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General Meetings Wheaton, August 1976. Third reading meeting.
I'm alive again.
132.
#133.
They also say #133.
Let things on earth.
Grateful. It was great.
They will swing and pray the Lord Christmas.
So.
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Start with verse 14.
In touch on Earth 14, did we?
Chapter 13.
Verse 14.
For here have we no continuing city?
But we seek one to come.
By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.
What did you go into? Communicate. Forget not or with such sacrifices, God is well pleased.
Obey them and have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, For they watch for your souls, as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.
Pray for us, for we trust we have a good conscience and all things willing to live honestly.
But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Now the God of peace have brought again to the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make a perfection. Every good work to do with will, working in your language, is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
And I beseech your brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you, and few words.
No, either our brother Timothy instead of Liberty, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.
Salute them that have a rule over you and all the Saints. They have Italy. Salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Connection with the comments that our brother Brickman made at the end of the meeting this morning.
I would like to turn for just a moment to Hebrews Chapter 9.
I take it that in connection with our brothers comments, if we have here the the scriptures that support what our brother was referring to.
It says in the first verse, then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service.
And a worldly sanctuary, for there was a Tabernacle made.
And then when we come down to the sixth verse, it says, Now, when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first Tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
And then in the ninth verse it says, which was a figure for the time then present, and which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience. So it seems we have the three things here.
And our brother was referring to We have the worldly sanctuary, that which man sees and attaches value to. We have the priesthood ordained, where man is set between God and the people. And we lastly have the gifts and sacrifices that are offered with a view of in some way meriting the favor of God by doing so.
And it seems to one's own soul that this, this helps us, as our brother mentioned this morning, to very clearly and simply identify the camp. Whenever we see that which attaches a value to a building, it's the camp.
Whenever we see that which puts any man between the people and God, ordains him, or gives him any kind of a special position, it's the camp. Whenever we see any kind of form or service or ritual established with a view to meriting with a view, to ordering, with a view to establishing some kind of procedure to make it acceptable to God, it's the camp.
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And this way, this is the very thing that we're called to separate from, but it also seemed to me in thinking about it this morning.
That there can be, and if I'm wrong, I hope my breath will correct me. There can be very well such a thing as being outside the camp but not gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
There can be those who have left these three things. They have seen the error of them.
And abandoned these three particular characteristics of the camp and left them behind. But Hebrews 13 adds a further thought, and that is unto him. Without the camp, it isn't simply a matter. As for Israel, for instance, in Exodus 33, it wasn't simply a matter of acknowledging that there was evil in the camp and leaving it. It was a question of going to where the Tabernacle had been pitched without the camp. And as our brother referred to this morning, that's where Joshua remained.
Where the Tabernacle of what had been pitched without the camp.
And so today, if we're going to be faithful to the one who suffered without the gate for us, if we're going to go forth to the one who went forth for us, it's going to be not simply to leave the camp, not only simply to recognize the the error of the camp and to separate ourselves from it, but to seek by God's grace to ensure that in leaving the camp we have gone to where He is without the camp. Is that correct?
Yes, it is indeed, Brother Smith mentioned in his and this morning.
About there being that expression 13 times, let us well, when we come to what we had before us at the end of our reading this morning, let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp. So it's just as though, and as he so nicely brought before Sabrina's brother Smith, or was it brother not the power doesn't make any difference.
The truth anyway, that the spirit of God substitutes everything that.
An Israelite clung to in the old system as he brought before us that we are to leave angels. They had an importance in the old system, but now they're set aside. He hasn't committed the world come to angels since so often.
And then?
Christ is taking the place of.
Angelica Then we have Moses in the third chapter. He was only a servant. Now we have the son he takes the place of.
Moses and you find in the 4th chapter that he takes the place of Joshua. Joshua only led the people into.
Rest down here.
Our Joshua leads us into the rest to come and then then the in the 5th chapter he takes the place of Aaron who was God's high priest. We have God's high priest. We have a great high priest that has gone into the heavens and then all the systems he takes the place of the Tabernacle and one thing after another he just prepares.
A people there at that time, those Hebrews, for the last word that is going to bring a blessing result. And that is you see as though just as always said, you see, Christ takes the place of everything. Now let's leave the whole system go out unto him.
See that whole camp behind? You've got Christ. Leave it all and go on to him.
But you'll bear his reproach.
And as you say, Brother Graviton, that one could be outside the camp, see the air and the inconsistencies into the systems that man has set up, and be wandering around without any definite place.
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To to continue in and to be.
Maintaining the truth of God. So it's the importance of what we have here is let us go there for hunter him, oh, when we get the person of Christ.
Before us? Why then everything else?
As in his place.
What a person to be gathered to.
It's it's it's history throat. Sometimes if we don't behave ourselves we can fall into reproach like Peter speaks of.
He says in verse 14, chapter four, First Peter.
If he be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye For the Spirit of glory of God rested upon you on their part. The evil spoken of, but on your part he's glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busy body in other men's matters. Yet of any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. Let him glorify God on this behind.
So we have to be sure that it's the reproach of Christ for which we're suffering, not our our own foolishness and mistakes and and sin.
Mornings in Exodus 33, verse 11, the gospel remained in the camp and harmonized with the carbonite didn't return to the camp.
Now.
Did he miss the mind of the Lord or did he have the Lord mind?
I couldn't answer that question. I know that. I know that there were those who prophesied in the camp.
Said Eldad. And me dad. I don't remember the names and there were some who complained about that, but he said he would that all the.
People of God would prophecy, but as to Moses, I don't know Moses and is in a special place. And I couldn't answer your question, brother. I'm sorry. Would it be because Moses is the one that's especially connected with the the giving of the law, the old order of things?
And he's spoken of as a servant. But Joshua is different. He's the type of the Lord Jesus Christ leading us into the heavenlies. And so Joshua in that characters, that kind of a type, he stays outside the camp.
With that tremendous hour.
Thank the state of my servant, it said. And then they crossed the Jordan, and entered into the land that would show what it not the distinction between the position that Moses occupied and the position that Joshua occupied. Is that so?
Our brother Philip Dennis. His ministry brings out a lovely thought about Bill, Dad and me Dad.
Prophesying in the camp and.
Joshua said, my Lord, he was jealous of Moses position. And Moses could have accepted the flattery that Joshua expressed by having these men silenced, that were prophesied that he was something like John the Baptist, when there was came a rivalry between him and Christ. And some came and said, where the one that was really beyond Jordan, behold all he baptizes and all men come unto him.
And he says just like there were two vessels put in rivalry with each other. And he says what does John do? He just smashes 1 vessel entirely to pieces so as to leave the one vessel where the display what the glory of God and that was himself. He smashes himself to pieces. And so he says instead of Moses being flattered by Joshua's suggestion why he goes into the camp.
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To get some benefit from these that were prophesied, I just give that as the ministry of of a brother whose whose teaching we greatly value, brother.
Connection with dad and me dad.
I suppose that can apply to those gospel preachers in the camp and systems that that our preachings are gospel, that exalts Christ the Savior, where we can be thankful for that. But we wouldn't think about going in there and having fellowship with them in it, would we?
So Brother Philip makes that remark just to bring out how he how he was absolutely opposed anything that would exhaust self. He just makes that remark whether we don't want to follow it out into suggesting that we should go into the camp and take part. I know that someone asked Brother Brown at one meeting years ago, he said. Suppose one of these.
Popular evangelists.
Ten pitch to 10, say right across the street from where you live. Would you go to hear him?
Mr. Brown said, I think what I do that I go in my in my home and to my room and get down and pray the Lord to bless his preaching of the gospel. But he said it'd be another thing for me to go and have fellowship with.
What is not the testimony that he was connected with?
I have thought of this too, in connection with Eldad and me dad, that perhaps Moses recognized in this the evidence of his own failure. That is, when he came out of Egypt, the Lord promised him the wisdom and the strength to carry these people all the way across the wilderness.
But along came his father-in-law, death row, and said, Moses, you have far too much to do.
You should have this responsibility shared by others. So Moses, lacking in the faith that he really should have had, puts this proposal to the Lord. And the Lord recognizing, I believe, his lack of full confidence. Accept this, and 70 elders are chosen, And the Lord took of the spirit that was upon Moses, and divided it among the 70 elders.
As Brother Watson of Ottawa used to say, he had more machinery, but no more power, took the spirit that was upon Moses and divided it among the 70. Well, it was two of those very elders, Eldad and me Dad, who prophesied in the camp. And I have wondered if when the news came to Moses, maybe he hung his head and said, this is the result of my own unfaithfulness of these two men.
Appointed are now prophesying in the camp. And you know, brethren, is it not true that when we hear of those who are perhaps thoroughly part of the camp preaching Christ crucified, what do we do? Can we not hang our heads and admit our own failure, our own indifference, our own coldness toward our privileged responsibility in the gospel?
And God is using that which you and I, I believe, cannot thoroughly condone as far as method or positions. But yet we can thank God. I believe, shall I put it plainly, that a God who could use balaam *** could use any instrument he chooses.
But I don't believe it's for us to condone or to go along with the position for the methods. But I believe we do well to hang our heads and recognize that our own failure is reflected in that which we see around us in the activity of the camps.
Brother.
Reading I've translated what on this point from the Spanish into English.
And if you'll bear with me a moment, I'll read what is said by our writers.
Says the pretensions, and this is from the Spanish.
The pretensions and energy of man are strongly manifesting themselves.
But to learn in a day of grace to be still and know that God is God, is completely above the education of the flesh.
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The spirit of the age affects many Christians who labor to restore old things, the service of God, instead of being broken before him by the sense of their downfall.
To confess openly that which we are in the presence of that which God is.
Is always the way to peace and blessing, even when only two or three are together before God.
You could be thus with them. There will be no disappointment nor deluded hopes. The word for the remnant is sanctified, the Lord God in your hearts.
Holy Spirit does not gather Saints around mere view, however true they may be, upon which the Church is, upon that which it has been, or that which it may be on the earth, But He always gathers them around that blessed person who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Where two or three are gathered together unto my name.
There am I in the midst of them.
Well, that seemed to satisfy our Latin brother on that point.
But may we May I be permitted to turn to Second Timothy 2 for a moment?
Concerning the camp.
Verse 20.
Second Timothy 2 verse 20.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also wood and earth, of earth, and some to honor and some to dishonour.
If a man therefore purge himself from thee.
He shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, love, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart, brethren.
Are we forgetting that the camp?
We are just dealing with this.
Condition of the camp.
And we humble ourselves to think that we are forgetting.
That the camp today.
Is we are to purge ourselves from vessels there onto disarmament.
There are vessels of gold and of silver, that which glorifies him and which speaks of redemption, but there are also vessels.
And to dishonour.
What are we going to do, beloved, in these these days of ruins? If any man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified. Meet for the masters use, and we'll put in thoroughly there thoroughly prepared.
Unto every good work.
We are not to make any.
False decisions about the camp.
It's a miserable affair, brethren, and we hang our heads in shame because we are part of it.
We are part of the room.
But the foundation of God's standards? Sure. Beloved.
And let everyone that name of the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.
This is where we need by in meekness to stress the truth in these days of.
Looseness in days of self will in.
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Days of the confusion.
Now I know that some, possibly some of my brethren, might go along with this, but if there is anything to please the Lord in that old land of Bolivia and Peru, it is because the Saints hold firmly to this.
That the camp is this religious conglomeration.
And we ought to purge ourselves from it. We know what that means.
We love God's dear people. That would be strange if we didn't love them. Indeed, we do. We love them.
But we cannot go along.
With anything that belongs to the camp, we just can't do it.
We are getting fewer and fewer.
And we shall become pure and true if we don't make a real stand.
For God. For truth.
But there will be a corporate testimony maintained in this world. Beloved, until the Lord comes, He will see to us, and may we be found among the few.
Who hold fast and stand fast until we see his blessed faith.
To emphasize, this is not presumptive.
But it is faithfulness, as I see it below, to God.
That 20 second verse is very important too. Is it not Brother Smith?
There we have the positive calling on the Lord.
With those.
Is it not important?
Who God will maintain.
Faithful to the very end, there will be Brother, a corporate testament.
And we thank God for those of his dear people who are faithful men.
Who stand by that blessed, this blessed.
Now my right, brother Smith, in saying that the word of God calls upon us to leave the camp, but we cannot leave the house. Is that correct? There's a there's a distinction there, but it comes in under the same heading, brother, the same thing, the vessels of honor and vessels of dishonour there.
There there's gold and silver, wood and.
Earth and the Apostle says, There are vessels unto honor and vessels unto this honor. What are we going to do about it?
If any man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honor, sanctify need for the master's use, and thoroughly prepare unto every good work. I appreciate, dear brother, what you're saying.
But I wouldn't dare separate the thing these these, these important methods. We know that there is this, this distinction.
But all, let us be very careful.
As we go back for a moment to the question of the Moses, I'm not happy. It seems to me that we leave Moses under a cloud here.
It seems to me that when Moses comes to Tabernacle and pitched it.
Outside the cast, he recognized and vindicated the glory of the Lord.
Is it not, Let me not think, that when he went back in the camp, that was in grace.
And then he wouldn't dissociate himself with the people. I just bring that over here. Well, there is a there is something there that I think is.
In types that we we can't always.
Force a type to stand on every.
As one has said on every leg, remember that.
Moses said, A prophet shall God raise up like unto me Him shall ye hear? And I believe that Moses is spoken of in John's gospel.
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Very specially because he was a type of the Lord Jesus in that sense that he was the one who had led the people, that is, he didn't go all the way but his the purpose was to lead the people into the good land.
But the Lord Jesus was the one who was to lead his people really into heaven. And so there is a type there. But I believe the distinction that was made by Brother Anderson was very good because.
Here we see.
The contrast between Joshua, who actually did in this type lead the people into the land where Moses.
Really represented the law and so we cannot hold a type too closely. We can get benefit from both of them, I believe. And Moses really was a man of God, but he never entered the land.
If we're talking about trade, even though the children of Israel were under law, don't we see God dealing with them in grace time and again?
Well, this, because that's God's heart.
The law just brings him under judgment, and judgment has got strange work and he couldn't be happy to leave it there. He must be gracious to them.
And we counted that first.
Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
I doubt not that Paul had to learn that lesson himself. He gave a certain importance to Jerusalem. He wanted to go up there at that time of attending at Pentecost, because there would be many of them, the Jews, together.
But after all his imprisonment, what he passed through.
First in Caesarea and then in Rome. He can say now there that God hasn't any.
Continuing city there's no religious Center for.
For God's people now as it was in the days of old. But the city where for which we seek is a city that's to come and is there not a warning for for us at this time. We don't want to make anything of the truth that we have to build up something that.
That looks fair.
Even in the eyes of men, I believe whenever there is any importance given to the place where the Spirit of God has gathered us to Christ the center, the Lord will always blow upon it.
And it was a bit of pride in the history that Andrew Miller wrote about.
So-called brethren right after that One division happened after another.
God is not going to allow pride, and if we put up one meeting above any other meeting and to hold some special importance, you must go to this meeting to get certain things settled. God is not going to permit that in some way he will bring.
He'll bring.
A very definite, in a very definite way to see that that has not his approval.
We're just a poor company gathered to the Lord's name and we don't want to make anything of our position.
But it's wonderful to think we seek a heavenly city. We seek one to come.
Another American you basically marked a little while ago about those who were in between.
They hadn't, like Joshua, come to abide. I was thinking of the 10 lepers.
In Luke's Gospel.
We find that.
They were in a special place because they had discovered that they were leopards.
And that's the man who has really, in a way, discovered his need. And and Jesus, of course, sends them on their way.
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For healing. But there was one who returned to give him thanks, and it seems to me that it's a picture of one who went all the way now. A leopard. You know, in Israel.
He was to go outside of the of the city or the camp, and he was to hold his hand over his lips and cry Unclean, unclean, unclean. He'd lost all his privileges in the city he was outside.
But in this picture we have in Luke where we have the Lord Jesus before us, this one goes all the way and he returns to give him thanks. I believe he's a little picture to us.
Of the one who didn't stay outside like the 9, where are the 9:00? But he went in, as it were, to that Tabernacle that is pitched without the camp, which is really the person of Christ to us, not simply a place, as our brother Barry has been telling us that some make much of the place, but it is the person. We do actually go to a place to meet, but it's the person.
That we go to where two or three are gathered now in John One. Where was that place where they met with Jesus? I don't know, I don't know the address, but they were in His presence and I believe that's in John. One really gives us the picture. It was being with Jesus. And you know, it's a wonderful thing when we're gathered together to remember the Lord that our minds would be occupied with.
Nothing but the person.
Now this this isn't true of us, I know, because there are many things that occupies. But this is what it should be. Not a place, not circumstances, but the person.
Christ is everything. In the presence of the Father, we can rest their beloved.
Christ is everything in God's presence. Is He that.
For us.
I made one more requirement in this connection. It has been said as to those who would would go part way but they will not take the place.
Outside of the camp, that is to him. They might go outside of the camp, but not to him. It has been said by another that either we go on with the people of God as we find them.
In all the weakness and other things that may distress or we'll be in a wilderness.
A spiritual wilderness alone.
And this will never profit us to go on alone in the spiritual wilderness, because the Christian, who has known the truth of separation by the Spirit of God and refuses to walk in the path, will not prosper. He will not go ahead in his soul. It'll be a wilderness to him unless he takes that last step.
And John's Gospel Chapter one.
In verse 38.
We read of somebody that was following the Lord.
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, Wat seek ye?
They said unto him, Rabbi, which is to say, he interpreted Master, where dwellest thou?
Where dwellers thou? They didn't say. Where's the place where dwellest thou?
Unto them Come and see, come and see. They came, and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day.
Well, they found the person. They found him, they followed him, and they got to the place where he dwelt, where he was at home. Well, we read something else in John's Gospel, chapter 12.
Verse 26 The Lord says, If any man serve me.
Let him follow me.
And where I am, there shall also my servant be.
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So it's a matter of following the person, going where he is, coming to the place where he is. There's no place without him being there. He makes the place.
I wondered if perhaps the same picture is faithfully seen in those who followed Gideon. There seems to.
Free company there. There were 22,000.
Who were fearful and afraid and didn't come out.
There were 9700 who failed the test when they were brought down to the water. And that's a real test. Bring them down to the water, thy will try them for thee there. And it shall be of whomsoever I say of this shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee. So there were 22,000 in one place, 9700 who started but didn't go all the way.
And 300 who were found, according to scripture, with Gideon, with their eyes upon Gideon. Oh, I do trust, brethren, as these words are uttered.
That we may hang our heads and realize that it is only, it is only the sovereign grace of God.
Notice those words. It shall be that whomsoever I say unto thee, this shall go with thee. Picture Gideon looking at those two companies. And until the last moment he doesn't know which one is going to be the company that shall be associated with him. 9700 here.
300 There I suppose, he said to himself, I hope it's going to be this company. But finally the Lord said, the Lord said, These are the ones who are to be with thee and brethren, if by the very wonderful and matchless grace of God we share in the happy and precious privilege of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, when us bow and Thanksgiving to the sovereign and wonderful grace of God, and keep our heads bowed down too.
Chronicles Brother.
Chapter 12.
And verse 32.
And the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do.
The heads of them were 200, and all their brethren were at their commandments. And then it goes on, Zebulun, such as went forth to battle expert in war with all instruments of war, 50,000 which could keep rank, which could keep rank. They were not of a double heart.
Now in verse 38 all these men of war that could keep rain came with a perfect heart to Hebrew to make David king over all Israel and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. Now in verse 18 we have something that's very important.
Then the spirit came upon MSI, who was chief of the captains.
Well, he was on the opposing side. He was one who followed Saul.
And he said, Mine are we, David?
Oh, that's wonderful. Thine are we, David? And on thy side thou son of Jesse.
Peace. Peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy helpers for thy God Helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the Band.
This was during a crisis, of course, in the history of Israel. While all types do fail to explain exactly that, they are very, very, very solemn and very important.
Here's a group come over on the side of David mine. Are we David?
God's man type of Christ.
And on thy side thou son of Jesse, peace.
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These were men who kept rank, who had an understanding of the times that never was a time in the history of our God, still people as today, to understand the times in which we are living.
These kept rain.
They manifested the perfect heart. They manifested one heart.
And they were not of a double heart.
And they.
Sin thine are we, David?
Oh, beloved, with all our failures, it's wonderful to say thine are we blessed Savior.
We cannot fail.
If we keep our eyes there.
On that Blessed One, thine are we there.
And all thy side Thou son of justice, peace, peace beyond thee, and peace be to thy helpers.
For thy God help us things.
As their dear brother mentioned, it is of time to hang our heads in shame.
To get into the faces in the dust. But we can never say, beloved, there'll be a little testimony for God.
In this scene, a corporate one too, until the very end. Do we believe that?
Yes, there will be. God will see to it.
You know here, as we've already stated.
What was in?
In Israel to find.
What is substituted for that which they had gone on with in connection with the temple and the altar, and to sacrifice it isn't that precious here that we get now an older.
Israel had to all her next one with the Tabernacle and the temple, the brazen altar. So Christ is the altar and we're to go out unto him. Well, the next thing that we would consider what kind of a sacrifice or sacrifices are to be offered on this altar that the Spirit of God is bringing before us.
And so we get that in the 15th verse and also the 16th verse by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. You read in one place in the minor prophets about offering. I believe it's Hosea, the calves of our lips.
They are for cows. They were among the highest offerings to Jehovah. Now the believer offers the calves of his lips. That is, instead of bringing a lamb or a goat.
Why we bring a sacrifice to CAS of our lips, but it's offering the sacrifice of praise unto him that is the character of the sacrifice.
That the believer today is to offer. And then we have another.
Sacrifice too, but to do good and to communicate, Forget not, for with the sacrifices see, it's in the plural. God is well pleased.
I I know in some meetings they don't like to have the basket on the table where the bread and the wine are placed.
But I believe it's very consistent to have the basket there for the collection because the giving is a part of our worship and to put it under the table or hide it somewhere and bring it out the last minute. We don't want to be legal about those things and some gatherings that fall them into certain habits that it's a little hard to break. But I believe if we're consistent and follow the.
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Instructions we have here. We'll place it on the table along with the bread and the wine.
These sacrifice, first we get the sacrifice of praise and then we get the sacrifice of giving.
And with these sacrifices God is well pleased.
And would we learn a lesson brethren, from?
The 26th of.
Deuteronomy, I'll not turn to it. We all, I think many of us are familiar with the portion that.
They were to fill a basket with the first fruits of the land, and then they were to come to the place. You'll notice there's importance in connection with the place, the place where the Lord would put his name, and they were to put that basket before the priest.
And then they owned Syrian ready to perish with my father and how the Lord brought him out and now he presents this and what is the the basket of first fruits Who is the first fruit? It says. But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slip Oh it's Christ that glorified one and.
The basket is to be filled with this.
Fruit and then presented.
Before the Lord, in the place where he put his name.
So maybe we could see in that instruction for us, or if our hearts are to be filled with praise to the one in whose name we meet, there should be an occupation with himself that is preparing the soul for that offering of that first fruits in the place where the Lord would have us and that.
Applies to sisters as well as the brothers.
It isn't just a brother that gets up and offers Thanksgiving and praise in the morning meeting that.
Is in view, but it's all dear Saints and I have noticed this in times past where a real spiritual reminded sister was present. Her quiet demeanor and her looks and her actions really.
Added to the worship of the assembly, the brother who offers praise is only the mouthpiece of the whole assembly.
I wonder too if perhaps in Deuteronomy 12, without turning to it, we see the very same connection that you have just spoken of here, the sacrifice of praise and the sacrifice of communicating mentioned in consecutive verses.
The Deuteronomy 12, where we are again reminded of the place and the privilege of coming. There we are told, and thither thou shalt bring thy burnt offerings. Isn't that beautiful? That's the first thing mentioned. And sacrifices, and tides and free will, offerings, and so on. They're all brought together in one verse as being the privilege of the Israelites when he goes to that place appointed by the Lord.
Burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, free will offerings all brought together in one verse as being the privilege of the Israelites as he comes into the presence of the Lord. So I do agree with what you suggest from these consecutive verses, and I think it's found in the Old Testament too.
Brother hell.
I was only speaking about the morning meeting, but we couldn't confine this scripture to just the.
The morning meeting or the Lords, the morning meeting.
Called the Worship Meeting, but continually it should be really the the the way one is enjoying the Lord all through the week before we meet and gather in a special way to give praise to one whose death is set before us in the bread and the wine.
When you think of Mary.
Who brought the ointment as an example of perhaps a year's wages to prepare that ointment?
01:00:02
It isn't a question of hurrying up on Saturday night or early Sunday morning to to get prepared for the meeting. There's no such thought in in this, is there? The thought here is that one who is in communion, He's in the spirit of this all during the week and what breaks communion is self will, is it not? And if we allow that, which we've been warned about this afternoon earlier.
That there are those things that that break community.
So if it does, we're not prepared with our baskets. But Mary had the object of Christ before her continually, and she had this ointment prepared. And when she broke the box, I understand the expression breaking the box was really the seal. It was sealed because it was alabaster. It was a stone box, and the seal was broken and the fragrance came out, but it had been stored up.
And now?
On that one occasion, it was just for him. And so if the heart is taken up with a person of Christ, I'm sure there will be a time when at verse four. And whether it's whether it's everyone else hears it or not, he will hear it and he'll know it.
By him, by him.
The beginning of the verse by him, therefore.
Perhaps you have something for us?
But I thought of in the midst of the assembly will I sing thy praises that they sit in here.
Lord Jesus is in the mid.
To lead the praises of these people.
And this is most precious.
When we come together that we can count on His presence to lead and guide even into worship that we bring to the Father and to Himself.
I think brother, you have property for us. An important thought there. I may not just be following entirely in the line of that you had in a few.
But there is this to remember that the Lord Jesus is head of his body, the Church.
And the Holy Spirit is down here dwelling in the believer and the the Lord Jesus has the hidden glory.
Guides has to worship through by the spirit to the end, the heart of the believer.
So that the praise is produced that goes up as sweet incense to him. I say that because I think there is a danger and it's found a lot in Christendom that the spirit moves you and some groups, you know, they sit and wait and say the spirit's going to move them. Well, we, we don't want to get occupied with.
Whether the Spirit is moving us, but what we do want to be occupied with is the glorified man.
Who directs by the Spirit? And if we're sitting quietly waiting?
In his presence, if we are occupied with Christ instead of occupied with some something within that's going to produce something, we're occupied with him, then by the Spirit he he directs. Maybe a hymn, maybe.
Scripture it may be.
A word of praise and Thanksgiving, but it all comes from the glorified head. We want to be careful, and I think you're introducing us to a thought.
That is important. By Him. Therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise, giving thanks to his name.
01:05:03
Doesn't merely mean that one particular one is praising. He's offering praise for them all, isn't he?
And I was thinking in Deuteronomy. There brother mentioned the 12Th of Deuteronomy, verse 18. But thou must eat them. These are the offerings before the Lord thy God, in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou and thy son.
And thy daughter, and my manservant, and my maidservant, and the Levite that is within my gates now shall rejoice before the Lord. Now in another place, it says, Thou shalt greatly rejoice. Well, here they're all rejoicing. One may be the mouthpiece for them, but they all rejoice. Isn't that lovely, that all whether the sisters?
Silently they can rejoice too.
It's a wonderful place to be brought into to remember the Lord Jesus that all can.
Rejoice. And it says There they greatly rejoice.
Before the law.
That's a wonderful thing, isn't it? That the sisters don't have any say. They, they hope, be silent in the church, in the assembly, but they can rejoice. And what can? What could we do without their sisters? They're a powerful God.
In Amazon they can rejoice too.
But there will be 1 who'll be the mouthpiece. I was just thinking that you mentioned that they all rejoice. Well here we have them all rejoicing, and there they greatly rejoice before the Lord.
We wish sometimes, pardon me, I'm just going to say we wish sometimes there were more mouthpieces.
I was going to ask the question about that in the 16th chapter of Deuteronomy, where they were to appear before the Lord three times a year.
The expression at the verse 16 of Deuteronomy 16 Three times in a year shall all thy mails appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Tabernacles.
And this is the clause I was thinking about. And they shall not appear before the Lord empty, wondering if someone had a thought on that. Following that, of course, is the in the 17th verse. Every man shall give as he is able, or according to his gift.
To the blessing, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God, which he hath given thee.
Just wondered about that clause. They shall not appear before the Lord, empty as thinking. Your brother mentioned that sometimes.
There are long silences and we wonder, you know.
There has been a thought suggested that.
There was preparation in the sense that communion was maintained continually, and so that it isn't a preparation that's made by the flesh, it's that which the Spirit produces in the life of the believer, day by day, so that when that time comes, there is.
The basket filled, and so that seems to me that if we are in communion.
There is a basket full. Now what was mentioned also about the the eating they were to eat this in their own whatever is set there, the scripture, they were all to eat of it.
Do we not have the very same food?
To feed upon as God himself feeds upon.
And so.
By thee, O God invited, we look unto the sun.
A brother yesterday. You may not have remembered it, but he mentioned the.
4th The 4th chapter of Second Kings.
Where the man brings an offering of 20 barley loaves and ears of corn in the husk thereof.
01:10:11
And he brings it to the priest. But the priest says give to the people that they may eat.
Now this ties in with what our brother Anderson brought before us. In the first chapter of John, we find the Lord bringing his disciples into a place of communion.
In the third verse of the First Epistle of John in the first chapter.
Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Now I believe this is connected, is it not, with worship? It's true that we come to remember the Lord. We don't come to worship, we come to remember the Lord. But as the Spirit of God, directed by the Lord Himself, fills our hearts with the person of Christ, it produces worship.
Or it should produce worship with us as a result, and so one who is in communion?
There will be a basket full, and there will be not only that which God has, but which He returns to his people to feed upon the very same thing that He feeds upon they enjoy.
I think Brother Anderson was speaking about sometimes he feel the lack of mouth open to praise the Lord when we're together and it is often an exercise that maybe in a meeting.
The offering thanks is left to just a very few, and they're the ones time after time, meeting after meeting that.
Let offer the praise, and it should be something to exercise, one and all, and the United States of those who are hesitating to take part, if the Lord definitely lays something on your heart, either to read the scripture or to offer thanks, and you don't.
Respond. You sit there and let the time go by. You are really.
Robbing the assembly of what the Lord would offer.
Offer and the Praise your, so to speak, robbing the Lord what is delightful to him. And you're robbing your brethren too. Let's look at it just that way. And then, for those who take much part, there needs to be off times exercise. They shouldn't eat what and wait.
Are not always. Just keep the meeting moving.
Keep it going on as though it's something that she mustn't allow to slow down at all. It can be that danger too. But yeah, there was things should exercise. And I believe that there's a getting before the Lord of times, those things where some meetings get in the habit of just letting the Pew go ahead. Meeting after meeting might be remedied.
That are often painful at times, but I was singing to brethren and considering this line of things.
What a marvelous thing it is to be in a place where the blessed Lord Jesus is the leader in the assembly.
And the 22nd Psalm, as soon as you get the Lord's sufferings on the cross completed.
Says in the midst of the congregation. Will I praise thee? And then?
The inspired writer in the second of Hebrews, in the midst of the assembly, will I praise thee. Spirit of God had a perfect right to change the word from congregation to assembly, which fits the present dispensation well. Just think of it to be in a place where the blessed glorified man on high can direct the offering of praise.
And Justice. Think of what has been left in the campus at work where they have one man to go ahead and to officiate, to take charge of all their prayers and and.
01:15:06
Whoever goes ahead and there's anything said, why it's through him, think of putting a man up in the place of the glorified Christ.
And the one who leaves all that system and goes out to Christ the center. Then he finds that there is that wonderful.
Truth to enjoy that Christ is there himself in the midst, and he is the leader. Even of the hymns we sometimes sing, that little hymn join the singing which he leaded.
Mouth to God our praises, Bring it. That's absolutely scriptural, because that verse I was quoting in the midst of the assembly will last sing praises unto Him, rather than what a marvelous thing that the Spirit of God has gathered us in a place where we have.
Such a center and such a leader in our praises. May we never be discouraged in going on if there is much weakness and there is much weakness. And 1St for young people who may get discouraged by long pauses, don't get discouraged.
Wait on the Lord. Remember He's there and that He's in the midst. Get your mind and your heart on Christ, and the Lord will give you a deep enjoyment of His sense of His love and His presence.
These things will be questioned as to their to their force and truth.
I don't want to take a lot of time, but at at home, where we are a little assembly there, we visited out in a little town nearby and met a man there by the name of the Reverend Camp, a strange name for the man man in the camp. But when he found out that I was gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, he said well.
Or you're one of the Brethren. You're a curio. We wanted to. He wanted to know. Now he said, tell me, how do you meet? Just how do you do? He says. I've been a long time. I've wanted to know about this.
Told him, I said We meet on Lord's Day morning, waiting upon the Spirit of God to guide gather to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Well, he said. How many are there at your little church?
Always said, perhaps 35 or 40.
Oh, well, he says that's all right for 35 or 40. But he said you couldn't do that up in And Spencer, where our little, where our church is. He says there's 250 in our congregation. He says we need some order there. We couldn't. You couldn't do that, he said. You mean you have no man leading? And I said no. The spirit of God leads what we had just been to Detroit prior to that time. It was about 750. There sat down on Lord's Day morning to remember the Lord.
And so I told him, I said Mr. Camp.
Just recently last week we were in Detroit and I believe there was 750 or 800 that sat down on Lords Day morning with the loaf on the table and the cup. We remembered the Lord Jesus without any leadership of man in the same way that we do at Vessel with the 40.
That was the end of our conversation. He had nothing more to say. I said you wouldn't attribute. Oh, he said that? I said you wouldn't attribute confusion to the spirit of God. Would you? Oh, no. Well, I said. You just did.
Hear the comments that by some perhaps that they came to the meeting and didn't get anything but the.
And our brother little referred to before, doesn't it rather suggest to us that what we should be more exercised about is what we bring, rather than what we get as a question of whether we come with baskets full the the verse that was referred to in connection with the alabaster box of ointment. She says of her that against the day of Liberian has she kept this It had been laid up in store, and she brought it and she was able to open it.
And the result was that there was blessing. The house was filled with the order of the ointment which he brought it. And so if I could say it to the dear young people, but perhaps to all our hearts, if I come to the meeting and I have to say, well, I didn't get anything, the first exercise I should have has been about my own state of soul and coming.
01:20:09
Did I bring an alabaster Boston one when I came?
Good. We give in, worship the Word, do we not? We give. Giving. We don't come there to ask, We give.
They brought their baskets first fruit and they rejoiced before the law. So that's it.
I was just for himself alone, for the parents that that box was opened and in the 30th.
Exodus. There are certain spices and certain.
Other perfumes are they?
Ointments and they were to be used on none other than the Lord. And I believe that's an important point too, because if if it's a person of Christ before us, then this will be just for him. But if it's a question of of serving, that's occupies us on such occasion.
Why? It's a different thing, isn't it, If we're there to remember the Lord himself.
Not coming to do something like make ourselves prominent, but this is just for him, just for him alone. And all those spices ointments were never to be used on any other.
The concurrent for no supply perhaps?
Not able to adequately express praise and worship.
The worst came to my mind in verse 2 of 114.
Of the Him book, here we have this beautiful expression to all our prayers and praises.
Cry and his sweet perfume, and he descends the races.
These orders to consume.
It's beautiful to see that that everything, may it ever be so weak, if it is indeed from a thankful heart that goes to God through the hand, as it were, of our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus, He adds his sweet perfume. So don't be afraid that you might feebly utter anything in Thanksgiving and praise.
That's what we have the Lord Jesus in the midst for as a high priest, and it only goes to the Father in perfection.
What is the number of 114?
Regards to the elastic bill, nothing spent above the size of that.
The important thing is is about this book, a small basket.
Another thought I had was that we never go away from the Rep remembrance of the Lord without our path is overflowing. There's no possibility of having an empty basket from occupies of the Lord.
The only thing we have to offer him is our praises to him.
He filled our hearts and still doing it.
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