YP Sing Address—M. Steika
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We're wonderful to hear the voices of the Saints singing to the Lord Jesus.
And I was wondering here, I was wondering how many of us here are enjoying Camp Alcania?
Wonderful. Good. Who can tell me a little bit about Al Qaeda?
Who was Al Qaeda in the Scriptures?
Anybody.
Yes.
Well, Cana was the father of Samuel, a husband of Hannah, right? Very good.
And I was just wondering, before I get started, before we pray, I've got a few questions for Brother Steve here.
Steve, have you ever been to the Vestal, NY meetings?
The meeting room? Yes, I have. All right. And your family was with you. And I think Jed was about this high, right? Yeah. Yeah. Now, you took a Sunday school there. Do you remember what you took up?
I go.
How old are you? I'm almost 70 and I can remember.
Let me give you a hint.
Do you know what this is?
Yeah. All right. We both have one. All right. Now, does that ring any bells?
Well, I'll just mention it. He took up the function of the multi tool and how diverse it is and how many things can be accomplished with it. And then he contrasted it with the wedding ring and he says as far as he knows, this has one purpose, to show his love for his dear wife. And I thought that was very good. You know, the multi tool, very useful tool.
But the wedding ring surpasses it so.
Thanks. That's that's all I had. I told, I told him I was going to have some rapport with him and I think he was let down a little bit.
But after one of the things, what I've been enjoying about the camp is the starry heavens, because there's very little light pollution. And after one of those things I went out to the bridge and and looked up.
And there it was, the Big Dipper, and I could hear the brook babbling below. And I thought, isn't that marvelous? If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.
Right there in the starry heavens, declaring the glory of God. Let's pray. Let's look to the Lord for help. God our Father, now we thank You for this time that we have over thy word. Thank Thee for privilege to sing the songs and to exalt the name of the Lord Jesus. So we pray for help as we open Thy precious word.
We know that thy word is exceeding broad, and pray for each soul in the air that there would be.
Refreshment from the pages of the Scriptures. So we ask these things with confidence and with Thanksgiving. And the worthy and precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
I'd like to turn first to Psalm 78.
And I'm sure many of us find comfort in the Psalms. I found comforting verses throughout the Psalms.
The very last verse in Psalm 78.
Verse 72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. I know it's referring mostly to David, but it's Jehovah's care over his people. And by the way, just as a side note, when we think of King David and we think of Saul, the first king after the People's Choice.
You know, it says of Saul that he was goodly to look to, and there was none in Israel that could compare to him. He was head and shoulders.
Above all the rest in Israel, not the very next verse is.
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And the ***** of Kish, Saul's father, were lost.
When you come to David, he says thy servant kept his father's sheep, and none of them is lost, or I'm sorry thy serving captain's father sheep. And there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, And I went out after him, and I smote him and slew him, and delivered it out of its mouth. And when he rose up against me, I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him. Thy servants slew both the lion and the bear.
And this uncircumcised philistine shall be as one of them.
Seeing hath defied the armies of a living God, and so David is one who kept the sheep. Saul lost his father's ***** and that is a picture of how these men would.
Be over the people of God and what their characteristic would be. And so Saul was just a man after the people's heart, a man after the flesh. And David was God's choice.
And you know it said it says of David that he was a man after God's own heart. And we might say why is that David failed? Yes he did, but he always responded to the discipline of God and that is why he is a man after God's own heart. So someone has suggested that the Lord Jesus Ministry could be put into 3 categories.
He fed the people. He healed the people.
And He instructed the people, and we have two of those in this verse 72. We fed them according to the integrity of His heart, guided them by the skillfulness of His hands with direction. So what about the healing? I'm so glad that Savior of the world was suggested to sing because that's exactly what I have on my heart is He healed at the broken hearted. So in Psalm 147.
Psalm 147.
Verse 3.
He healeth the broken in heart and binded up their wounds.
He telleth the number of the stars and calleth them all by their names. Why are those two verses so closely related? I think it's because neither one man can accomplish neither one. He cannot Number the Stars and he cannot heal a broken heart. The Lord Jesus can do both. And I understand from Bob Tony that in the.
The.
Hills in South America and the mountains and so forth that you can see with the naked eye galaxies beyond the Milky Way.
So clear and so bright, we could never Number the Stars, let alone call them by name.
You know that the scripture says can't nothing to Job can't stop buying the sweet influences of Pleiades. I believe it's just fairly recently that that 7 clustered star has been determined to be gravitationally bound and God knew that all along and he put it in his word. But men are just discovering that there are the binding influences that play these. So how great he is. I just want to look at the woman of the city in Luke Chapter 7.
That came to the Lord Jesus.
Just a few comments about her.
Verse 36, Luke 7, you know, the Gospel of Luke is really the power of Jehovah working amongst men in grace through the Lord Jesus. It's the power of Jehovah. And you know when we read verses about he shall come forth and serve them, He shall gird himself and so forth. We need to remember one thing.
The Lord Jesus is not our servant. He's Jehovah's servant. He comes forth and serves us, but he is Jehovah's servant.
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisees house and said down to me, You know, you never find the Lord.
Crossing the threshold of a Sadducees home. Why? Because the Sadducees denied the fundamentals of Judaism. They denied the existence of angels. They denied a future state of resurrection. And for that cause the Lord never graced the House of one of the Sadducees, but he was in several homes of the Pharisees. And that's what I enjoy about the Gospel of Luke is.
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Accessibility because in Luke you have the man himself, Christ himself. In Matthew there may be the dignity of the Son of David and Mark, there's the unswerving service of the Lord Jesus and John it's a deity, the Son of God from heaven. But in Luke it's the man himself, and that's what attracts.
Our hearts, it's what attracted this woman. You know this woman.
Verse 37 and behold a woman in the city which was a Sinner when she knew that Jesus sat at need in the Pharisees house.
Brought an Alabaster box appointment.
Why does she stand unique out of all the different ones that came to the Lord?
She stands unique in this fact. She didn't come because her mother was sick with a fever. She didn't come because a friend had the palsy.
She came because she was a Sinner. And I just want to say here, you know, there was a Sunday school before the Sing talk and every one of those children went through that blood marked door that you see over there by the entranceway.
And I trust that everyone here is under the shelter of the blood. And if you're not, I want you to act like the house is on fire, because it is. You need to accept the Lord Jesus. Now is the day of salvation. Behold, now is the accepted time. Flee from the wrath to come. There is one who's willing to accept the violence defender. And the gates of heaven are open.
As wide as the heart of God could open it this evening.
All you have to do is come and be saved. God has given His Son.
He's born us, born our sins on the cross of Calvary. The blood has been shed. The blood is on the mercy seat that we've had.
In the meetings here on the Tabernacle, come and be saved is the word that God says.
To each one of us and justice. Finally, you know the Lord Jesus said if you die in your sins, whither I go, you cannot come. Isn't that a solemn verse? If you die in your sins, if you believe not that I need, if you die in your sins, whither I go, you cannot come.
Solemn verse. But this woman was a product of the city. You might say she was a Sinner. She had lost every integrity that she had.
Except for two things.
She still had her long hair, symbol of the glory of the woman, and she had this alabaster box appointment.
She slips into Simon's home and stands behind the Lord Jesus. Reclining at table, she sees the dishonor of the Lord. He's the only one there with unwashed feet, those feet that were travel stained by the dusty roads of Palestine.
She saw that dishonor. Yes, her heart was repentant for her own pathway, but she washes the Lord's feet with her tears, wipes when, wipes them with the hairs of her head, and then kisses them and anoints them with the ointment.
What does the ointment speak of that which was her best? And you know, I just want to say to you younger ones, it's worth it to invest your energies in the assembly.
It's worth it and and get to know your older brethren and spend time with them. They're very encouraged in their younger brethren going on for the Lord. So don't neglect the assembly function. She stood at his feet behind him weeping and began to wash his feet with tears anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisees saw this, he said this man, if he were a prophet.
Would have known what manner of willingness is that toucheth him, for she is a Sinner.
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Simon wouldn't be touched by such a woman.
And you know, that makes me think of the rich man and Lazarus.
In hell, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and he said to father Abraham with Lazarus in his bosom. That's just a picture of blessing.
Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I'm tormented in this flame, something he would have recoiled at in life.
You have Lazarus.
Touch him in that way so under the pressures of torments of hell, it changes the person's attitude.
And he remembers, Abraham said. Son remember. And.
The lake of fire there will be perfect recall. There will be conscious agony for rejecting the Lord Jesus. But I don't want to dwell on that. But it has to be said that there is a place called outer darkness. Bind them hand and foot, No possibility of moving out from it. Cast them into outer darkness. Not one ray of light ever from God. How solemn that is.
So Simon, the Lord Jesus, you know.
I say it respectfully.
He has somewhat to say to Simon, He has somewhat to say to you and to me.
But you know, I'm going to say it respectfully. He's going to give Simon a slow pitch.
One creditor.
To debtors, 500 pence, 50 pence. Nothing to pay. Frankly forgives them both.
Which of them will love him most? And Simon rightly judge and said, I suppose that he who was forgiven the most, And the Lord Jesus said yes.
It's true, this woman, he points to the woman now speaks to her. See us now, this woman.
Verse 44 I entered into thine house, Thou gave us me no water for my feet. You know, when the woman came in, she didn't have a basin through water. She didn't have a towel to dry the feet of the Lord. So she used what she had and we need to refer back to the ointment. She kept that which was best.
For the Lord Jesus, you know, she could have distinguished herself among the company by using the ointment. But you know, most probably.
Her company?
Was certain certain lewd fellows of the baser sort no prospect of marriage? Perhaps she kept this, hoping for marriage, but then she saw hope is lost. But she wanted to give that which was best.
To the Lord Jesus, and she uses the ointment in that way. The ointment was costly, the ointment was rare, and the ointment was fragrant.
You know, I was in my working days, I was near the vending machines and I was peeling an orange. These two men come around the corner and they, the only guy said, I have to tell you, that's the most fragrant orange I've ever smelled. You know, how would you peel an orange? It just, well, the ointment had that effect, I'm sure in the house.
She shows repentance and tears for his dishonor.
That Simon afforded him. Think of it.
Simon had this opportunity. The Lord of glory is in his home and he doesn't take advantage of it. He doesn't see that this is the Messiah of Israel. I entered into thine house in verse 44.
Thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss. There was no affection there from Simon. He invited the Lord, maybe out of curiosity, into his home. How different from the fellowship that he enjoyed in the House of Bethany with Mary and Martha and Lazarus. How, how different.
But this woman, since the time I came in, have not ceased to kiss my feet.
My head with oil doubt it's not annoying, but this woman hath anointed my feet with the ointment.
Wherefore I say unto thee, your sins, which are many.
You know, imagine the frowns when she came through the threshold of Simon's house. The frowns that she met with.
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They knew she was a Sinner, she knew she was a Sinner, the Lord knew she was a Sinner, and Simon himself knew she was a Sinner. Her sins, which are many, are forgiven her, for she loved much. You know she bestowed more abundant honor on the Lord Jesus than if Simon's servants had washed his feet, or if Simon himself.
Had washed the Savior's feet. She bestowed more abundant honor on the Lord. Jesus she loved much. The Lord let her weep out her repentance in tears. He didn't interrupt that.
See, the human sympathies that He had at the grave of Lazarus were free to run their course. Jesus wept. He had the power of life. He was the resurrection and the life, but He wept with those that were sorrowing, and so His divine nature did not hinder human sympathies from running their full course. What a person we have.
God and man in one Christ.
Her sins are forgiven. Verse 48 they that sat at me within with him, began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgive us sins also?
And he said to the woman, Thy faith that saved thee, go in peace.
Think of it.
Such such a one as this from the city able to go in peace. And so these accounts get our attention. Don't think they grab our affections because there's a Savior and there's a Sinner and there's peace, there's blessing. And you know she has a new opportunity. She has an opportunity now to walk to please the Lord Jesus. She had lived a life of sin.
She had dishonored the Lord. Simon had lived a life of religious.
Hypocrisy, perhaps?
But he did not receive the Lord of glory like this woman did.
And so.
I I like these accounts in the Gospel of Luke. How accessible the Lord was. Perhaps she had heard the Lord Jesus himself say, Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I'm meek and lowly of hearts, and you should find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy.
And my burden is light. You know, when we think of a yoke, we think of, yeah, we're gonna get some real work done, labor, striving. But no, he says, I will give you rest. He never had the yoke of sin. His yoke was the yoke of obedience. And how perfect he was in in obedience to his God and Father. It was his delight to do the will of him that sent him.
So I just wanted to bring this this account.
Before us, because those feet were beautiful. They were the feet that were preaching the gospel upon the mountains of Israel. And when she saw them travel, stained as they were, you know the Lord Jesus. One time he traveled all night to sit on the well of Saikar to speak to one of Jacob's erring daughters.
So great was his love, he must needs go through Samaria and that she was the reason why and he dealt with her with such tact.
That she forsook the life of sin and became an evangelist to the city of the Samaritans. And I think we're going to close soon when when the Lord said lift up your eyes and look for the fields are white ready to harvest. I understand the Samaritans were known for their white garments and as they're sweeping across the fields to see the Lord Jesus and hear him himself, he says lift up your eyes.
Look, the fields are white.
To the harvest and they had to say now we believe on him not because of thy word. We have heard him himself himself and believe that this is the Christ the Savior of the world. Let's pray God our Father, we thank thee for a precious Savior. We pray about the balance of the meetings here at the camp and for safety we give thee our thanks for.
That wonderful work on the Cross of Calvary.
Regarding our loss estate, shutting thine own blood for our souls, and commit us unto Thee with confidence and with dependence. We give Thee our thanks for the opportunity to sing these hymns, these songs of praise, and to have Thy word open before us. We pray for thy soon return. Lord Jesus. Perhaps this very night we'll hear a glorious assembling shout and be caught away.
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Because they are thanks our God and our Father, and the worthy and precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
I.