in contrast here he's a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, in contrast to the high priest fact of the order of Aaron, or what we sometimes refer to as the ironic priesthood which passed from one to another.
So I think it's important to realize, too, that the Lord Jesus was never a priest on earth. He never acted as a priest on earth. That's why you never find the Lord Jesus, for instance, going into the temple and offering a sacrifice.
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Why? Because the Lord Jesus was not from the priestly tribe of Levi, He was from the kingly tribe of Judah. And it would have been very out of keeping for the Lord Jesus to go in and to perform some priestly function.
On earth. But now the Lord Jesus at the right hand of God is seated as our high priest. And there's many thoughts in connection with this. But I would just say it's wonderful, brethren, to be able to look up into the open heavens this afternoon and to see him there at the right hand. And that's the one thing that's consistent in all these four portions. He's on the right hand, which in Scripture is the place of privilege and power.
And there he is, and He's seated as our High Priest, living for us every hour of every day. This morning when we poured out our our hearts in praise and worship, He took that praise and worship.
And he presented it to the ear of God, and by the time he took it and presented it, it was perfect. Sometimes our singing isn't so perfect by the world standards. Sometimes we falter in what we express in presence and worship as one another. Brother, give thanks. But you know, by the time it's presented to the year of God, it's perfect.
We sometimes sing a hymn that sums it up to all our prayers and praises.
Christ adds his sweet perfume and loves the sensor, raises these orders to consume. I find great comfort in that. But then we find too, if we were to back up in these chapters, that He seated as our high priest, living for us, interceding for us as we pass through the trials and difficulties of life. Because in the 4th chapter it says we have not in high priests that cannot be touched with the.
Of our infirmities but within all points I want you to notice that in all points tempted like this we are yet without sin maybe I hear someone say no one knows what I'm going through no one understands what I'm passing through that may be true you know you may be going through something today that you can't even share with another human being even those that are close to you by family ties but there's one who fully.
He doesn't just sympathize, he empathize us with us in every circumstance. You say how can he do that? Because he was in all points tempted like this we are.
There is nothing that you pass through in the path of faith and service, nothing that you experience in this life that the Lord Jesus hasn't experienced as a person here in this world.
He lived in this world for some 30 years plus. He knew what it was to be a boy growing up in this world.
You know what it was to be a young person. You know what it was to be weary with his journey.
You know what it was to be hungry and thirsty. He even knew what it was to be misunderstood. He could say reproach hath broken my heart. He knew what it was to suffer physically, even to the extent of saying, all my bones are out of joint.
And as we sometimes sing, And thou ascended feels afresh what every member bears. And if you feel that nobody else understands you or emphasizes with you, just look up and avail yourself of that one who's seated as your great high priest. We sometimes sing another hymn. Our great high priest is seated at God's right hand above for us, his hands up lifted.
In Sympathy and Love, it's illustrated beautifully back in the 17th chapter of Exodus, where we have Israel down in the valley fighting with Amalek, a very powerful enemy in the wilderness.
Amalek is a picture to us of Satan working on the flesh, seeking to hinder our walk with God through this wilderness world. And we find that the secret of their victory that day was a quiet hidden work that was going on on the mountain nearby.
Because Moses, the picture of the Lord Jesus, gone on high to fill all things.
He went up on the mountain and sat down, and two men came and held up his hands till the going down of the sun.
I just want to make a comment in passing about those two men because on the one hand, there was Aaron, and I realized that at that point, Aaron hadn't been officially put into the priesthood yet. But I think we see the picture very quickly.
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Aaron sent pictures to us, the high priestly work of the Lord Jesus, and then there was a man on the other side, her and her name means purity, and he's a picture of the advocacy of Christ. Now, brethren, I realize that the advocacy of Christ is not the subject here in Hebrews I I understand that it's the subject of what it says. We have an advocate with the Father.
Jesus Christ the Righteous.
We have a righteous advocate if I can illustrate it this way.
When I sin, when I fail, it's just as if the Lord Jesus in the presence of the Father, says I've paid for that sin. Now there are. That's how he can be a righteous advocate.
Now there are some contrasts between it by priestly work and his advocacy.
And I'm not going to go into those suffices to say that one of the contrasts is that his high priestly work is in connection with God because that power, but his advocacy is in connection with the Father because that's relationship. I say that because I know some of you young people and some of who go to work, you may have Christian fellow students or associates at work who will try to tell you that when.
Sin, you lose your salvation that the family relationship is broken. But to me that verse in first John is one of the clearest scriptures as to eternal security. If it said we have an advocate with God, we might well wonder if the family relationship is broken. But it's not an advocate with God, it's an advocate with the Father showing that when I sin.
In no way is the family relationship broken.
But I do have to do with my father. Just like in a natural family, when our children went against us, we didn't bring them up to the court of law for disobedience. But they did have to do with us as parents. They did have to do with me as a father. And so we have an advocate with the father showing that in no way is the family relationship broken, but we do have to do with our father. And so coming back to.
The high priestly work of the Lord Jesus. Isn't it wonderful to have someone who empathizes with us? That's more than I say than just sympathy. You know, if you're going through a circumstance, I might come and I might say I feel for you in this circumstance. I sympathize with you. But if I've never been through a similar circumstance, I can't emphasize we lie to people to be with us in a trial who've been through.
Circumstance, you say that person knows what I'm going through, that person fully understands all the Lord Jesus, I say again, fully understand, because he was in all points tempted, like if we are yet without sin, yes indeed He was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, but nevertheless He went through those circumstances of life. And so I want to encourage us to avail ourselves of that.
Because in the measure in which we avail ourselves of the high priestly work of the Lord Jesus, in that measure we won't need his advocacy. And so he seated there as our great high priest.
But then in the 10th chapter, he seated again, and this time he has seated. He seated, having offered himself as that supreme sacrifice. Now we mentioned that in the first chapter. It's a broader thought than just our being brought into blessing. It embraces the whole creation that is going to be brought into blessing on the grounds of redemption in the coming day. But here it's in connection with our blessing.
By one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified. Just repeat two. What has often been pointed out about the book of Hebrews, and that is that Hebrews is a book of contrast. He takes up very carefully in this book everything connected with the old order of things that was Israel's in the Old Testament.
And he carefully goes through all those things.
Moses, Aaron, the worldly sanctuary, the sacrifices, all those things to show that those things were just tail reflections and feeble foreshadowed of what was really in the heart of God in connection with the person and work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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13 times in the book of Hebrews we have the word better brought before us, showing that we have the better thing now. And in this chapter we find he's contrasting the sacrifices in the Old Testament with the sacrifice, the supreme sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. If we were to back up in this chapter, we would find that he speaks of those.
Sacrifices. And he says every priest standeth daily.
Ministering and often, oftentimes the same sacrifices which could never take away sin. And the children of Israel and the Levites and the priests in the Old Testament, they understood this very clearly.
They understood that as they dropped those sacrifices from day-to-day and year to year, the back sacrifice only atoned for that one sin, and then they had to bring another and another and another. It was an endless round of sacrifices, and that's why it says that they were standing. You know, it's interesting when you go back and read carefully in your Old Testament, both in the Tabernacle in the wilderness and in the temple in.
Day in Jerusalem, there was never a seat provided for the priests because sitting in scripture would speak of rest and a work completed, and their work was never completed. In fact, when you read a priest sitting in the Old Testament, it was always in days of spiritual and moral ruin and weakness. I'll just give you one example. In passing. We find that the book of Samuel opens that Eli was sitting.
And as he's sitting there in the temple.
He's lost his discernment because we find that Hannah comes up with her husband and as Hannah prays, Eli has no discernment as as as the priest as to what is going on. The next time you read about Eli sitting.
The ark of the Lord was taken, and they bring him word, and as he's sitting there, he goes back and his neck breaks and he loses his life. And so there was never to be a a seat for the priest in the Old Testament because their work was never finished.
But in contrast here this man, the Lord Jesus, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, forever sat down on the right hand of God. That's where the comma should be. He had. He forever sat down.
Now I realize that the Lord will rise up again in the coming days to take up the front, to take up the judgments of this world and to take the throne of His glory, and so on. But as far as rising up to offer a sacrifice again?
He will never He is sat down at the right hand of God there, and he will never. God would be unjust to require another sacrifice, because God is forever satisfied.
With the work of his Son, the Lord Jesus. And so he forever sat down on the right hand of God. And it's very interesting too, what it tells us here, what the Lord is thinking about.
As He seated there, Scripture rarely tells us what the Lord is thinking about.
But here's a little hint of to what the Lord is thinking about as he seated at the right hand of God.
Henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. You know we've spoken a great deal in the readings about that day when the Lord Jesus is going to have His rightful place and His vindication here on planet earth.
It hasn't happened yet. The Lord has his rightful place in heaven today. The 2nd chapter of Hebrews tells us that he's crowned, uh, with a crown of glory and honor and, and he seated there at God's right hand, He has his rightful place in heaven, but he doesn't have it on earth yet. But he's thinking about that day when he's going to have his rightful place And as was said in the readings, God's heart and the heart of.
Jesus will never be satisfied fully until that takes place. Isn't it thrilling to Saint brethren that on this planet where they spit in the face of the Lord Jesus, where they cried away with him, crucify him, where they sent a messenger after him saying we will not have this man to reign over us? There's a moment coming when he's going to have his full vindication and his rightful place. He's going to come forth whose right it is, the Scripture.
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He's going to be crowned with many diadems and he's going to reign in power and glory, and so he's looking forward to that time. I'll just say this too, before we pass on that if God were to require another sacrifice for sin, we would have no eternal security. And if God were to refuse me now, having availed myself of the finished work of Calvary.
He would have to refuse his own dear Son, and that is impossible. That is the security in which the believer stands. If you ever doubt your salvation. And you know, I've talked to many who are young and some who are not so young who from time to time they doubt their salvation. They get one of those fiery darts of the wicked that says, are you really saved? But you know, if you look up, when you have that doubt, just look up and see where God's Son is, See him.
Having offered himself as that supreme sacrifice, I say again, if God were to refuse me now, having availed myself of that work, He would have to refuse His Son, and that is impossible. That is the security in which the believer stands before God today, accepted in Christ on the basis of that mighty work of Calvary.
Well, we find in the 12Th chapter he seated again.
And here he seated as the object for faith. Now just to get the context in the chapter before we find that the Spirit of God has given us a tremendous lift of men and women from the Old Testament who live by faith and conquered for God's glory against all kinds of odds and difficulties, showing us that it's never been easy to live for the Lord in this world.
There's always been opposition. Yes, these are dark, difficult days we find ourselves in.
Let's go back and check out the context in which many of those ones that are listed in the 11Th chapter live. Was it easy for them? No. There was the opposition of the enemy. There were all kinds of problems and difficulties.
Because as it says, there are no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. And so we find they live by faith and they're listed as an encouragement for you and for me.
We think two of those that we have known in our day who have lived by faith, and it tells us in another place whose faith follow. But what I want to point out in commenting on the opening of this chapter is that our brethren are never given to us as the object for faith.
They're giving us an encouragement, but never the object, because there's only one perfect object, only one man who walks through this world perfectly in the path of faith and service for God.
I say that because it's not so much that he's the author and finisher of our faith. The hour isn't italic added by the translators. He's the author and finisher of faith. In other words, the Lord Jesus is a man began and completed the path of faith and perfection. And for you and for me who are running the Christian race, God has ceded his Son at his right hand as the object.
If we look at another brother or sister, we're going to be disappointed if they're the object for faith, the psalmist said. I have seen an end of all perfection. You say, well, that brother let me down, but I'm sure that other brother will never let me down. That sister let me down, but the other sister, she'll never let me know. I'll be careful. We're going to see an end of all perfection if we're looking for it in someone other than the perfect object.
Jesus and brethren, I know that there are many difficulties in running the race, and we're exhorted here to run with endurance. It is a race of endurance. And I know there's those here who've been in the Christian race far longer than I have, and I'm sure each one will attest that it's a race of endurance. And so we're to run it with endurance. But I believe that we will endure in the measure in which we have the perfect object before us.
Also often spoke of himself as running a race in Philippians. He had the prize in view. And what is the prize in the Christian life? The prize is always Christ and glory. And that's what we need before our souls. And so as soon as the list in the 11Th chapter is completed, for our encouragement, he takes our eyes from that list. He lifts our eyes into the open heaven. And he says, now here's the object for faith. You want to run.
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This endurance, you're going to keep going last after last after last. You're going to be have to be looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith. And that's what I'd like to encourage our hearts to do.
You know what's so wonderful, brethren? To come to meetings like this, to have Christ before us in the different meetings for ministry, as we had earlier, the breaking of bread, and to have looked back to Calvary and to enjoy.
The Lord in the midst and saw a wonderful, blessed privilege, but we're going to leave here, uh, in a few hours if the Lord leads us here. And what is it that's going to encourage us to go on as we go back to work, to school, to the circumstances of life, to the little assemblies we come from, to the problems and difficulties that exist so often in those assemblies, to family life and so many situations. What's.
Give us the courage to run with endurance the race that is set before us always to have Christ before our souls. If we lose sight of Christ, brethren, we're going to get discouraged. We're going to fall down. We're going to stumble in the Christian path. We're going to say it's not worth it. We're going to become weary and faint in our mind. But with Christ filling our vision and filling our souls, I say, then and only then are we.
Going to be able to go on through the difficulties and problems of life. I don't pretend to understand what you're going through. I know there are brothers here who are concerned about going back, leaving these meetings, going back to the things you've left behind. I don't pretend to understand or know what you're going through. But one thing I do know, Christ is sufficient.
And we used to sing when I was growing up that Him so often turned your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. So often we sing that little prayer, and I trust it's the desire and earnest desire and prayer of your heart and mind. All faith our earnest gave.
Thou, holy Lord, that with thy beauty occupied.
We all swear Nazi rather lately, so till we take that lock step and we're safe home in the presence of the one that I trust fills our hearts now.
127.
127.
Oh bless God.
I don't know what's going to happen.
Nsnoise.