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116.
Surrender. Thank you all of.
Let's pray our loving God and our Father, we 15 singing of thy love and.
How it exceeds our power to tell, and we thank you for that. And now as as we have thy word open before us this afternoon.
We would ask that we would be reminded of thy love, thy care for us through the circumstances of our of our pathway and we we thank you for that verse that we've already considered that we've already read Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever how he doesn't change in his thoughts toward us. We thank before this and we would just ask for that portion for our hearts without us have for us this afternoon that our our souls would be fed and that would be encouraged.
Who would ask these things? In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
I would suggest that we read from verse 6, Hebrews chapter 13, verse 6.
Hebrews chapter 13, beginning at verse 6.
So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what men shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.
Be not carried about with diverse and strange doctrines, for it is good. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with me which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar where they have no right to eat, which served at Tabernacle.
For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.
For there, 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. But to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
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Obey them that have to 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 what For that is unprofitable for you, Pray for us, for 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 again from the dead our Lord Jesus.
That Gray shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exaltation, for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
Knowing that our brother Timothy is set at liberty with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you Salute all them that have the rule over you and all the things they of Italy salute you. Praise me with you all. Amen.
If you'll bear with me, I'd like to just read the 5th and 6th verse in Mr. Darby's translation because I think it makes it very clear and very helpful, and the two verses are intimately connected. Let your conversation be without love of money, satisfied with your present circumstances. For he has said, I will not leave thee, neither will I forsake thee, so that taking courage, we may say, the Lord is my helper.
And I will not be afraid of what men do unto me. I think it's very significant here that when he speaks of covetousness, not being covetous, it's in connection with the presence of the Lord. Because if the Lord is everything to your soul and mind, we're not going to set our heart on the things of this world. And here he speaks at the love of money, just as the apostle Paul when writing to Timothy, he said the love of money is the root of all evil, not money, not nothing wrong with having money. We're thankful for those.
That God has given funds who are exercised to use them for the propagation of the Lord's work and the truth and the gospel and so on. And down through the centuries there have been many, and God has used them in a mighty way. Much of the written ministry we have is the result of those coming forward who have means and using those means for the publication and sustaining of those publications. And so here He tells us to be content with our circumstances.
Brethren, are we really content with our circumstances? This really smites me. Roberts heard me tell and heard his father-in-law tell too. About one time we were together, Brother Hammer and I, and we were on one of those poorer islands in the Caribbean and we were coming down a dirt Rd. one morning to visit a sister. And as we approached her home she was sweeping her dirt stoop off and getting ready for our visit, arranging a few little sticks of furniture, and at the top of her voice she was singing that old hymn.
I have Christ what want I more and rather hammer and I never forgot that it really spoke to our souls.
Because she had nothing of this world, she didn't have much money, she didn't have much to offer us.
Even to sit on was just a few rickety sticks of furniture, but she had Christ and there wasn't anything else that she wanted to satisfy her soul. And so it's nothing wrong with having some of this world's goods. We can have the world use the world and not abuse it and the unrighteous mammon we can use for God's glory. But it's what we set our hearts on if our and if our hearts are full of the one who has says he'll never leave us or forsake us if we get up in the morning and we're enjoying the company of the Lord Jesus.
And walking in his presence, then that's what's going to take fill our hearts. Where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. If Christ is really our treasure, we're not going to covet anything else. We spoke about fornication and adultery. We're not going to cover another's wife. We're not going to covet another that's not out hasn't been given to us in a godly way. And when it comes to monetary things or temporal things, we're not going to covet those things either.
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And so I just say, before we pass on, brethren, are we walking each day in the company of the one who has promised he will never leave us or forsake us? And the one who has promised that no matter what our circumstances, whether they're easy or difficult, he's the one that is, is going to be there to help us in in those circumstances. And if I can just make one further comment too. I don't believe, brethren, we need to get up in the morning and pray and ask the Lord to be with us.
Lo, I am with you always, even under the end of the age, he will have said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
But what we do need to do is get up in the morning and pray that we would walk in a way.
That we would have a conscious sense of the Lord's presence with us. And if we do that and walk in his company and in his presence, that I say is what's going to satisfy the heart. So that we really desire set our heart on nothing else, and we're told to set our heart, set our affection on thing or our minds on things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.
When I read this sixth verse, I'm reminded of a brother from Romania. Who.
Pass through our area about 20 years ago, not gathered with us, but a dear Christian and he experienced a lot of hardship under the communist government government there, under czecho and in a private conversation he recounted how.
He and his wife would often hide Bibles in the house, and every so often there would be a government inspector or inspectors coming to the house.
To look for those bibles but.
Most times they were not discovered, but on the one occasion they found a Bible and there were others that remained hidden. And he was called on a certain date to appear in court and perhaps face a prison sentence. And of course there was some anxiety about that. But he felt the Lord was his helper and the questioning began.
The prosecutor there said we understand that you hid a Bible in your house. And he said I'm going to have to stop you there because that statement is not correct.
And they didn't know what he was going to say, he said. In fact, we have hidden many Bibles in the house. And that was, of course, an unexpected answer.
But the word helped them. I believe he got a very lenient sentence on that occasion. But the Lord gave him boldness and he had a sense of the Lord's help through that situation.
Really, the point in this verse, isn't it that we would have a courageous spirit. We're not characterized by the spirit of fear as the man of the world is in the days that we live in. They're looking for fear with fear upon those things that are coming on the world. Now we know that that's Speaking of the tribulation period, the beginning of sorrows and the great tribulation. They're going to wonder all those things that are coming down on the world in judgment. But you and I can walk through this scene not only with contentment, as her brother Jim has been commenting on contentment.
But we can be courageous and we can have a sense of the Lord's presence with us and that he is helping us. We might just say, doctrinally speaking, we're indwelled with the Spirit of God. We're sealed with the Spirit, we're anointed with the Spirit, and we have the earnest of the Spirit. And so we know that we're indwelled with the Spirit of God, but we do have the presence of the Lord with us. We're not indwelled by two divine persons. We're actually indwelled with the Spirit of God, but we can have a sense of the Lord's presence. He says, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.
And so we are indwelled with the Spirit of God, and the Lord Jesus is omnipresent. He's with us as well. One writer has made a comment about these two scriptures that God is a substitute for everything.
But nothing is a substitute for God, and so no matter what we may be going through, we can always find comfort, encouragement, strength in the Word of God to help us through every situation. We're not going to find it outside of God in the world. We can only find it in what He has provided for us, but it's there. Sometimes we have to dig and search it out, but it's in His word, first and first. Second Timothy, one in regard to what?
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Has been said Second Timothy chapter one and verse 7.
For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Now it's very interesting, the context of this. It's written to Timothy not in the first epistle when things were going on well, but it's written at a day when there was the breakdown of everything, the breakdown in government, the breakdown in the home, the breakdown amongst the people of God, and so on. And Timothy might have, I believe Timothy had a little bit of a.
He was a little reserved and he was perhaps a more quiet person and he needed to be stirred up to be courageous in the day in which he lived. Not only that, but Paul was a prisoner at this point and to be associated with Paul the prisoner was really to put yourself on the line too You. You were going to be vulnerable. And Paul is encouraging Timothy to take up the torch of the truth and to continue on for the blessing of the Church of God and the propagation.
Of the of the gospel and the truth and he said reminds Timothy, you don't have the spirit of fear. The slothful man says there's a lion in the street you get that in Proverbs, I believe. And so we can say that well the enemy is so busy the lioness picture of the enemy, our adversary, the devil is a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour and we might say well there's a lion in the street we can't go there we can't do this we can't go out with the gospel. We can't we've got to be careful but.
Here we're in Timothy's encouraged to that he has not the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind. And remember has been said, we have all the power and resources we need to stand even in days when the enemy is roaring like he's never roared before. Even in these difficult days, these perilous times, these last days that are described to us, we can boldly say the Lord is our helper. Earlier in Hebrews we're told to come boldly to the throne of grace.
That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Do we really believe that if we come boldly to the throne of grace?
And seek that grace that's needed for the situation. And then realize that the Lord is our helper and He's living to make intercession for us at the right hand of God. He's walking beside us every moment of every day. He's given us all the power and resources we need. Then we can say the Lord is our helper. I will not fear what man will do unto me. The fear of man, it says, bring us a snare. And I like to recount the little conversation between two sisters.
One sister said to another one day, Oh, I found a wonderful verse that's really been a help and a comfort to me in adversity.
All the sisters said, what is it? She said it's the verse that what time I am afraid I will trust in thee. Oh, the other sister said, I've got a far better verse than that. She said, what better verse can there be that than what time I'm afraid I will trust in Thee? She said, my verse is, I'll trust and not be afraid. And brethren, we don't need to be afraid. He hasn't given us the spirit of fear. And over and over and over again in Scripture, especially at times in the Old and New Testament.
When there were difficulties and a low moral and spiritual condition of things, when they were overrun and under the suppression of the enemy, time and time again they're told, fear not, fear not. I have redeemed thee. Thou art mine. When thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee. Can anything change that? Brethren, are you afraid today? Remember, if we can boldly say the Lord is our helper, I will not fear what man will do unto me.
Brother, you referred earlier to that portion of Max 8 I believe.
Saints and Jerusalem were scattered, it says. Great persecution.
And they were all scattered abroad throughout the region of Judea and Samaria and then further down it says in verse four. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. It's just so striking to me that the enemy does the thing and we think, well, that's the end of the matter, but it's not God is overall.
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And his intention, no doubt, to assess the work would be spread. And so, yes, they were scattered, but there was a purpose in that scattering and it was a benefit to others abroad. It's like going on a dandelion. Each seed goes off with such grace and finds its place. And in the next season, it's a flower again and more seeds associated.
It's good to notice that He speaks to us as individuals here too, isn't it? It says the Lord is my helper.
Yes, He may be the helper of my other brethren and my other brothers and sisters in Christ, but He's my helper. And if we walk in communion with the Lord, there's going to be a sense that he is helping us in our pathway. It's nice to notice, I think in John's Gospel chapter 14, just a little word of confidence that we can have that the Spirit of God gives us. The Lord Jesus spoke this in verse chapter 14 of John, verse 21.
He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father, and I will love him.
And will manifest myself to him, so we'll have a sense of the presence of the Lord.
And He will give us little thoughts of His love and grace, His kindness to us as we go through the scene.
So we can have confidence, but it does require the responsibility on our part is to walk in communion and obedience. Those two things go together, happiness and obedience. You cannot have happiness in your Christian life without obedience to the Word of God. Both are necessary.
It's important to know the Word of God too.
This structure here is interesting, it says, he has said.
Then the response so that we may boldly say.
And both the statement of God and the response are the sure word of God. They're quoted from God himself for God's Word, and so faith rests on God in his word.
We're not going to have that confidence unless we know his word and then we take him up according to it.
You might just reiterate what we've been talking about the last meeting and just the beginning of this one, and that is in chapter 13, verse one. It speaks of having brotherly love and having the affections stirred for one another. And it also speaks of hospitality, not being forgetful of to entertain strangers and then to remember them in bonds. So to be sympathetic in connection with those that are in bonds and are prisoners.
And those that are being afflicted for their faith. And then we have the moral purity that's spoken of in verse four, that what's to be characterized, what Christianity to be characterized by in a world of filth, moral filth in the Western Christian worlds, no longer holding a standard of morality in the world. But what is to be characteristic of a Christian and a Christian home is moral purity. And then we have this contentment in verse five. And then we have.
Courage. Now he begins to speak of those things that are necessary for us. He gives instruction as to how we can strengthen the testimony, the Christian testimony and the day that we live in. And the very first thing is to remember, and it's not really a good rendering in verse seven and I'll I'll read it in the new translation. It says, remember your leaders who have spoken to you the word of God and considering the issue of their conversation, imitate their faith. And so he speaks of those that had gone on.
That umm, perhaps referring to James who had been martyred, perhaps referring to Stephen who had been martyred, Those that had gone on before and had taken the lead in the early church, which speaks of Judas. And it speaks of Silas, who were chief men among the brethren. Those that took a lead and were an example of faith and they desired to sacrifice their lives for.
For the Lord and for the Lord's people. And so we are told here that to work to imitate their faith, imitate them. And I might just say here too that the way this is worded in the King James, we know that they had ecclesiastical organizations, you might say church systems, and they recognized pastors and ordained ministers and so on. Clergy. And so they wanted to support that kind of system of things. And so that's why it says remember them that have the rule over you.
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But those that are raised up of God in oversight among the people of God do not exercise an authority or a rule over God's people in a in a way that is inconsistent with the character of Christ. I might just point out in Acts chapter 20 that.
The Lord speaks there where Paul speaks by divine inspiration of those that are raised up of God to exercise oversight among the people of God. And so he says in verse 28.
Acts 20 and verse 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the witch, or wherein the Holy Ghost have made you overseers to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. And so the Spirit of God raises up those that desire to take up the work of a shepherd among the people of God, and they do it on behalf of the Lord, and they do it with a desire for the good of the Saints of God.
And it's oftentimes, dear brethren, a very thankless job. And so the Spirit of God gives us this exhortation here. And he says, remember them, remember them. And he says imitate them as well. There are several different things that are spoken of in this chapter, and we'll go over them as we go over it.
One other clarification that some of the older folks might be aware of that perhaps you might help under patrol. So important conversation. Uh, nowadays we think of a test of somebody's speech, but actually it means the behavior is a manner of life that takes them way more than speech. And, uh, holders choose to learn like realized that maybe it's not going to the young conversation, but it's a total matter of life.
In connection with the elders, I'd like to also read a verse in First Timothy with those that God has raised up, and in First Timothy it's in a local setting.
But I think it's important to get this point. It goes along with what has been said. First Timothy 5, verse 17. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially though they who labor in Word and doctrine. And just to reiterate what's been said, God has leadership amongst His people. Any of us who've been in business know that when you hire someone, you don't start them on the bottom, you start them on the bottom rung. Usually you don't start them at the top.
And there are different levels of administration in a business and a corporation, and each level has a responsibility to carry out their authority under the direction of the owner of the company or the CEO or whoever it is. And those who are under them are responsible in that way. And I've sometimes said, would God run something more careless than humans? Does God run his assembly? Does God run his house more careless than we? If we're that careful in business, how careful God is?
And I believe there's been a great deal of difficulty, brethren, because we haven't always recognized those that God has raised up in a place of leadership and influence. It doesn't mean they're always right. It doesn't mean that they always exercise their authority in the proper spirit of the proper way. But they are raised up of God and we are to recognize it and to to bow to it. So I just say they are to be counted worthy of double honor.
And especially those who labor in Word and, and doctrine. And it's interesting in this portion that in the 12Th chapter, we have a list of those who've gone before, those that were Old Testament Saints, and they're given to us as encouragement. Now, our brethren, whether it's those that in Scripture that are, are whose lives are given to us or those that we've known in our life, they're never given to us as the object for faith. There's only one object for faith, and that's Christ.
And so in the 11Th chapter, we have this list of those that went before and they're called a cloud of witnesses and they're to encourage us. But then we're to look up and see where Christ is as the only one who began and completed the path of faith and perfection. And he's the object. But then in in the portion we're taking up, there are others who've been given to us for encouragement. And it doesn't say to follow them whose faith follows.
And not their failures, but their faith, and not the person, but their faith, that which they have taught us and exhibited in their life as to the person of Christ and the spirit of following the Lord Jesus here in this world. That is what we are to take a key to an example from. And I am so thankful in my own life for those that I can remember growing up, who I look back, and I'm thankful for that which they taught us by word and deed.
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As to following the Lord, and I am also thankful for those that God has preserved to us, brothers and sisters alike, whose faith has been such a blessing and encouragement, and who and whose faith has helped to strengthen my own faith in following the Lord.
Would you say First Corinthians Chapter 11 is a little example of that? The first verse, the apostle Paul something like 10 times suggests that he is one that should be imitated. And he says there first Corinthians 11 verse one be followers of me. He qualifies it even as I also am of Christ. So he just says don't go up to Jerusalem if God doesn't tell you to go to Jerusalem, but he says you can follow me. If I'm imitating Christ, follow me.
And so the assembly is organized, it's not disorganized. God has organized the assembly. And while we don't have appointed elders and, and it would be improper because there are not those that are apostles that I can appoint elders and we don't self appoint pastors or elders or anything like that. The assembly is organized by the Spirit of God. And it's because Christ loves the church and he by his grace organizes. And if I could put it this way, he raises up those because he loves his own.
And so he's giving this instruction in verse seven. There are some in the past who he raised up and this world treated them in such a way that they were martyred. And there were others perhaps that went on and in natural life went to be with the Lord. He says, imitate their faith. And in a sense he might say, you know, there's a Christian heritage that you have. And he says, remember those that taught the truth in your generation or in the generation before.
Go on in the same thing, don't take up with new doctrines and new things. He goes into new doctrines a little bit later on, but verse eight was quoted earlier in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. And so Christ hasn't changed. And that's one of his titles. It could be capitalized.
This title, Jesus Christ, the same, it's mentioned in the Old Testament a couple of times. His title in the wonderful to have one who never changes in this world morally, this world changes from one day to another and all of the things that we see around us that it's all changing. It's a shifting thing. But beloved brethren, when we come into the presence of the Lord, we come into the presence of one who has never changed and will never change. We can be assured of the solidity of that.
So again in Hebrews 12 and Hebrews 12 at the end of the list of worthies from the Old Testament.
We find one and the only one who began and completed the path of faith in perfection and as such he seated at the right hand of God as the object for faith for us. That's really the thrust of that verse here we find when those that we've perhaps known in our day and maybe have passed on, we are to follow their whose faith follow. He immediately then brings in the one who is the same. So he began and completed the path of faith and perfection and as to his person.
He he never changes and how often we find with people. I can remember sad to say, those that were tremendous help and encouragement to me, but they changed and sometimes some of them missed the path at the end. It says considering the end of their conversation or their life. Some of them missed the path at the end. If I had followed them, if you had followed them, where would you be now? You would might be in a very sad situation and and circumstance and perhaps not gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so there's only one who's the same. There's only one who's never changed. And again I say, that's why our brethren are never given to us as the object for faith. Because as the psalmist said, I've seen an end of all perfection. And brethren, if we're looking for perfection in people, we're going to be disappointed. You say, well, that brother let me down, or that sister disappointed me. But oh, I'm sure that brother, that sister will never disappoint me. They'll never let me down. Be careful. You're going to see an end of all perfection, but you won't see it in the one.
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Whose very name is a very title is the same. He doesn't change. Was he the same yesterday? And we look back and see him as the same yesterday.
Is he going to be the same forever? Yes. Then can we count on him for today?
Other friends, other brethren may change, but the Lord Jesus will never change. He is the same whether it's in the past, whether it's the present, or whether it's the future.
At the end of verse chapter 12, the apostle is bringing before them the Let's just read the last part of verse 28. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably.
With reverence and godly fear. So how do we serve God acceptably? Well, it's according to the truth of Christian revelation, what God has revealed to us in Paul's doctrine and two, and what Peter has given us, no doubt, and the other apostles, John, in connection with our communion being maintained in communion. But it's the revelation of Christian doctrine. To serve Christ acceptably is not to serve him in a religious system that's mixed with Judaism and Christianity and takes elements of both.
It's Christianity. Christianity is a person. It's Christ. And what happened with the Lord Jesus as he was taken out of the city of Jerusalem, very unceremoniously marched from one place to another, and in shame and mockery displayed before this world and rejected by the political world, rejected by the religious world. And he was crucified outside the city gates of Jerusalem. And so he's a place of reproach. And there were those that came among the Saints.
And they, particularly the Gentile Saints, but it was a temptation among the Jews to mix Judaism and Christianity. And let's just look at Acts chapter 15. I know it's a familiar passage to many of us, but I just like to read a couple of verses in Acts chapter 15 because it paints the picture of what was taking place during the time of the early church. This is one of the things that was taking place.
These men, it says in chapter 15 verse 1, certain men which came down from Judea, taught the brethren and said except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved, was a lie. What they said in essence was that the work of Christ was not sufficient to save you. You needed to do your part. You needed to have your part you needed. You could be saved, but then you could be lost again, all kinds of things that were said.
And so he says here, be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines, for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. And so you and I are brought into blessing on the principle of grace, the grace and the sovereignty of God. The only reason that you are here this afternoon is because of the sovereign grace and goodness of God. Yes, you and I are responsible to go and to be found under the sound of the Word of God, and so on. But if we look back.
At the root of it all.
We should lift up our voices in Thanksgiving to the Lord. None of us would be here apart from the grace of God and we are taken up with the grace of God in connection with the truth that we have been delivered from the power of darkness and brought into the light of Christianity and to set aside those religious things that were the Jews were taken up with. And so this is really what he's giving them instructions with in verse nine is don't mix Judaism and Christianity.
That's Christ alone, and you don't need those religious good works. You need Christ and Christ alone. His work is sufficient.
This was the whole burden of the inspired writer, wasn't it? Because, and I think it's good to reiterate that the ones that he was writing to here had been steeped in the teachings of Judaism at a time when, having been given by God, it was right and proper in its place. And it was very difficult for them to give up those things, even though they had been saved by the grace of God. It was very difficult for them to give up that which had been ordained of God and was for them. It was for the Jew and had been right and proper, as I say, in its place.
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And so he writes these long chapters to go over all these things, not to rebuke them sharply like the Gentile Galatians who'd never been under the law to begin with, but to patiently take up these things and show that these things hadn't profited them in the Old Testament under the Mosaic law in bringing them closer to God. That it was religion for man after the flesh, and it hadn't better demand before God or brought him any closer.
To God, and so he tells them not to be carried away with these things. But again, I believe too that just before he tells them that he connects them with the person of the Lord Jesus who is the same. It's interesting how this expression is couched. It's between the Lord Jesus, the unchangeable one, the same, and the exhortation to that the heart would be established in grace and not go back to that which they had had.
Under the law, because, and I want to make this practical and apply it to us now, we've given the context, but I'm going to make a practical application because, brethren, we live in a day when there's every wind of doctrine afoot. And the work of the enemy today is to undermine or subvert the souls of the Saints and bring in false teaching to seek to shake, if he can, our very faith and what is going to preserve us in the day in which we live?
I believe it's these two things to have the person that walk in the company of the person of Christ.
The one who never changes and to have our hearts established in grace. I say that because I'll give a little example. I know the story has been told before, but I think it helps to.
Illustrate this point, first of all, of being in The Walking, in the conscious sense of the Lord's presence.
And if that which preserves us when false teaching is brought before us. And so the story is told of a brother's meeting many years ago where there was a real difficulty and a decision that was going to eventually need to be made in that assembly. And after the brothers meeting, a young brother said to an older brother and brother, what decision will you be making? What step will you be taking in this matter? And the older brother very wisely looked at the younger brother and said.
I hope when the time comes to take the step to make the decision.
That I am walking close enough with the Lord that I know what step to take.
I thought that was very good advice. Now the Word of God gives us infallible guidelines for our pathway. I realize that. So I word as a lamp under my feet and a light under my path. But I do believe this, brethren, that there are steps taken in our Christian lives and times. We are preserved from that which is false only by closeness to the Lord Jesus. Only by walking with the one who will never leave us nor forsake us, and the one that is the same and only.
As our heart is established in grace and notice it's the heart here because it is a matter of the heart. How are we going to be preserved, brethren, when false teaching is propagated? How are we going to be preserved? By simply knowing the doctrines of the Word of God? That's good. We need that. But we can be clear as ice and just as cold. We can be straight as a razor and just as sharp. What is it that's going to preserve us? It's to have the heart established in grace.
So that we don't get carried away with those things that are false and and so on. Again, I know it was in connection with something very specific here, but I think it's helpful to make this applicable to the day in which we live. There is so much being propagated that is false and even getting trying to get us to go back in some aspect under the law. How are we going to be preserved? Walk close with the Lord and have a real sense of grace in your heart.
Well, he goes on and says in verse 10 that we have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle, for those of the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. And so we have an altar. An altar always speaks in Scripture of a means of approach, a means of approach to God. And so we have a means of approach in Christianity, and it's really outlined as to the privilege of it.
Even in this chapter He says by him, therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
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We have an approach to God. In the Jewish system. There was one tribe, Aaron and his lineage, the Levites. They were permitted the privilege of coming into the presence of God and exercising their priesthood in some measure. In fact, Aaron could come into the presence of God once every year and not without blood. And when he came, he was afraid. But you and I can come into the very presence of the Lord without any fear.
And so here, he says, we have an altar, we have a means of approach.
To God himself we can come into his presence without any fear. And beloved brethren, we have the privilege of knowing the truth of God and what it is to be gathered by the Spirit of God under the precious name of the Lord Jesus, and to know what it is to come and to give our offerings, to give our offerings of Thanksgiving and praise to God continuing in his presence. But he goes on to say that it is without the camp. And so those.
The Lord Jesus really referring to the offering for sin that was burned and it was without the camp. The Lord was crucified and he was brought outside the camp of Israel and he was deemed as one who was not worthy and so he suffered outside the camp.
Quite often his first can be related to the remembrance of the Lord and the Lord's Day morning. Quite often we read his verse by him. Therefore let us off of the sacrifice of God. Phase two God continually the fruit of our lives. That is when we gather together to remember the Lord that we have this fruit, the fruit of our lives. That's what we've meditated on what we've.
Thought about that, we have this fruit on our lips, that He can come before him in his presence, if you remember him.
He's really presenting a contrast here, isn't he? There were bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary. There was a physical offering that the Jew brought. He brought an animal, and when he brought a meat offering, it was fine flour mingled with oil and so on. But it was a physical offering. But in Christianity we have a means of approach. Every one of us is a priest.
And we have a means of approach to God. And it says in John's Gospel chapter 4 verse 24. Maybe we could read verse.
23 John 44I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 4)/23 This is Christianity. The hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. And so the offerings that we bring, our spiritual offerings and we worship in spirit and truth, we don't bring an animal. We don't have those physical sacrifices. And so that's why.
When we come into the presence of the Lord, we come. If we have been walking in communion with the Lord, we have something of a spiritual offering to offer. And so this is really a contrast that He's teaching, how much better we have it that a whole Kingdom of priests unto our God. He's made us a Kingdom of priests. It wasn't good enough, as it were in Judaism, just to have the tribe of Levi coming.
And offering sacrifices which could never take away sins. No, the Lord desired that you and I would be found in His presence.
Without any fear, bringing an offering of sacrifice and praise to Him, and to remember the price that was paid to redeem us, to set us free from the power of sin and Satan, and to set our tongues and our hearts free to live for His glory in this scene, and to be able to render unto Him that sacrifice that He so desired.
Some years ago, our brother Christopher Willis was coming to our area and he spoke.
Not only on this verse, but he said in connection with sacrifice, there's one verse that we should read before this, and he referred to the 12Th chapter of Romans and he spoke about 3 sacrifices. He spoke about the sacrifice of person, the sacrifice of praise, and the sacrifice of possession. And so if we read the first verse of Romans 1.
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As I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable or intelligent service. And then we have of course, what we have in the 15 first the sacrifice of praise, and that will flow from what we have in Romans 12, and then likewise the sacrifice of possession.
Sacrifice of possessions is verse 16.
What is the camp?
There's a very good definition of the camp in Hebrews Chapter 9.
He says in Chapter 9, verse one, that verily the first covenant had also ordinances, divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. And then he speaks of a little later on that in verse three that there was a second veil of Tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all.
So there was a special building, a special veil that veiled off and preserved.
Prevented people from entering into the presence of God but in Christianity that veil is gone and then he says in verse six that there were priests there was ordained priests that went always into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the service of God. Then he speaks of the offering that was given in verse seven and only once a year and for that he speaks of the priesthood not being perfected that they.
Had to go in every year and for the heirs, for himself and for the heirs of the people. And then he gives in verse 8, the Holy Ghost, this signifying that the way of the whole into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest. And he speaks of all these things. He speaks of how the conscience was never purged in verse 9. But there's one thing that he doesn't talk about in that definition is the reproach of Christ.
There is something that is unique to Christianity. There are several things mentioned in this chapter that are unique to Christianity. One is His blood in verse 12, and then we find His reproach in verse 13, and then in verse 15 His name. Those three things are unique to Christianity. His blood in verse 12, His reproach verse 13.
And then his name. And So what we have in Judaism, the camp is organized religion that has all of those things that are characterized by what is given to us in Hebrews Chapter 9. But that's why it says here let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp outside organized religion and bearing his reproach camp here in a context as to who he was writing his Judaism. They were told to separate from that which they found difficult to separate from.
But as you say, there must be something to apply to us because it says let us. And so there's got to be something for us. And I believe what you say is right, that it's that which has taken on the characteristics of Judaism. And we see in Christian circles today much of what has taken, they have taken from the Old Testament as to forms and ceremonies and buildings and and so on. That really is part of the old order of things.
And the Lord said you don't sew new cloth on an old garment. You don't put new wine in old bottles. Christianity is not a remake of Judaism. It's not patching up the old. But if you'll bear with me, I'd like to go back to the Old Testament because sometimes this thought of the camp has been very misconstrued and misapplied. And there are two incidences in the Old Testament that I believe we need to consider if we're going to understand, first of all, what the camp is and what our responsibility and reaction.
Ought to be. So let's go back to the first mention in the 33rd chapter of Exodus.
Now just to get the context here, sin had come in very early to the camp. The golden calf had been set up while Moses was on the mount. They had worshipped it and God had to deal with His people in His governmental ways as a result. But I want to notice from verse seven of chapter 33 what takes place. And Moses took the Tabernacle. Now I realize this was not the Tabernacle that we often think it hadn't been built yet, but nevertheless, the principle is here.
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And Moses took the Tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out under the Tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. And it came to pass, when Moses went out under the Tabernacle, that all the people rose up and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses until he was gone into the Tabernacle. And it came to pass as Moses entered into the Tabernacle.
The cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle. And the Lord talked with Moses, and all the people saw the cloudy killer stand at the Tabernacle door. And all the people rose up and worshipped every man in his tent door. And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp. But his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tabernacle. Here we have it in connection with worship. Just to go back for a moment to the Day of Atonement that we is alluded to in our chapter.
When the bodies of those beasts, when the question of sin was taken up on the Day of Atonement, the bodies of those beasts were to be taken outside the camp and burned. Because what God was teaching his people was that sin was a thing that was not suitable for his presence or the presence of the people of God. And God has always taught that from the beginning of time. But we find here that Moses then takes the Tabernacle, the this tent that denoted the presence of God, and he pitches it.
A far off from the camp and there was a special blessing then for those who went outside the camp. They separated from their brethren. There was probably a reproach connected with it too. I have no doubt they were very families divided over this matter. But if they wanted a special sense and enjoyment of the Lord's presence, they had to go where He was, outside the camp. But what I want to point out is that those who remained in the camp, it didn't mean they weren't the people of God.
And I'm thankful for all my brethren, many Christians who are entangled in systems that have taken on the trappings and characteristics of Judaism. They are still the people of God. And you notice too, that every man stood up and worshipped in his tent door. There was worship because wherever there are believers and they're enjoying the person and work of Christ, there's going to be individual worship. Worship is intensely individual. And so every man stood up and worshiped in his tent door.
But Moses though, he went back into the camp because he's a picture, I believe of the Spirit of God here or a picture of the Lord. And the God doesn't forsake his people in the camp. And there's blessing, whether in truth or pretense, Christ is preached and I therein do rejoice, Shay and will rejoice. The apostle Paul said to the Philippians, thank God for any worship or whatever is going on in the camp that encourages the people of God. Moses didn't forsake the people of God in the camp. The Lord doesn't forsake his people. When the Spirit of God has given liberty, he works amongst his people.
Some of us as we travel in other countries, we see tremendous work by the through the through these ones. Perhaps they don't understand and appreciate or have the privileges that we do. But the Spirit of God, the Lord is working. So they were still the people of God. They worshipped everyone in his tent door. But what about Joshua? Oh, he remained outside the camp. He remained in that place where the Lord was and enjoyed that special privilege. But now go on to the 11Th of Hebrews.
I'm sorry, the 11Th of numbers, Numbers Chapter 11 and we have another reference to the camp here.
Verse 24 And Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the 70 men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tabernacle.
And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the 70 elders.
And it came to pass that when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied and did not cease. And there remained two of the men in the camp. The name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other, me Dad. And the Spirit rested upon them, and they were of them that were written, but went not out under the Tabernacle. And they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Me Dad, do prophecy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men answered, and said, My Lord Moses.
Forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Envious, Thou for my sake would God, that all the Lord's people were prophets.
And that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them, and Moses got him into the camp.
He and the elders of Israel. Well, here we have a situation where Moses complained to the Lord.
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And he said, Lord, you've given me too much to do. And I appreciated what Gordon Hayhoe said about this portion years ago. He said when the Lord took part of the Spirit off Moses and put it on the 70 elders, there was more machinery, but there was no more power because God had fitted Moses for the work that he had given him to do. But he took some of the Spirit off Moses and he gave it to the 70 elders. And all of a sudden there are these two men that prophecy in the camp. And Joshua says, oh, Moses forbid them. They shouldn't be doing that.
Oh, Moses says no, I would that all the Lord's servants were prophets. In other words, again, brethren, we can be thankful.
Wherever the word of God goes forth, and it's going forth in those systems that we refer to as the camp, those systems that have taken on the characteristics of Judaism.
But the Spirit of God is still working as he's given liberty and souls are being saved. You know, if the 21 tons of literature that we ship to the Caribbean and South America every year, I would say 95% of that or 98% of it is taken by these ones. And it's used good, solid literature to both propagate the gospel and to encourage believers. We get orders for Bruce Anstey's pamphlets because they want to use them as study guides in their youth group.
Aren't we thankful for that? The Spirit of God is working and Moses says don't forbid them. I would that all the Lord's servants were prophets and that he would put his Spirit upon them. And so again, he doesn't encourage Joshua to go and join them. No, he, Moses again, a picture of the Lord of the Spirit. He gets into the camp, but he doesn't encourage Joshua to go. And so we can pray and thank God for any measure of faithfulness and worship and propagating of the gospel and the truth in the camp. The Spirit of God works amongst his people wherever they are. And let me give you another Old Testament example.
You know two of the greatest prophets, Elijah and Elijah, they were great prophets. You never read of them going up to God's center in Israel.
Never do you read it in Jerusalem. Never do you read of them going to Jerusalem. But God raised them up and used them amongst the 10 tribes and they were mightily used and the Spirit of God moved and worked upon them and through them. And aren't we thankful for their lives and the blessing they were to the people of God? They never went up to God's center. But brethren, you and I have a responsibility. You and I have a responsibility. We've brought into, have been brought into a position.
Where we have been brought outside the camp, we have been brought to where there's a special sense of the Lord's presence as being in the midst, not just with us, but in the midst collectively, which is very different. And you and I, while we can pray for the blessing in the camp and pray for our brothers and sisters who are there going on in their measure and in their life faithfully, yet you and I, we are called to go forth without the camp, like Joshua. Let us go forth, therefore, without the camp. Will it be popular? Are we looking to be popular as gathered to the Lord's name?
From those systems, if we are, we're going to be disappointed because it doesn't say, and we might bear as reproach, it says bearing his reproach. There is going to be a reproach to separate from that which has been set up by manning Christendom and to be simply gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus where he is in the midst, and to take no other name but His name. That's the difference, isn't it, between one of the differences between Christianity and Judaism is that.
Under Judaism, they had a physical, uh, center that they went to that with Jerusalem, they had to go up there and that's where they, the temple was. And uh, but when we read Matthew 18 to 20 for the church, it's wherever two or three together onto my name, we're gathered through the name of, of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're not gathered to a, a physical center, that physical center, Jerusalem, they had a temple there where the people went to worship. Our bodies as Christians are the temple of the Holy Ghost.
We're at Christianity is spiritual. Judaism was more physical and outward. Christianity is spiritual and inward. And each member here is a member of the body of Christ or the temple of the Holy Ghost where God dwells. It's not a physical temple that you can see like it was in Jerusalem. Also, they, they had an appointed priesthood. That is they, they, they had a priesthood that was appointed.
And they had a high priest and that high priest, he could take the sins of the people into the holiest of holiest once a year. We don't have a system like that. The Lord Jesus Christ has died on the cross. He took our sins away and he, the temple bell was rent got away with. Every believer now is able to enter in the very presence of God at any time. And every believer here is a priest.
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You're a priest because God has made you a priest. He's made me a priest through salvation. Every everyone here that's a believer is a priest and you have access 24/7 into the presence of God all the time. Where we're able to come and we have a Peter that we have spiritual priests. Part of our priesthood is spiritual and then we have a royal priesthood. One is going in, the other would be going out the royal priesthood side of it.
But things in Christianity have a spiritual overtone to them, where things in Judaism were more outward and physical. And that is the difference between Christianity and Judaism. When the Lord died in the cross, he broke down the middle wall, a petition that was between Jew and Gentile and made both wise and so Jew, Gentile, whoever you are in this world when you're brought in to.
Salvation through Christ, you're part of that one body which prices are hid. But it's a spiritual we're brought into a spiritual realm of things.
I would say this is a collective aspect of things, isn't it? Because this has let us, this is together to go into the presence of the Lord earlier. He says I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. That's individual. But wherever you have in Scripture the individual aspect of things, there's always a comparable truth connected with the collective side of things. And I would just say this too, because there's been a lot of.
There's been a lot of confusion and misapplication of scripture.
Not discerning the individual and the collective side of things, and I'll just give you a little hint as to what we're saying.
Individually, the Lord is with us.
Low, I am with you always. And even the two on the way to Emmaus, it's often been pointed out that they were going in the wrong direction in discouragement. But Jesus himself drew near and went with them, and he went in to tarry with them, and he sat at meet with them. And even when Christians meet, wherever they meet, the Lord is with them because he's with every believer individually. But that is very different than the Lord being in the midst.
Collectively with us is individual. So tomorrow morning there will be Christians meet in various pockets and fellowships of Christendom right here in this area. The Lord is with everyone, every Christian individually. But we can only claim Matthew 18 and 20 as we follow the word of God, guided by the Spirit of God. And so it's where two or three are gathered together in my name. There am I, not with them, but in the midst.
And the mids have to do with the focal point. It's like the hub of the old fashioned wagon wheel.
It's what brings everything together and it's the focal point and it's Christ in the midst. And it's interesting. You can look it up in that 24th chapter of Luke where you have the two on the way to Emmaus. When they return to Jerusalem and they come back to where the 12 are gathered together, the language changes. The Lord was with them on the Emmaus Rd. He was with them in their home, but now He came and stood in the midst. And for the rest of that chapter when He appears to them in the upper room.
Where they were gathered together, then he's in the midst, but only when they were gathered together in obedience to the word of the Lord. And I know it's not the assembly there, but the principle is there that where they were gathered together in obedience to the word of the Lord, only then could it say that he was in the midst. So don't confuse the two things. He was with his people in the camp, as we noticed, but there was a special blessing to go out to the Tabernacle which denoted.
The presence of God in the midst of his people, collectively.
See, our time is up, but there's a lovely thought in connection with David being anointed. It says in our in James translation, we will not sit down until he come hit her. But there's a marginal rendering that says we will not sit round until he come hit her. That brings us the thought that David would be in the center and of course David the type of the Lord Jesus as we have in Matthew chapter 18.
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312.
Lead on Almighty.
With the Lord.
Since Christ and reign.
Of all I have to do?
Recommend ourselves.
Our loving God and our Father, we thank thee for our Lord Jesus Christ, we thank Thee for the perfection of that holy work upon the cross of Calvary. Lord Jesus, now that it's fully satisfied the heart of God in connection with sin, and that we know that the blessing has flowed forth in our sins, the fruit of the evil nature that we have within us has been dealt with, and now we have a new life, one that is able to please the one that desires to live for Thy glory.
And so we thank thee for thy word that would instruct us, and give us that to to have courage in a day that we live in, to live for Thy glory against the current of this world morally and in every other way, and to look unto Him. And so we just ask thee for thy blessing on our time, that thy word might have free course be glorified, that we might set roast that which we took in hunting, and not be slothful.
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But to meditate upon these things and make them our own, we ask thee for thy blessing our God and our Father. We thank Thee for Thy love and kindness allowing us to be together like this.
We give thanks in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.