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Jesus, before thy face we fall, our Lord, our life, our hope, our all, For we have nowhere else to flee no sanctuary, Lord but the 309.
Jesus.
Before.
I fail.
The same chapter we've been considering.
April Chapter 13, verse 15.
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.
But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account.
But they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.
Pray for us where we trust we have a good conscience in 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 that brought a gentleman dead in our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do as well, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ.
To whom the glory forever and ever. Amen.
And I beseech your brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
Know ye that our brother Timothy said at liberty. To whom it becomes shortly I will see you.
Salute all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints they of Italy salute you.
Grace be with you all. Amen.
It's lovely the way this verse starts out.
With a person of Christ before us. But I believe, dear brethren, in the sense of the way that Hebrews reveals him to us.
There is one mediator.
Now I know that Hebrews gives us the dignities of his person, but at the same time we were reminded that he is the same. He's the same one that that trod.
The streets of Jerusalem. He's the same one that was on the boat in Galilee with his disciples. He's the same savior that sat at Sychar as well.
And so it says by Him, therefore, how sweet and how precious that we know that we can approach God on the basis and by the One who is come so near to us to make Himself known in this way a savior God, one who became man, the one who came down to where we were and all our misery and shame.
True, we give him the place that belongs to him. He is the Son of God. He's God himself. He's the Creator. But he's Jesus in Hebrews is Jesus. It's his name. It's the man Christ Jesus. And so if we do.
00:10:08
Praise the Lord, remember that it there's no.
There's no separating of position or persons in this.
We all come on the same basis, and we come by him. Now, there's a there's a scripture in the Old Testament, if you'll permit me to call attention to it. It gives a little picture. It's in the 4th chapter, I believe, of Second Kings.
Second Kings Four, I believe it is.
Verse 42.
And there came a man from bail Shalisha.
That is, bail is Lord, and Silicia is the higher places or heavenly places. And brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, 20 loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people that they may eat. And his servitors said, What should I set this before in hundred men? And he said, again, give the people that they may eat. For thus saith the Lord, they shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof according to the word of the Lord.
I believe we have here just a little glimpse that might help us to see this connection in connection with the the worship or the approach to God we get in Hebrews. Here we have a picture of two coming Really. One brings 20 loaves of the poor man's offering, shall we say, barley loaves. The other one comes bringing the full ears of corn.
Untouched with all the preciousness of what Christ means to God. Now let's apply this. We have a younger person, possibly, who hasn't yet reached maturity in his soul as to the things of God. But his heart is full of Christ and he gives out to him or he offers praise. Are you going to deny him this privilege?
No, when he loaves of barley, it's in keeping.
It's twice tan. It's in keeping with the instructions in the 23rd Leviticus and elsewhere. It's all in order. It may be. It doesn't have the depth of the full ears of corn and the husk there up something that's never been touched by man. It's something the full ears of corn would express, perhaps the burnt sacrifice and all the preciousness of what Christ is to God.
Now in either case, when they're brought to the man of God, who I believe is a picture of Christ, him as we have in our chapter, not only does he take it, but he says set it before the people that they may eat.
Because, dear brethren, the the food that God feeds upon is the same food that he causes his people to feed upon. It's Christ.
Oh, how precious it will be in that day.
When he will say Edo friends, ye drink, drink, beloved.
Abundantly or beloved. And we're going to sit down in the Kingdom of God, we're going to eat and drink, and we're going to partake of that same food that all heaven feeds upon.
But dear brethren, we've been called now to be gathered to his precious name, and there's no partiality if there be those who are mature in their souls and can bring a bullet, shall we say?
Or can bring the full ears of corn, how good and how it rejoices all of our hearts.
But I've had tears brought to my eyes as a younger one.
In with a full heart brings us the 20 loaves of barley, the poor man's bread. And now the question is, shall I set this before 100 men? Oh, I couldn't do that.
I can't get up and speak of Christ to my brethren. I'm not Speaking of of those who are real young. I'm Speaking of those who have a sense in their souls of what is due to the Lord. I speak to you dear, younger people who have never yet perhaps given out of Him, and you who really understand these things. And yet you're you're too timid. You say you don't want to to.
00:15:29
Give out of him. You know you should. You know it's on your heart, but you're too, too backward about it.
Said it before the people that they may eat.
And so he did. And what happened? They left there up. If Christ is really filling your soul, he's going to fill the souls of your brethren too. And there'll be something left that you cannot lay hold of. It'll be so full. And so at the end of Hebrews here.
Where are the apostles? Heart is so full as the doctrine of the epistle has been before him in the 1St 10 chapters. And now in these exhortations his heart is so full, he sees that outside place the person himself, and he sees one who seated at God's right hand. But it's the same Jesus that was down here among men. Now he says by him, Let us this is the last exhortation, I believe in the book of let us.
Let us by him, therefore, let us, all of us, offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.
Now this is more than simply when we're gathered. This is a state of soul. I believe continually that is the fruit of our lips. Giving thanks to his name. I remember our brother, James Smith telling us that he was awakened in the early hours of the morning by some of the Saints down in one of the islands, I believe in the South.
Singing praises to the Lord. Perhaps you've heard this, brother. Hey ho, I've been kept awake all night by. Well, that's what this verse means, brethren.
There's something very encouraging in relation to what you what was just remarked in the end of the second of Leviticus our brother has been Speaking of.
Our sense of inadequacy in worship, whether we be young brothers or older brothers.
The sense that what we bring and offer may be very short in the presence of the Lord, but there's some things to encourage us to come anyway. And in the second of Leviticus the last verse gives us, I believe, a very encouraging thought in worship.
It says the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof and part of the oil thereof.
With all the frankincense thereof, why does it say part of the of the beaten corn and part of the oil? Because we never enter in fully in the power of the Spirit what Christ is, but in the measure in which we do, God accepts all the incense. That is, whatever however people our worship may be, God sees it coming from a heart filled with Christ.
And he looks at it, and he takes him all the incense, not part of the incense. And so I believe that's encouraging as we approach and worship, whether we be young or old, that the Lord is there and his the preciousness of Christ is what God sees in it.
I believe that something important in connection with praise in the assembly.
That's brought before us here.
It says by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. I agree with Brother Lundeen that that isn't limited to Lords to morning when we offer our praise, remembering the Lord as his death, we should be a happy.
We should be happy Christians, praising the Lord every day for all his goodness and for his love.
That's what will keep us in communion, keep us happy. We're praising him for all he has done for us, but I wanted to call attention to this. I believe it's something that isn't always understood.
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That in worship.
That the Lord is the head of the body of the Church, one thing the Colossians are called to task about.
Are not holding the head.
See, we have no head down here. Our head is in glory. He is the head of the body and from him.
All the nourishment comes down to the members of the body.
And in worship, I believe it's important to see that as well. You're speaking Brother Glenden about his young brother having it on his heart to give out of him.
Well, we, we all older and younger, should be looking up to the Lord.
And let's see if we have his mind.
How there, if there is a class of people, you know, that just depend, as they say, on the movement of the spirit of God, that is, they get an urge and they're waiting on the spirit of God to get that urge to go ahead and pray or or to give thanks, or even to break the bread. But I believe that if we're.
If we have the guidance of the Word of God.
That it isn't just waiting for the Spirit to move us, but it's being occupied with Christ himself. And if we're occupied with Christ and waiting on Him, we're not waiting for some some movement of the Spirit in us, but we're occupied with Him. And then the Spirit who is in the believer and is also in the assembly does die, so that the.
What is comes down from the head.
Becomes the worship and praise of the assembly. I believe that's important to so that we might be more occupied with Christ and looking up to Him. And sometimes you know, him comes to mind. Well, is that for him? The Blessed Lord will have me to give us that for the assembly.
Does that lead the phrases of the assembly? I don't want to insane making these remarks to get any of our our dear young brothers under ******* to think, well, maybe I haven't the mind of the Lord. But I think that if we're simple about it and something is definitely laid on your heart, well, don't, don't wait too long.
We don't want to be in haste and justice. Keep the meeting going at a certain pace or speed.
I really, I think the quiet waiting on the Lord is an evidence of the guidance that we should find.
In connection with our worship. But sometimes, and I know every gathering has felt this, that maybe a brother has a hymn or maybe a scripture.
Maybe should have offered prayer praise, and he hesitates and hesitates and doesn't.
Doesn't go far, go on. Well, the whole assembly suffers a loss. Maybe we feel that there's a certain.
Lapse or a certain.
Loss at that worship meeting. I just speak of that. Don't wait too long sometimes. And oh, it gets that we form habits and there are habits that are are a hindrance.
To communion and the blessing of the assembly. Some meetings just get in the habit of one or two brothers going ahead and always offering praise and always breaking the bread and sometimes.
The brothers who feel this wait and wait and wait in hopes that some of the younger brothers, or some that haven't been accustomed to take part, will get furries, do take part.
And I think sometimes it's wise that they do, and not just to form habits of justice, certain brothers always offering the praise or always breaking the prayer to come in connection with your remarks. Would they not? It's a if a person really has something on their heart and feels before the Lord that they should give out to him or even break the bread.
00:25:29
And they don't do it. There is a possibility of quenching the Spirit. There is a danger, though, also of especially perhaps those who might be younger, of getting their feelings mixed up with whether or not the Spirit of God would have them give out to him, or to to even speak. And so we we mustn't allow our natural feelings to enter into these things, although.
There's a fine point there that sometimes we do. And so, Brother Roach, would you explain to us a little the 15th and 16th verses, Leviticus one, perhaps? That would help some of us who are younger to to understand that there's no perfection here.
Leviticus 115 and 16.
Perhaps we ought to note this first that before we get to the.
Offering of the turtle doves as we get here.
Chapter opens up with the offering of a Bullock, because God's apprehension of Christ is presented to us first that in its largest character, Bullock.
Then in what follows, I believe we get our measure of entering into the work of Christ and the production of worship on our part, but it does not come and it's feeble compared to the Bullock comprehension that's God's side of it. So here in the 15th chapter we have the priest bringing the the turtle doves or the young pigeon and he brings it onto the altar between the 15th 1St, the 15th 1St Did I the 15th 1St.
And wring off his head and burn it on the altar, and the blood thereof shall be wrung out the side of the altar, and he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part by the place of the ashes. Now the crop and the feathers, I believe, bring in the hindrances in the relation with our worship.
The crop was the place where that which was undigested in the in the animal may be found. We may have apprehended certain truths and instead of really fully meditating on them fully and getting the full benefit of them, we haven't allowed the development in our soul. So the crop is unacceptable. It's it's it's taken and cast aside. But the feathers, you know, the flesh in US likes to be seen and heard.
And the feathers of the outward show. And so in all our worship there's the mixture, that which is undigested and that which the flesh would delight in. But notice this that it doesn't hinder the presentation of the worship to God. I've often felt for myself the Lord Jesus bears the iniquity of the holy things in our worship, and I don't believe I can ever get up and worship without some of self being mixed in it. But God accepts it.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now notice that the crop and the feathers are cast upon the east part of the altar. Where is that? That's away from the Tabernacle. God wells behind that that altar. And when that crop and feathers are tossed on the east side of the off to let us say the eye of the law doesn't see it. He sees the author in between. And so I believe it gives us.
Encouragement to come and worship.
Even in our own feeble measure, knowing that it's acceptable to him.
I remember many years ago in the city of Saint Louis, there is a dear old brother there and it was very poorly taught.
But he loved the Lord.
And it was his habit on Thursday morning every once in a while to give out HIP #316. We are by Christ redeemed, and the second verse was on our earthen vessels break. Well, that's a that's a wilderness here doesn't have any place in the worship on Lord's Day morning.
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All our late brother Armand.
Was very much exercised about it and you went to see him at his work, he said. Brother, why do you give out that hymn on Lord's Day Morning?
Oh, he said to the actor. Brother Armand had pointed out to him that it was an inappropriate hymn. He said. I was thinking of this. The cost is precious blood.
Well, there was a turtle dove, the young major, and it was acceptable to the Lord in that way.
But for some of us here it would be entirely unsuitable for us to give it out.
In connection with worship, sometimes we may hear the expression, well, we're going to worship or God wants worship. But if we look at John's Gospel chapter 4.
We find that it's not exactly worship best before the Lord. That is the first thing.
John's Gospel chapter 4.
In connection with the woman at the well.
He's Speaking of the place of worship. He's speaking about the spirit of worship and truth in worship. But in verse 23 he says the hour cometh and now he is when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him. This brings before us that God the Father seeking worshippers.
It's not that he's seeking worship. It's true that he wants worship, but he's seeking worshippers.
And there can't be worshipped unless we first are worshippers. And I believe we have then the example of a worshiper here in this woman.
The Lord says.
To the woman when she says, I know that Messiah's cometh, which is called Christ, when he has come, He will tell us all things. Then he says I that speak unto thee, and he.
Then what happens? Well, in verse 28 says the woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city and set to the men. Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? But what happened here? Well, this woman's heart got full full of Christ and there was an overflow. She became a worshipper and she must tell out his praises. She must speak well of him. What is worship then, isn't it?
The overflow.
Of a heart filled with Christ. I believe that's what it is. The heart has to be filled before there can be an overflow.
So it's the overflow of a heart filled with Christ. I have enjoyed this thought, Brother Anderson connection with these verses that what the Father is looking for and desires is that those who worship Him worship Him in spirit and in truth. Nothing else is acceptable to him worshipping in the spirit and in truth.
He mentions there Jerusalem and the mountains well.
At Jerusalem they were not in the Spirit at all.
It was not according to the to the mind of God and then the mountain. Of course that wasn't according to the truth, because that was not God's century, the mountain. So there was nothing according to the Spirit then, and nothing according to the truth. But now there is a place where we can worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. What did you say, Brother Angst? And that in the Old Testament days they did worship according to truth.
Because the place of worship was marked out, the sacrifices were set before them, and all about their worship was thoroughly prescribed every detail. But I don't think you could say they worship held by the Spirit in the way that we worship by the Spirit now. And if you look at Philippians, the third chapter.
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We get instruction there that's helpful.
And we read there in the third verse of Philippians 3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the place.
A better rendering of that verse is.
For we are the circumcision which worship God.
Not in the spirit, but by the Spirit so.
Oh, now we can worship.
In spirit and in truth.
When we come together on Lord's Day morning.
Gather in the precious name of the Lord Jesus. We have truth for our guidance.
From Matthew 1820 teaches us that we're two or three are gathered together.
For my name there am I in the midst of them.
We gather in his name, we have the truth to replace.
And then?
We can not only worship in truth, but we can worship by the Spirit of God, which wasn't possible in the Old Testament times because.
This spirit was not yet given as you get in John 7, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
Until he goes back to heaven and sends the Spirit here into this world.
Why It wasn't possible to worship by the Spirit and we're now able to worship by the Spirit. And you know in the second chapter of Acts when the Holy Ghost came down that he filled all the house where they were sitting.
And then he sat up. There sat upon each of them tongues of fire.
Tongues lacking of fire, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. So there was the individual indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and there was also the collective presence.
Presence of the Spirit of God.
Well, we have that today. We each individually have the Spirit of God in US.
But we also collectively have the Spirit of God as an assembly, and so that.
We have a very definite privilege and the skills great satisfaction to know that we're not just taking our own thoughts and ideas about the way we meet and we're meeting a man one time in Grand Rapids.
Christian man and we got to talk in here, told me where he went. I said, why do you go there? Well, he says I I found some nice Christians there and I like the place and I just like to go there. I said, did you ever consider us to going where the Lord would have you to go in that No, He never thought of that. Well, that makes a vast difference, doesn't it? And that's where we get.
Worshipping and truth how you'll notice beloved and.
Our brother Roach has been bringing before us.
Some of the types, well, isn't it noticeable?
How every little detail is given in connection with the worship of Israel, Just where they were to put the the crops and feathers and just how the animal was to be burned and everything about it was described in the minutest land.
Well, now you will notice this contrast in connection with New Testament worship. What I speak of is what we find in the Epistles.
That very few details are mentioned. Now we take the breaking of bread. How much instructions do we have for the remembrance of the Lord? Well, we get the Lord took their breath. He broke it where He gave thanks and broke it.
00:40:07
And said eat this and so on. This is my body. He took the cup and gave thanks, passed it to them. They sang at him and went out. Very few details there. Why is that? Why they on the Israel's day? Was it necessary to have so many details described? Why is it in our dispensation we have so few details?
Well, it's just for this reason.
That they, as we were seeing, did not have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and with them as we have, and so now.
The the worship is left to the guidance of the Spirit of God, so that we have no depth in the prearranged order. We come together and we quietly wait on the Lord.
We recognize the head and glory.
We on the back, the Spirit of God is here and that he guides by the Spirit, so that many.
Much of our worship is just left to divine guidance for us. Now I know of a meeting. This happened years ago before I was acquainted with the place, but my brother got very legal about this matter.
You want to do cut things down just to exactly what the scripture told us about the breaking of prayer. And he insisted that they must come together, do nothing else but break the bread, sing to him and go home. Well, he he caused a lot of unhappiness and friction in the meeting and and it caused all kinds of trouble. But he had his way because he was a leader in a forceful man. And he finally succeeded in getting the meeting.
Under him so that they actually came together, just broke the bread and went home.
Let the man afterwards glad this is true, that he owned to his president, he said. I was under a delusion of the devil.
It wasn't the guidance of the Spirit of God at all he failed to recognize.
The present guidance of the hidden glory by the Spirit down here and so that we are just more left, left, more or less.
Just left to a very simple facts about the breaking of bread. But I believe that this is true, although we need to be careful not to get legal about even this that I'm about to speak of.
That we do come together definitely to break bread in remembrance of the Lord, and I believe that as a general.
Thing that the breaking of bread isn't left too late in the meeting. We don't want to get legal about this and I know it has been mentioned at certain times years ago and some brother would jump up almost to be poorly meeting was.
And communion and.
Break the bread. We don't want to get into a legal state about this matter.
But I believe that there should be a prominence to the breaking of bread, for that's the definite purpose for which we come together. The disciples came together to breakfast and then.
All priests out of them, and continued his speech until midnight, and on till morning.
That is, there was ministry definitely following the breaking of bread, but the purpose in coming together is the breaking of bread in remembrance of the Lord is something we can actually do everyone who is remembering the Lord.
Reforms and definite acts, the Lord has asked of us do this in remembrance of me. How precious. That makes the act of just breaking off a little piece of praise.
I think I'm doing what the Lord has asked me to do, to remember Him and taking a sip of the cup, to think I can remember that precious death and the shedding of His blood at Calvary if one of us are bringing feathers and they're out of the Spirit.
00:45:23
It's it's good for the rest to remain in the spirit.
Supposing I gave out of him, for instance, like I heard given out in the breaking of bread from various cares, our hearts retire. Could you sing that in the spirit, Brother Hale, be able to? You see, that's the point. Just because just because I would be out of the Spirit, that doesn't mean my brethren should be out of the Spirit. And they could sing that him in the Spirit as unto the Lord. Is that not right?
I remember distinctly one time when I was in the Woodbridge gathering, a very striking thing, the brother, dear brother, who was responsible. He's long since with the Lord, but we were enjoying the Lord and it had led up to the point where several brothers, including myself, felt at #150 should be given out. But as my usual method was, I waited because I wanted to be sure. When a dear brother got, he gave up with pilgrims in the wilderness and dwelling as a camp.
Well, you know, it was like throwing a wet blanket on a hot fire.
And what we sang to him through and after meditating a little bit, I I gave out 150. And afterwards our dear brother Cola came. He says, brother, I'm glad we got back on the track again. And the Lord gave us a wonderful time of worship and so that we even though that hymn was a jarring note, yet it was sung heartily by the brethren. The Lord gave us the precious time. Could I refer to the 5th of Luke a moment?
In relation to some remarks of our brother Barry just made.
Verse 37.
And no man put his new wine into all bottles, else the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled, and the bottle shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved.
That is, we have here the power of Christianity.
The power of the Holy Ghost that wells up in the heart and leads into worship. Now that cannot be put into old Jewish forms. It cannot be narrowed down because these two things are not consistent with each other. So that the the new wine has to be in a in a new form. If we use that term and our brother Barry is bringing out before us, how does we gather? We are gathered around the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To remember him and his death, The spirit of God leads and if we are watchful we'll see how marvelously he does. So let's be very practical. A brother who gives out the first hymn. Well, that hymn may deal as like the first hymn of the book, all the gifts. There's the gift and it's the blood. With the second brother who gives the hymn out. I've often noticed issues to set the pattern of the meeting because he his soul may have been occupied with the gift.
So he gives out to him about the gift, or he may be occupied with the blood, so he gives out to him about the blood. But it's based on the first Him given out in that sense the Spirit leading. And so we have the Lord as the Lamb, we have worship to the Father, we have Christ as the shepherd. And what a variety of things the Spirit of God brings before us in our worship. Now that cannot be put in these old wine bottles. It won't stay there. And so we need, as our brother pointed out, from Philippians 3.
That we are the Circumcision. That worship by the Spirit of God and we come to wait upon him. It has often been objected to call the Lord's Day Morning meeting a worship meeting. Well, it's true, we don't come to worship. But if it isn't a worship meeting, we fail. We fail to take in what Christ is. It's a worship meeting in effect. We come to remember the Lord. That's our purpose. But how can we remember him without there being worship? It's got to be a worship meeting if we are really there in the power of the Spirit.
But I referred to an Old Testament scripture in connection with by Him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise and thinking of the case of Nadab at the Bayou, the sons of Aaron, who were addressed by a judge in proper priestly robes, and took incense with them, I suppose also correctly compounded, but they bypassed.
00:50:26
The brazen altar. They went into the Tabernacle, They brought this incense, and they used strange fire to cause this cloud of incense to ascend. Now no one but the Lord would have known the difference. Where this fire came from might not seem to be of any particular significance, but they had been told that the coals of fire that produced this cloud of incense.
Were to be taken from the brazen altar, which speaks of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In other words, to have everything else in order, but to bypass the work of the Lord Jesus Christ does not produce worship that is acceptable to God. And there's a great deal of this I'm sure in Christendom today. But it not only not acceptable, I believe it's abominable. Native and a Bahia were were immediately smitten before the Lord and it's a marvelous thing to realize that that which produces.
This worship within our hearts is by Him, therefore, the heart that rejoices in the value of the person and work of Christ. The heart that desires to approach God with A sense of this, I believe, can approach God with acceptable worship. And another little Old Testament illustration in connection with the very things that have been spoken of the crop and the feathers, seems to me to be evident in the case of Gideon.
He found himself in the presence of the Angel of the Lord. Now he spontaneously wished to bring a present, And this, I think, is very nice. He asked that the Angel might wait until he brought forth his present president. I think this is so lovely, the spontaneous desire of the heart to bring something to the one dear to our hearts. So he made ready flesh.
And unleavened cakes, and a pot full of broth. And he brought these three things out to the Angel of the Lord. The Angel of the Lord looked at these three things. Everyone brought with every good intention. And he said, Take the flesh which spoke of Christ, and the unleavened cakes which spoke of Christ, and lay them upon this rock which spoke of Christ and poor out.
The broth. Well, that might have been a little disappointing to Gideon. I suppose. In preparing this flash he saw this delightful broth. I'll add this to my offering. It will make it much nicer. It will be that much more acceptable. God will be pleased with this pot of broth. But he wasn't pleased. But he didn't scold Gideon either. He said Pour it out. Well, Gideon just obeyed. He poured it out and offered up that which spoke of Christ.
And I doubt very much if he ever tried bringing broth again. I'm sure that in all our attempts to worship our precious Savior, there is broth associated with it. As our brother said, there's crop and feathers. We don't excuse it, but we we own it. But thank God for the one who can separate that which is acceptable, and perhaps would even remind us too, to pour out that which is not acceptable, even though it may seem to be.
So pleasant.
Confessing his name, someone once asked a question.
They feel that there should be any ministry or expectation, the breaking of bread, to send a word on that Lady.
You mean brother?
Before The Apprentice, broken or after, or not at all, there should only be the breaking of bread. There's no ministry or expectation. Well, I believe that that's a mistake. You take care of the order of instruction in the first vessel of Corinthians in the 11Th chapter. You'll get the Breaking Afraid.
00:55:19
In the 14th chapter you get ministers.
Of course, between the there's also the 12Th chapter that gives the gifts of the Spirit, the 13th chapter which gives us.
What is better than gift? And that is the more excellent way and that's the way of love and then you get full instruction as to as to taking part.
An order in connection with it. So it would seem to me, brother, that that is clear guidance for us as to and then what we have already spoken of in the in the 20th of Acts where they came together to break bread, Paul preached on them. Well, someone thought because after midnight that the Euticus fell out of the window and they came back and broke bread without when they remembered the Lord. But I think that is definitely a mistake.
Because it was just simply that they had a little meal there and at midnight. But the language used as they came together ought to hear Paul treat. But they came together to break bread, and this and without question. Now that was the first procedure in the meeting. They woke bread in remembrance of the Lord. And then Paul ministered unto them, showing that ministry as in keeping with.
Well, the occasion of remembering the Lord, although the purpose is coming together to break bread.
How is that right brother?
Besides, is the presence of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide? And if there was no Scripture forbidding such ministry, there's liberty to wait on the Holy Spirit, for you can't go back to Luke Five. We cannot put the new wine into old bottles.
And so I believe, as our brother Barry has pointed out of Acts 20, we have a pattern. And it's interesting how God teaches us certain principles through some historical statement. Paul comes there, they break bread and he ministers. And then after the young man is raised up from having fallen and they go back in the 11Th place, they come up and eat a meal. Here it's breaking the bread to eat. And then Paul, which says he talked a long while, the correct word there was he can first.
The first plot was Paul preaching after the breaking of bread. In the second, it's Paul sitting down and eating and conversing with them until a break of day. It's a different word altogether.
So I believe that would give us scriptural order that there can be a ministry of the word after breaking of bread afterward. I remember Brother Potter saying with many years ago this very same thing that we the purpose of our coming is to break bread. But when the Saints are gathered together, the Spirit of God may lay it on the heart of a brother to minister concerning Christ.
Which I think is a a pleasant thing that.
We can, as we gather those together, have our hearts stirred and have Christ brought before us in ministry.
I'd like to mention 20 years ago we were traveling to Moscow for a month and we stopped in Howard with an old brother in the name of Petri and he was on the bed of sickness and he just opened his heart and poured out for me on his great burden. He said that the breaking of bread, the brother would get out.
And enlarge upon the body of Christ, and to leave the Saints into another truth, rather than than the person priced himself being sacrificed for us. And it was a great lesson to me not to disturb the lines of thought, the Spirit of God, in giving praises and admiration to the Lord for his love to us.
According to the cross of Christ preparing our judgment, and there is bloodless shedding.
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So I have always thought that to change the line of thought and the breaking of bread was a diversion, and that was the burden of this old brother teacher. Probably you've heard.
There's another subject from before us in the 16th verse that's important too. You know, sometimes you hear the question asked. Why do we and most meetings, they put the basket on the table along with the bread and the wine? Have we any authority for putting the basket for the money on the same table?
Have even resented this and no one meeting where her brother left the meeting when they started passing the walks around.
Well, I believe we do have definite guidance here in the next verse, but to do good and to communicate, forget not and notice the next the rest of the verse four with such sacrifice. No or with such sacrifice.
Then the plural God is well pleased.
And as he has spoken of in the preceding verse, 15th verse, about offering the sacrifice of praise, there is worship. Then we get in the 16th verse doing good and communicating Money is laid aside for the assembly and for various purposes and connections.
With the Lord's work, and then they too are spoken of together.
As sacrifices.
For he says, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Well, it's surely consistent that if the spirit of God has taught us that the collections, the doing good, and this is the way of doing good and communicating.
That if that is looked at as a sacrifice alongside the worship, it must be pleasing to the Lord, surely, to have the basket on the table as a part of our worship. And it is quite a thought there to us, giving as a part of our worship. We're giving love to our brethren, we're giving to the Lord.
For the very best connection.
Some meetings will last, the last because immediately after the break and thread. Others will wait and they'll become given out of bill later. Is there any particular significance or difference in this matter?
Well, I never saw any special difference, brother.
I'm always happy either way.
And that I have felt that it was rather.
A mistake?
To have ministry and then after they've been ministry and the assembly to then pass the box, It seems to me that is is out of order. If the meeting is following that pattern, I wouldn't. I wouldn't force it. We want to follow the things that make for peace, but I believe it's more in order if somewhere near early.
Sometime.
Shortly following the passing of the emblem, the basket should be passed. The first time that the two things are close together here in these two verses would indicate that, wouldn't it, that they should be kept closer together.
Industry would sort of separate them, but a hymn of praise, wasn't it? I've been in gatherings where there was no set order. That had to be done one way or the other.
Where the cop over where the cup was set back on the table, the basket was passed in other cases in the same assembly for him giving out between the cup and the basket. But if ministry comes in there disassociates the this one second sacrifice from the first, as it were. And so the Spirit of God keeps it together here. Could we go back for a moment to that little expression?
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That, I felt, was so in keeping with our brother Hale's remarks.
The end of this 15th verse that we didn't speak of.
Really, if you look at the margin, it says confessing.
His name?
Would you give us a word on that, brother Albert?
Well, we cannot.
Fill the sanctuary with fragrance. That's the work of Christ.
With all our prayers and praises He adds his sweet perfume. But this we can do. We can mention that precious name, and that name itself is the fragrance that fills all heaven. You know how God delights that to hear that name.
Now this should be in keeping with our worship. In the beginning of this 15th verse we have by him. At the end of the verse we have. Confessing that same name or giving thanks is is our version here gives it, but it's confessing that precious name. Now that's what adds all the fragrance, isn't it? To the worship. It's Christ.
Oh, how God delights in the work of Christ.
His person, his own Son. But oh how he's glorified him in the work of redemption, and we come in on that basis, and so it has its place in this verse especially by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. God is the source of all blessing. It was in God's heart to provide a ransom for us.
But how did he do it? Well, it was through his son that is the fruit of our lips.
Confessing his name. The sweetness, the fragrance of that name is what?
We confess to God all that that name means. He knows we don't know, but we know what it means to us. And so it's that which lends the fragrance. Now in the Old Testament, I think it's the 30th of Exodus, we have certain.
Certain spices.
Certain perfumes, they were not to be used on anyone, but on the Lord Himself. And I believe that that this is what is inferred when the women at the grave, just on the Sabbath, before the Sabbath, they prepared these spices so that they could go later.
To bring them to the grave on the on the first day of the week, Well, it speaks, does it not, of that precious name of Jesus. There's nothing to equal it. And that's what lends its value to the praise, is it not?
I was thinking of the this expression, the fruit of our lips. Now where does it through the fruit of our lips come from?
In Isaiah 5719 the Lord says I create the fruit of the lips. Now if the Lord creates the fruit of the lips, what form and character will this fruit take? The very things our brother is bringing out confessing his name. So what's he that leads the worship and gives power for it as things have been approved too. Now if anyone has an orchard of fruit trees or.
Plants.
They they fertilize that orchard, they cultivate it. They take good care of it, that it might bring forth good fruit. And so the heart is the place from which the fruit comes. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. And so we need to cultivate, as it were, our heart. We need to feed our souls on the word of God, feed on Christ and.
Cultivate our heart for souls. That is, meditate upon the word in such a way that it leads to exercise of soul, and so that we might be fresh in our souls when we come together for worship. Or when we're before the Lord privately. That there might be that good fruit without a great brother Anderson with a trantic sex with Deuteronomy where they were to fill.
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The baskets of the first fruits of the land.
Well, we know the first truth is Christ because First Corinthians 15 says now is Christ risen and become the first fruits of them that slept. Well they weren't to wait until near the time when they came and presented their offering, but they were to come with a full basket and present it to the priest.
And they were to say I was here and ready to perish with my father, and he came into this land and so on. Then they were to present this basket before the Lord and to worship Well, I believe there is a most valuable lesson for us, that is we're not to just wait till largely morning to.
Be enjoying Christ for the occasion. But if we're enjoying Christ all during the week.
Well then we'll come with a full basket. I have mentioned I think before, but I learned the most valuable lesson from our brother Potter.
One time in Palmdale, Minnesota we were going to have a two day meeting and the Saturday before we had a prayer meeting and.
I was among the number that prayed, and I prayed that we might be in an attitude of worship.
After the meeting was over, the old brother came to me and he says answer when are you to stop praying to be in an attitude of worship? I said what should I pray for brother Potter? He says pray that you may be occupied with Christ and then you will be in an attitude of worship. Well the lesson I never forgot because we may think you know that if we're.
Enjoying just eating nature.
I believe those spirit and so on, and might deceive ourselves. There's no deception whatever in being occupied with a blessed person of the Lord Jesus, and we have to continually.
The exercise about this matter if there's no one like myself that is so prone to have forget and be occupied with other matters and other things.
So that very little time of meditation is given, and thinking of the blessed person and the word of the Lord Jesus. I've always appreciated the second Kim in the appendix was written by Mr. Darby. And you know he says in that him no infants changing pleasure is like my wandering mind.
And oh, how I have to often.
Confess how short I am in that way. But rather, may we seek opportunities when we're alone in the quiet. Maybe before we drop off to sleep at night, let's seek to cultivate the habit Instead of getting our minds all taken up with present things. Troubles maybe and trials and so on. May we get our minds on the Blessed Lord. Something like David. You know, he went in, just sat in the presence of the Lord. Doesn't say he did anything else. He just sat there.
The Lord had told him the wonderful blessings that he had in store for him and his house for generations to come, and his soul was so filled with delight. But he just sat in the presence of the Lord. May there be little quiet times when we are just quietly enjoying the presence of the Lord. Well, that's really communion, isn't it?
A few moments that are left, I wonder if we could go to verse 20 and 21 seeing we've already spoken of.
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Verse 17.
Just a few thoughts on the Great Shepherd or the Shepherd, would that be profitable?
We have the Shepherd mentioned in various ways, do we not? In in.
Scripture I know how precious it is to to know him as the Good Shepherd, as we have in John. And then for those who seek to serve the Lord is the day coming when the chief Shepherd shall appear, and he'll reward those, as we have in Peter. But it seems to me that this has a special significance.
And encouragement and comfort for our souls here, if I understand this right, that here we have the Great Shepherd.
We are encouraged here that we have one not only who is seated at God's right hand all the dignity and glory of his person and position, but we have one who is able. He's the Great Shepherd, and if there is a miracle that's greater than any other is to take.
Such as we are through this waste howling wilderness and bring us safely home to the Father's house. And I believe that's what we have here.
Psalms 2223 and 24 Lovely You have the Good Shepherd in Psalm 22 giving himself for us. In Psalm 23 we have the Great Shepherd, who has the power to bring us through through the difficulties, and in the 24th Psalm.
We have a day of glory. We have the Chief Shepherd.
That's 15 to what we have in verse 8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.
Remember Brother Harrison giving a very helpful thought about the way the the blessing of the Chief Shepherd comes in here keeping us.
You see the Goa hunting him without the camp, you're breaking every natural.
Link, as it were, with anything that you might depend upon in connection with.
What they were accustomed to, they were accustomed to the temple and it was a regular system, you know, and they were dependent on that system in connection with their their life, their at that time well, to go out and leave all that money that they were acquainted with and put them in a very.
Strange position.
Well, here he gives them this encouragement. You come out now to a rejected Christ. Just remember this.
That you have a chief shepherd, the great shepherd of the sheep, to watch over and care for you. You're not just cast out like a ship without a without a rudder and without a sail to just.
Sat adrift him in this world, but you have that great shepherd of the sheep, that risen, glorified Christ of God who was going to watch over you. And that might be encouraging to let him or in little people meetings. I know. And years ago Brother Blount was preaching in Arlington, KY.
The great power in the gospel.
He will be going to inquire about.
What kind of people these were? Where does this all come from?
And some said, well, what are we going to do if we go on with this movement or what will become of us when some of our family die? Who's going to look after our funerals? They were at a loss to know what were they going to do if they left their denominations and went off with this company that had nothing to offer as far as anything they were accustomed to.
Religious ways Well, here is the here's the guidance, isn't it? Leave it with the Lord He provides, and he will not fail if he are in a place perhaps where?
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You're where man and his wife might be breaking bread at some distance from any gathering. Well, it's quite a test, isn't it? There to be entirely isolated.
Nor Christian associations.
Well, it's well to remember there is that.
That great shepherd of the sheep to care for you.
The story is told that might be helpful for the children here.
I'll be a man who was visiting somewhere in England and he used to take a trip out in the country occasionally and he came upon a shepherd boy. He was taking care of the sheep.
I'm referring to the thought of the Good Shepherd now.
And.
He inquired of him what he was doing, and he all the time he said, Oh, my work is to take care of these sheep.
So he asked him if he had heard about the Good Shepherd.
No, we haven't. So he told him about the Good Shepherd and inasmuch as the boy couldn't read.
He had him use his hand and use that verse.
The Lord, The Lord is my shepherd.
So he said. Now I just remember your third finger.
Your third finger.
What is your third finger say?
Mind sometime afterwards.
There was a Blizzard, and after the Blizzard they found this little boy.
Frozen to death.
And when they examined him, they found that he was holding his third finger.
My shepherd Well, that's a very simple thing, but.
How good it would be if some of these children here today would embrace this truth.
I know we're getting to simpler things here, but it's good for all of us.
The practical truth is what we need now. We can talk about the Good Shepherd. We can talk about the Great Shepherd.
In sort of an abstract way, but dear children this morning.
Is he my shepherd? Some time ago, a couple with their family were invited to a reading meeting in Los Angeles. This was many years ago.
And the subject was the 10th of John.
These people had been following the Mormon faith.
And they left soon after the meeting.
And went back to Utah.
A week later I got a letter from them. They said we've heard the Shepherd's voice.
That 10th of John Reading that morning caused them to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior because it was put in such a personal way. It wasn't simply that he is a shepherd, but it came home to them in power so that they could confess him as their shepherd.
Gospel There shall be 1 flock, 1 Shepherd.
That presents to me the picture of the shepherd standing in the midst of his flock, having the flock all around him.
One flock, 1 Shepherd.
Well, the story is told of a of a shepherd that had a flock of sheep.
And he was very careful with them taking care of them.
And there were wolves in that area where he was.
Shepherding his sheep.
And the wolves would come every now and then.
And prey on the flock? Well, as they were feeding, they would.
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Wander away from the Shepherd, and perhaps they wouldn't be so close to the Shepherd.
But if the shepherd saw the wolf coming, he would just give out a call to the sheep. A call that the sheep would know that they would have to come together around himself.
As soon as he saw the wolf come, he gave out that call, and the wolf had already gotten in the midst.
Of the flock. But when they heard the call, they all dashed toward the shepherd, and their safety was in being close to the shepherd. Well, when when the sheep dashed toward the shepherd while the wolf ran away. And so I believe that's a lesson for us to keep close to our shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to his voice, be in communion, be in touch with him, that we might be kept in these last days.
238.